The 2025-26 season has certainly been a rollercoaster for the New York Rangers so far.
The Blueshirts currently have a 6-6-2 record and are seventh in the Metropolitan Division standings. But the biggest reason for their shaky start to the season has been their immense struggles on home ice.
The Rangers currently have a nightmare 0-5-1 home record this season. Meanwhile, they have had a lot of success away from Madison Square Garden, at 6-1-1.
Things have not been getting better for the Rangers at home, either.
In their most recent home matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes on Nov. 4, the Rangers lost 3-0. With this latest loss, the Rangers' home-ice struggles have now hit a historic level.
The Rangers are the first NHL club since the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 1928-29 season to be shut out in four out of their first six home games of the season, according to Sportsnet's Stats.
This new low comes after the Rangers became the first team in NHL history to be shut out in each of their first three home games of the campaign.
“This is where we need to dig deep and carry the load a little and raise our own expectations for ourselves, not just you know, we like what we're doing, and we're getting looks,” J.T. Miller told reporters after Tuesday's game, according to The Hockey News' Remy Mastey. “It's not really cute anymore. It's been 14 games. We're not executing by capitalizing on our chances.”
This latest stat shows just how much the Rangers are struggling to produce offense at home. It is an incredibly concerning trend, and the Blueshirts will need to change that if they hope to get back into the playoffs this year.
The Rangers are set to face off against the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 7 on the road before heading back to Madison Square Garden for their Nov. 8 matchup against the New York Islanders.
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“I’m looking forward to getting back to the Bay,” Bochy told Baggarly in a phone interview. “And of course, I’m looking forward to getting back with the San Francisco Giants, seeing familiar faces and hopefully bring value any way I can.”
Before president of baseball operations Buster Posey really dug into his search for a new manager, and weeks before Vitello was hired, many fans and pundits alike wondered if Bochy could retake his former position on the top step of the home dugout at Oracle Park.
Bochy himself said he’d never rule out a conversation with Posey about a managerial return, but after Posey shot down that option in his end-of-season press conference, it appears they decided the best path forward was in a special advisory role.
Now, Bochy doesn’t envision another stint as manager in his future after spending the last three seasons leading the Texas Rangers. Instead, the four-time World Series champion will serve as a guiding voice for Vitello, who is the first MLB manager to be hired straight out of college ball without any professional experience.
“I would say that’s where I’m at right now,” Bochy told Baggarly of likely never managing again. “I’ll add you don’t ever rule anything out. You don’t, you know? But I’m content with what I’m doing now. I certainly appreciate getting another opportunity to win a championship and I’m forever grateful for that. But I’m in a good place now. This is what I want to do. I want more time for myself and family but also to contribute to a game that I love.”
Bochy made plenty of memories at Third and King with the Giants from 2007 to 2019 and has three rings to show for it. Now, he’ll look to help San Francisco earn another from outside of the dugout.
A pair of former Mets coaches have found a new home in Atlanta.
The Braves announced on Wednesday that they have hired Jeremy Hefner as pitching coach and Antoan Richardson as first base coach.
Hefner, who pitched for the Mets in 2012 and 2013, was hired to be the team's pitching coach in December 2019. Hefner was not retained following a 2025 season in which the Mets saw their starters fail to give them consistent length, while the bullpen had issues when it came to building the bridge to Edwin Diaz.
Richardson, who joined the Mets when Carlos Mendoza was hired after the 2023 season, was lauded for his work with Mets baserunners, particularly during the 2025 season when he helped the club tie a major league record with 39 stolen bases in a row without getting caught. He also worked closely with Juan Soto, who stole a career-high 38 bases and nearly had a 40/40 season.
As a team last year, the Mets stole 147 bases, the fifth most in baseball, and were caught just 18 times, the second fewest of any team.
The Mets had interest in retaining Richardson to coach first base, but he and the club could not agree to terms on a new deal, leading to his departure from the organization.
The 2026 MLB season will be here before you know it, and the entire Grapefruit league schedule was announced on Wednesday afternoon.
The Yankees will play 33 spring training games, including 16 home games at Steinbrenner Field, opening with a road game against the Baltimore Orioles on Feb. 20.
Their first home game is set for Feb. 21 against the Detroit Tigers.
