MLB Trade Rumors and 2024-2025 Free Agent Signings

We’re keeping track of all the latest free agent and trade rumors.

The Blue Jays have had trouble sealing the deal with star free agents over the past two offseasons, falling short in their pursuits of Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried. Toronto, though, cannot afford to stand pat as it enters a critical 2025 season — the final year before both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette can test free agency.

With this in mind, the Blue Jays are continuing to pursue some of the biggest names left on the free-agent market, including a trio of high-profile bats.

Toronto has made an offer to outfielder Anthony Santander, according to multiple reports. Meanwhile, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the Jays “have shown the strongest interest” of any team in the mix for third baseman Alex Bregman.

And though they have Guerrero stationed at first base, they’re also showing “strong interest” in Pete Alonso, perhaps with a plan to play him at their unsettled DH spot this season while giving them an insurance policy at first in case Guerrero departs as a free agent. Toronto has been trying to sign Guerrero to an extension, but Nightengale reports that the two sides are at least $100 million apart in their negotiations.

The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are entering the home stretch, with eight days to go before the start of the 2025 international amateur signing period on Jan. 15 and 16 left before the right-hander’s posting window is due to close on Jan. 23.

To this point, Sasaki has met with seven known clubs: the Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, Giants, Rangers and Padres. However, those might not be the only teams Sasaki is considering. More >

The Giants are adding a likely future Hall of Famer to their starting rotation.

Justin Verlander and the Giants are in agreement on a one-year deal, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The club has not confirmed the deal.

The 41-year-old Verlander is coming off a rough season with the Astros, highlighted by a 5.48 ERA in just 90 1/3 innings. But he is only two years removed from winning his third Cy Young Award. More >

As the Yankees continue to explore ways to upgrade their infield, the club has been discussing a trade with the Padres for three-time batting champion Luis Arraez, reports Jeff Passan in an article for ESPN+ (subscription required). More >

The Mets have already spent more than $900 million in free agency this offseason, signing superstar outfielder Juan Soto and pitchers Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes and Frankie Montas. But New York still has a void in its infield and could consider a big move to fill that hole.

Re-signing Pete Alonso remains the most likely outcome for the Mets, but if they aren’t able to close the gap in negotiations with their longtime first baseman, they could pivot to another star free agent — third baseman Alex Bregman, a Scott Boras client like Alonso. More >

Marcus Stroman appears to be the odd man out in the Yankees’ rotation after the team signed Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract in December, adding the left-hander to a stable of starters that already included Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Clarke Schmidt and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, as well as Stroman.

Grichuk’s 11th season in the Majors was one of his best even though the 33-year-old was a part-time player with the D-backs. He produced an .875 OPS and hit 12 homers in 254 at-bats last year. Most of his plate appearances came against left-handed pitching, and he recorded a .319/.386/.528 slash line against them.

Verdugo, 28, got off to a good start last season with the Yankees but really struggled over the final few months and ended with a .647 OPS and an 83 wRC+, which tied for 121st out of 129 qualified hitters. However, the lefty-hitting Verdugo does provide better defense (2 outs above average in 2024) and contact skills (93rd percentile whiff rate) than Grichuk.

Some of the other available mid-tier bats in the corner-outfield market include Mark Canha, Austin Hays and Jesse Winker. That group is a clear step down from Anthony Santander — the top slugger left on the outfield market — and a fellow 2024 All-Star, Jurickson Profar.

Nolan Arenado’s full no-trade clause has already reduced the chances of a deal involving the Cardinals third baseman this offseason: In December, Arenado reportedly blocked a potential trade to the Astros. But if the Red Sox were to go after Arenado, the St. Louis star apparently wouldn’t say no.

Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reported Sunday that the Red Sox are “a preferred destination — if not the preferred destination” for Arenado, although Boston’s level of interest in acquiring Arenado is unclear. Earlier in the offseason, MLB.com Cardinals beat writer John Denton reported that the Red Sox were one of six teams to which Arenado would accept a trade, along with the Dodgers, Padres, Angels, Mets and Phillies.