Additionally, the Yankees will have their 2026 Spring Breakout Game, which highlights some of the top prospects in the sport, on Mar. 21 against the Atlanta Braves' prospects.
The Yanks will then close things with a rare trip to Arizona to play the Chicago Cubs on Mar. 23 and 24.
The Phillies are bringing back a familiar late-inning arm.
Philadelphia exercised José Alvarado’s $9 million team option on Wednesday, committing to the left-hander for 2026 after a season with highs and lows.
When on the mound, Alvarado remains one of baseball’s tougher lefties. Before his mid-season 80-game suspension for violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drug policy, he posted a 2.70 ERA over his first 20 appearances, striking out 32 batters in 26 innings. His sinker still ranked in the 99th percentile in velocity.
But the back half of the year told a different story. Upon his return in late August, Alvarado posted a 7.50 ERA and then landed on the injured list with a forearm strain, which ended his season prematurely. Part of the suspension was going to hold him out of the postseason anyways. Manager Rob Thomson noted in his end-of-season remarks:
“Tough year, it really was for him in a lot of different ways… I think making sure that he’s healthy going into the offseason kind of eased his mind and mine.”
The decision to bring back Alvarado sense for the Phillies, though. Left-handed relief is a scarce commodity, and Philadelphia enters the offseason light in that area — with only Matt Strahm and Tanner Banks under contract among LHPs.
The familiarity factor also counts: Alvarado has logged 21 postseason games since 2022.
Still, the upside comes with risk. His command remains one of his major issues. But for a one-year, $9 million commitment — under the $11.6 million market value that Spotrac estimates — the front office appears willing to bet on the “Alvy” who dominated in 2022–23 rather than the one who sputtered late in 2025.
In a bullpen that struggled for middle-relief depth down the stretch, bringing Alvarado back provides flexibility for Thomson. Whether he’s back as a seventh-inning bridge or strictly for matchups, the move signals the Phillies believe in his ability to bounce back.
The Dodgers celebrate after winning Game 7 of the World Series at Rogers Centre in Toronto. It was the most-watched MLB game since Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Two years ago, the Dodgers set out to become Japan’s team. The Toronto Blue Jays are Canada’s team.
The deciding Game 7 of the World Series attracted a record 51 million viewers across the United States, Canada and Japan, Major League Baseball said Wednesday, making it the most-watched MLB game since Game 7 of the 1991 World Series.
The series averaged 34 million viewers across the three countries, the largest global audience for the World Series since 1992. The audience outside the U.S. was the largest ever — even with other countries yet to be tallied.
In the U.S. alone, an average of 16.1 million viewers watched each game, an increase from last year even with the New York Yankees out and a Canadian team in. (The series was a more dramatic seven games this year and five last year, which helped.)
For the third consecutive year and fifth time in six years, the World Series had a higher rating than the NBA Finals — this year, 56% higher.
The strong World Series ratings — and attendance that rose for the fourth consecutive year — underscore the risk owners would take if they locked out players next winter and shut down the sport in a quest for a salary cap.
After a work stoppage that cost the league the end of the 1994 season and the start of the 1995 season, average attendance did not rebound to pre-strike levels until 2006. Attendance soon dipped again as game times routinely crept past three hours — the pitch clock has solved that — and amid the pandemic.
Even with the recent gains, attendance remains 10% below its 2007 peak.
The Atlanta Braves, despite missing the playoffs for the first time since 2017, announced Wednesday that 2025 revenues through Sept. 30 had hit $671 million — up 10% from last year — and profits had hit $36 million.
The Braves’ revenues included $71 million from the Battery, their ballpark-adjacent development that depends largely upon selling three million tickets to Braves games every year. (As a publicly traded company, the Braves are legally required to release financial data; the Dodgers and most other teams are not.)
Los Angeles led all U.S. television markets in World Series ratings, followed in order by San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis and Milwaukee, according to Fox data.
Both the current and future homes of the Athletics — Sacramento and Las Vegas, respectively — ranked among the top 10.
In Japan, a country with one-third the population of the U.S., the World Series averaged 9.7 million viewers. In Canada, a country with one-tenth the population of the U.S., the series averaged 8.1 million viewers.
The Game 7 broadcast in Canada was the most-watched of any English-language broadcast on record aside from the 2010 Winter Olympics, which were held in Vancouver.
The Mets will play their first spring training game of 2026 on Feb. 21, when they open their Grapefruit League schedule against the Marlins at Clover Park.
New York will play 29 spring games in total, including two against World Baseball Classic teams -- against Nicaragua on March 3 and Israel on March 4.
The Spring Breakout Game -- featuring many of each team's best prospects -- will take place for the Mets on March 19 when they host the Rays.
Here's the Mets' full spring training schedule:
Feb. 21: vs. Marlins Feb. 22: @ Yankees Feb. 23: @ Blue Jays Feb. 24: vs. Astros Feb. 25: vs. Cardinals Feb. 26: @ Astros Feb. 27: @ Cardinals Feb. 28: vs. Nationals Mar. 1: vs. Astros Mar. 3: vs. Nicaragua (WBC team) Mar. 4: vs. Israel (WBC team) Mar. 5: @ Nationals Mar. 6: @ Marlins Mar. 7: @ Cardinals Mar. 8: vs. Yankees Mar. 9: vs. Marlins Mar. 10: vs. Cardinals Mar. 12: @ Cardinals Mar. 13: vs. Marlins (SS) Mar. 13: @ Nationals (SS) Mar. 14: @ Astros Mar. 15: vs. Blue Jays Mar. 16: vs. Nationals Mar. 17: @ Marlins Mar. 19: @ Astros Mar. 20: vs. Cardinals Mar. 21: vs. Astros (SS) Mar. 21: @ Nationals (SS) Mar. 22: @ Marlins
However, with plenty of money coming off the books, several notable contributors to this year’s team now free agents, and plenty of opportunities lying ahead of them this offseason, the Dodgers have work to do and decisions to make as they attempt to defend their title again next year.
“Our attention span has been about two and a half minutes to think about the offseason throughout the month of October,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said after the team’s World Series parade on Monday. “So we have a lot of work to do."
As that work begins, here are four big questions facing the Dodgers this offseason:
Can they keep on spending?
The Dodgers set MLB payroll records this year with $347 million in year-end salary and $415 million in competitive balance tax payroll.
Their projections for 2026 as of right now, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts: $251 million in salary and $313 million in CBT payroll.
Big numbers, to be sure, but theoretically providing room to maneuver this winter as well.
The question, of course, is whether even the deep-pocketed Dodgers can keep spending at the level they did this past season. Already, their 2026 CBT number will keep them in the highest tax bracket for luxury-tax purposes next year. Any new money they add this offseason will come with a 110% surcharge.
Friedman wasn’t ready to commit to any specific spending levels after Monday’s parade, saying the front office was still in the process of “really getting a sense of our roster, which obviously we know, but to really dig in and appreciate what areas we want to really target and making sure we have the requisite depth.”
What is clear, however, is that if there is a big-name player the team wants to pursue this winter, they could do so without raising payroll from their already historic heights of last year. They have a lot of previously committed money, but plenty of wiggle room relative to their 2025 payroll, too.
Will familiar faces return?
One of the big decisions the Dodgers will have to make this offseason is how much of last year’s team they want to bring back.
The clock is already ticking on their $10 million team option for third baseman Max Muncy, which either has to be picked up or declined by Thursday (though, given that relatively affordable amount, it’d be a surprise if they didn’t bring him back).
Then there will be the matter of Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas, free agents who have voiced their hopes of returning next year. Neither player flashed in the regular season. Rojas posted an exactly league-average OPS+ of 100, but saw his batting average decline from .283 in 2024 to .262 this past year. Hernández hit just .203 while battling an elbow injury, his lowest mark since 2016.
However, both veterans were integral to the team’s playoff run. Hernández started every game of the postseason and drove in seven runs. Rojas was inserted into the lineup in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series and made one season-saving play after the next, including combining with Hernández for a game-ending double-play in Game 6 and hitting the tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 7.
Age will be a consideration with each of them. Muncy is 35. Hernández is 34. And Rojas will be 37 by opening day next year (which is likely to be the last season of his career). They’ve all missed time with injuries in recent campaigns.
But they were all hugely important veteran leaders as well, helping form a resilient culture that many on the team cited in the wake of their Game 7 triumph, and would like to see preserved as much as possible entering next year.