While the Red Sox have an established third baseman in Rafael Devers, the club could move Devers to first base to accommodate Arenado at the hot corner. The eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner is under contract through 2027.

The Athletics have reached an agreement with Brent Rooker on a five-year contract extension, a source told MLB.com on Monday night. The deal, which was first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, is worth $60 million and includes a sixth-year vesting option for 2030. More >

The Dodgers’ signing of KBO star Hyeseong Kim on Friday made for a crowded infield in L.A. But they alleviated that infield logjam on Monday by dealing Gavin Lux to the Reds. Lux was also reportedly generating interest from the Mariners and Yankees before being traded to the Reds. More >

The Royals reunited with Michael Lorenzen on Monday evening, agreeing with the right-hander on a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $7 million with a mutual contract option for 2026, a source said. More >

With Sugano and Morton in the fold, Baltimore has plenty of rotation depth. However, the team has not directly addressed the departure of ace Corbin Burnes, who signed a six-year, $210 million deal with the D-backs.

The issue, as Rosenthal notes, is that the O’s options to find a reasonable facsimile for Burnes are limited, and some of the best available pitchers — trade candidates Dylan Cease and Luis Castillo and free agent Jack Flaherty — don’t appear to be ideal fits for Baltimore.

Cease can become a free agent next offseason, so acquiring him from the Padres would basically be a repeat of the Burnes situation, requiring the O’s to surrender a significant package of young talent for a one-year rental.

Castillo comes with long-term control, but at a high cost — he’s owed $68.25 million over the next three years and has a $25 million vesting option for 2028 — for a pitcher who is now 32 years old and showed signs of decline in 2024. Plus, the Mariners would likely require MLB-ready talent in return for Castillo, and Rosenthal reports that the Orioles are not inclined to move Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Jordan Westburg, Coby Mayo or Heston Kjerstad.

The Orioles can land Flaherty without having to give up any players in return, though the memory of his struggles after being acquired by Baltimore prior to the 2023 Trade Deadline hasn’t entirely faded.

Given those drawbacks, it’s entirely possible the Orioles will end up proceeding with their current rotation options and then reassess at the Trade Deadline.

With Alex Bregman assuredly not returning to the Astros, the third baseman’s market has started to come into focus.

The Blue Jays, meanwhile, are entering a pivotal season that’s headlined by the impending free agency of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. Toronto also made big plays for Juan Soto this offseason and Shohei Ohtani last offseason, signaling that the Blue Jays are willing to invest big in their roster. With an opening at third base, Bregman makes perfect sense for the Blue Jays.

Jack Flaherty enjoyed a stellar World Series-winning season in 2024. One of the top starting pitchers in free agency this winter, the 29-year-old also isn’t tied to the qualifying offer, meaning any team that signs him won’t have to give up a Draft pick as a result.

While a potential return to the Mets seems plausible for Alonso, there are plenty of other clubs looking to add his elite power bat into the mix. Could the Angels be one of those teams?

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported in a Bleacher Report live stream that the Angels are weighing a pursuit of Alonso. Heyman says that he believes Angels owner Arte Moreno wants to add another big bat, citing Alonso as well as free-agent outfielder Anthony Santander. More >

Many prominent free agents have signed this offseason, but there are plenty of players with excellent résumés still on the market.

For example, Max Scherzer — a three-time Cy Young Award winner — remains unsigned. That could change soon, as MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported in a Bleacher Report live stream that Scherzer’s market is “heating up a bit.” Heyman suggested that Scherzer is fielding interest from four teams, although it is unclear who those clubs are.

The 40-year-old Scherzer is coming off a season where he dealt with various ailments and threw a career-low 43 1/3 innings. When Scherzer was on the mound, however, he was still quite effective, posting a 3.95 ERA (101 ERA+) with 40 strikeouts and 10 walks.