Will there be a big outfield addition?
The Chicago Cubs' Kyle Tucker runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the seventh inning of Game 4 of their NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers. (Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)
The most obvious area of need for next year’s Dodgers will be in the outfield.
Andy Pages will be back, trying to build upon his 27-homer campaign in 2025. Teoscar Hernández will enter the second of his three-year contract, trying to rebound from his injury-plagued struggles this past summer.
But the third spot remains wide open, with Michael Conforto hitting free agency after his dismal performance on a one-year, $17 million deal this past year, and Alex Call having been used in more of a depth role after his arrival of this year’s trade deadline.
Internally, the Dodgers don’t have an immediate plug-and-play option, as top prospects Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Eduardo Quintero and Mike Sirota remain a ways away from the majors.
Thus, don’t be surprised to see the Dodgers linked with big names on either the free-agent or trade market this winter, starting with top free-agent prize Kyle Tucker.
Since the summer, industry speculation has swirled about the Dodgers’ expected pursuit of Tucker this offseason. The four-time All-Star did not finish 2025 well while nursing a couple injuries, but remains one of the premier left-handed bats in the sport, and could command upward of $400 million-$500 million on a long-term deal — a hefty price tag, but certainly not one beyond the Dodgers’ capabilities.
Free agency will include other notable outfield options. Cody Bellinger is hitting the open market, though a reunion with the Dodgers has always seemed like a long shot. Harrison Bader and Trent Grisham could provide more glove-first alternatives, and have been linked with the Dodgers in the past.
Then there are potential trade candidates, from left fielder Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians to utilityman Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals, also players the Dodgers have inquired about in the past.
The Dodgers could construct their 2026 roster in other ways, thanks to the versatility Tommy Edman provides in center field. But another outfield addition remains their most logical priority this winter. And there will be no shortage of possibilities.
What to do with the pitching?
The Dodgers enter the winter with somewhat of a pitching backlog.
Next year’s starting rotation figures to include Ohtani, Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan.
But the team’s depth goes far beyond that. Justin Wrobleski and Ben Casparius are still natural starters, though they both found a home in the bullpen down the stretch this season. Gavin Stone, River Ryan and Kyle Hurt will all be returning from injuries.
Given how hard the team had to push its starters this October, preserving depth in case of injuries will be important. But the young arms further down the depth chart could be intriguing trade chips as well.
The bullpen is another question. The team has plenty of depth there too, returning the likes of Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer and Blake Treinen, and hopeful of getting Evan Phillips, Brock Stewart and Brusdar Graterol back from injury.
But Tanner Scott’s 2025 struggles mean the closer role remains unsettled — making that another area the Dodgers could explore an upgrade.
Several established closers will be available as free agents, including Edwin Díaz, Robert Suarez and Devin Williams (someone the Dodgers pursued last winter). Pete Fairbanks (who the Dodgers had interest in at last year’s deadline) could also be an option, either as a free agent if the Tampa Bay Rays don’t pick up his option for next year or a trade candidate if they do.
Fresh off an MLB season in which its RSNs averaged 1.5 million viewers per night, Main Street Sports Group has inked media rights renewals with the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds and Kansas City Royals.
In exercising the options to extend their in-market deals with the owner/operator of the FanDuel Sports Network-branded RSNs, the three clubs have given Main Street a vote of confidence—one that ensures the company will begin the 2026 MLB campaign with the same roster that suited up for this past season.
The renewals arrive in the wake of a local-TV ratings boom, as FDSN enjoyed an 18% improvement in MLB deliveries over the course of the regular season. The overall audience gains coincided with a 101% uptick in streaming impressions, as more than 2.5 billion minutes of live action were consumed by fans in Main Street’s nine local baseball markets.
The Brewers, which finished an MLB-best 97-65 this past season, were Main Street’s biggest draws in 2025, as their RSN put up baseball’s second highest local-market ratings, trailing only the Phillies’ showing on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Among Milwaukee’s highest-rated telecasts was the latter half of an Aug. 19 Brewers-Cubs doubleheader, which averaged over 110,000 households on FDSN Wisconsin—a figure that represents 12% of the market’s TV homes.
The Brewers’ success was particularly gratifying for Main Street, as the franchise’s local ratings effectively ratified an earlier decision to remain in the RSN pool. After having announced its intentions last fall to quit the model for a spot under the MLB Media umbrella, Milwaukee backtracked on its decision, signing a one-year deal with Main Street in January.
“This past season’s surge in viewership is a reflection of our fans’ passion and the growing accessibility of Brewers baseball,” Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said in a statement. While cord-cutting continues to erode the national pay-TV base, local sports has managed to offset any losses in linear reach with a rapidly expanding streaming audience. Fans this past season streamed more than 400 million minutes of Brewers games, good for a year-over-year gain of over 30%.
The Brew Crew’s streaming boost was in keeping with the rest of Main Street’s MLB portfolio, which also includes the Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Miami Marlins, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays. More than 900,000 unique users tuned in to Brewers games through the FDSN app, with total streaming up nearly 70% compared to 2024.
Main Street’s MLB renewals follow last month’s extensions with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. Representatives from the teams that have re-upped with their legacy RSNs within the last several weeks cited overall accessibility and the unique proposition afforded by a local media partnership as the primary factors in their respective renewals.
The nimbleness with which Main Street has rolled out its direct-to-consumer platform has gone a long way toward ensuring that younger fans aren’t being shut out of the action as the traditional pay-TV bundle continues to shrink. Main Street says it remains on pace to sign on 1 million DTC subscribers at year’s end, a tally that would mark a considerable gain over the 650,000 customers that were onboard when the company issued its latest head count in early May.
Coming off a strong bounceback season which culminated in the Blue Jays' first trip to the World Series since 1993, two-time All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette is hitting the open market this winter.
The Blue Jays extended Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with a 14-year, $500 million contract earlier this year, but can they afford to keep their other homegrown star?
Stars like Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Cody Bellinger join headliners Kyle Tucker, Dylan Cease, and Bo Bichette in a 2025–26 MLB free agent class loaded with impact bats and arms.
Don’t forget: Check out theRotoworld player news feed for all the latest news, rumors, and transactions as MLB’s Hot Stove gets underway!
Bichette in Review
Bichette was limited to 81 games in 2024 due to a calf strain and a fractured finger, and his production suffered along the way, as he hit just .225 with a .598 OPS. It would stand to reason that Bichette would bounce back with improved health, and that’s exactly what we saw this past season, as he rebounded with a .311 batting average to go along with 18 homers and 94 RBI across 139 games.
If it wasn’t for a left knee sprain on September 6, Bichette likely would have led the AL in hits in addition to surpassing 100 RBI for the second time in his career. Still, the 27-year-old was just one of seven qualified hitters to hit .300 while also posting the highest contact rate of his career.
Season
Strikeout rate
Contact rate
2024
19 percent
80.4 percent
2025
14.5 percent
83.1 percent
Career average
19.4 percent
80.5 percent
Bichette is a .294 career hitter through 748 games. Only five players (min. 500 games played) have a higher batting average since Bichette made his MLB debut in 2019.
Then there’s the downside. While Bichette’s offense is a strength, his defense at shortstop will be a topic of conversation. He ranked last among shortstops in defensive runs saved (-12) in 2025 and also ranked near the bottom in the outs above average (OAA) metric. He's also shown a steady decline in sprint speed, impacting his range, and he ranked in the 12th percentile in terms of bat speed in 2025. How could that impact him as he moves into his 30s?
Market Outlook
Bichette is the clear No. 1 shortstop option on the market. Full stop. That’s a good thing to be. However, most of the big-spending teams already have players firmly-entrenched at shortstop. Things could look different if the Yankees have run out of patience with Anthony Volpe or the Dodgers decide to make a play and move Mookie Betts back to the outfield. Both scenarios are possible, but just not likely as of today.
Of course, Bichette played second base when he returned for the World Series. It was his first time playing the position in the majors, but it also underscores the possibility of a position change in his future. That willingness would greatly expand his market this offseason.
Perhaps the best recent comp for Bichette’s situation is what the Giants did last season in signing Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182 million contract. Each player has different strengths, but Bichette is two years younger than Adames, so he’ll likely get eight or maybe nine years from someone. Corey Seager was close to the same age Bichette is now when he signed his 10-year, $325 million deal with the Rangers in November of 2021. Somewhere in the middle of those deals is where Bichette is likely to settle in.