Scherzer may not be at his lofty heights where he was a consistent 200-inning ace racking up Cy Young Awards, but there’s still upside for a quality starter … if he can stay healthy. Given his injured-plagued 2024 season and that he’ll turn 41 in July, there’s no guarantee that he’ll remain healthy enough to stay on the mound, but plenty of teams might be willing to still take a chance.

The Yankees have been busy since they lost Juan Soto to the Mets, addressing their rotation (Max Fried), bullpen (Devin Williams, Fernando Cruz, Jonathan Loáisiga), outfield (Cody Bellinger) and first-base spot (Paul Goldschmidt).

With those moves in the bag, it’s been widely assumed that addressing third base would be next on New York’s checklist, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. able to move to second base to replace the departed Gleyber Torres.

But while the club has been linked to free agent Alex Bregman and trade candidate Nolan Arenado, MLB Network insider Joel Sherman doesn’t see either of those targets ending up in pinstripes. So who will be playing third base for the Yanks in 2025? Perhaps DJ LeMahieu. More >

The D-backs pulled off a stunner late Friday night (or early Saturday morning, depending on your time zone), agreeing to a six-year, $210 million deal with right-hander Corbin Burnes, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. It wasn’t just the timing of the deal — it was that Arizona had not generated much buzz as a contender for Burnes.

Rather, it was the Blue Jays and Giants who had been pegged as favorites for the ace right-hander, with the Orioles perhaps still in the picture to try to retain him. All three of those clubs are still in the market for starting pitching, but the options have dwindled.

With Burnes, Sean Manaea (Mets) and Walker Buehler (Red Sox) coming off the board over the past week, Jack Flaherty and Nick Pivetta are the best remaining free agents among established MLB arms. Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki is also searching for a team, though he isn’t expected to make his decision until the new international signing period opens on Jan. 15.

Andrew Heaney, José Quintana, Max Scherzer and Kyle Gibson are some of the other starters still available.

With the supply of difference-making options short and the prices for free-agent starters remaining high, we could see continued activity on the trade market.

Jesús Luzardo (Phillies) became the latest starter to be dealt last Sunday, joining Garrett Crochet (Red Sox), Jeffrey Springs (Athletics), Nestor Cortes (Brewers) and Brady Singer (Reds) among the notable starting pitchers who have been traded this offseason.

The Mariners’ Luis Castillo, the Padres’ Dylan Cease and the Twins’ Pablo López are some of the big-name starters who have been mentioned in recent trade rumors. López, 28, is entering the second year of a four-year contract extension that he signed in ’23. He is owed about $65 million ($21.75 million average annual value) through 2027. Castillo is also signed to a long-term contract — he’s owed $68.25 million ($22.75 million AAV) over the next three years and has a $25 million vesting option for 2028. Cease, meanwhile, can become a free agent next offseason.

Now that they’ve added Burnes, it’s possible the D-backs will make more of an effort to trade Jordan Montgomery, as Feinsand noted. Montgomery, who is owed $22.5 million in 2025, is the odd man out in a rotation that also includes Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan (subscription required), other trade candidates include the Rangers’ Jon Gray, the Cardinals’ Erick Fedde and the Twins’ Chris Paddack, each of whom is entering the final year of his contract. (Gray is owed $13 million, while Fedde and Paddack are owed $7.5 million apiece.)

The Astros’ Framber Valdez (controllable through 2025) also looked like a possibility to be traded, especially after Houston dealt fellow pending free agent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, but Passan reports that the club has told rival executives that it plans to keep the lefty.

With several marquee free agents signing during and just after the Winter Meetings, Alonso is one of the top candidates remaining on the market. His free agency is also interesting because after Christian Walker signed with the Astros and Paul Goldschmidt agreed to terms with the Yankees, Alonso’s market is shrinking.

While the Mets, for whom Alonso has played his entire MLB career so far, are still rumored to have interest in re-signing the slugging first baseman, a report in the San Francisco Chronicle indicates that the Giants have him “on their radar” as the club continues to pursue offensive upgrades after signing shortstop Willy Adames to the largest contract in franchise history. More >