Best Fits
Blue Jays: Home sweet home. There’s obviously appeal for both sides, as Bichette is a proven performer in Toronto and one of the key pieces of their lineup. He's also stated plainly that he'd like to return, so a reunion is logical. If Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins decide to spread out the team's spending, one alternative in free agency is Ha-Seong Kim, who just opted out of returning to the Braves. They could also look to the trade market or simply use Andrés Giménez there, which they did throughout the playoffs.
Bo Bichette on his future:
“I’ve said I want to be here from the beginning.” #BlueJays
Braves: Speaking of the Braves, Bichette would be a perfect fit at shortstop. Atlanta was last in the majors with a 59 wRC+ at the position in 2025. Nick Allen saw the bulk of the playing time and played fantastic defense, but that’s just not going to work. It would sting for Blue Jays fans if their former general manager Alex Anthopoulos was able to pry him away. Still, it’s not really the Braves’ style to sign big-ticket free agents. The franchise record guarantee for a free agent contract remains B.J. Upton’s five-year, $75.25M contract from November of 2012.
Tigers: As noted above, Gleyber Torres is a free agent, so the Tigers have a hole at second base and Bichette could certainly play shortstop for now, as Javier Báez and Trey Sweeney are the only internal options at the moment. Of course, the Tigers have prospect shortstop Kevin McGonigle on the way, but there's questions about his future defensive home as well.
Angels: The Angels are a hot mess in more ways than one, but signing a good player in his prime can help shift the narrative somewhat. This would only happen if Bichette accepts a role at second base, as Zach Neto is already in the fold at shortstop. Still, Bichette and Neto would make for a fun middle-of-the-infield for the next few years. Fun fact: Bichette's father, Dante Bichette, was originally drafted by the Angels and played his first three MLB seasons with the club before being traded to the Brewers for Dave Parker in 1991.
Contract Prediction
Given Bichette’s age — he'll be 28 in March — look for him to secure a long contract. My guess is eight years, but he could get a ninth year if there’s enough interest. His knee injury from late in the season is not expected to require surgery, so that shouldn't impact his market. The most likely scenario is that Bichette will eventually find his way back to the Blue Jays, which seems like the best fit for all parties after an emotional postseason run. Everyone should feel like they have a job to finish.
The Yankees will be active in this winter’s trade market – they always are – and, as you read this, Brian Cashman and his staff are probably evaluating potential deal concepts that no one sees coming.
So their offseason will be a fun watch, as usual. We’ll try to play along with our list of suggested Yankees trade targets, which is below. The Yanks need relief, a righty bat, and to figure out some outfield configurations. We address it all.
We’d love them to add a contact bat. Can postseason Ernie Clement be cloned? We know the Blue Jays wouldn’t trade him to the Yankees, nor should they.
We’re unsure if the Yanks would pay the high cost of trading for Tarik Skubal, if he’s dealt. Or for the other big aces who – maybe – could be had (Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, Freddy Peralta). But they’ll definitely inquire on that kind of talent, to at least do a price check.
A big deal like that could flip the pinstriped winter, which would change our list. If one happens, check back with us. Everything on our list, of course, is contingent on how it goes in free agency, with their own free agents and with their own desire to promote from their farm.
Here are our rankings. Keep reading to see No. 1:
5. OF Adolis García, Rangers
This would’ve qualified as a blockbuster a few years ago, but García, 32, has had two consecutive down seasons. Now we’ll call it a potential buy-low. If the Yankees are looking to add a right-handed bat, García might be a decent bounce back candidate – he sagged to a .665 OPS and 19 homers last season in Texas, but still ranked in the 89th percentile in average exit velocity. In 2023, García smashed 39 home runs in an All-Star, Gold Glove season. Then he had an all-time ALCS, slugging five homers and driving in 15 runs en route to MVP honors. He had three homers and nine RBI over the final two games as the Rangers rallied from a 3-2 deficit to bury Houston. Sounds like the kind of postseason results that could boost the Yanks, eh?
4. RHP Mitch Keller, Pirates
Unlike many teams, the Yankees have the elements of a strong rotation in place with Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, and Will Warren set for the start of 2026 and early-season returns looming from Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón. But what if they use some of their young pitching (Gil or Warren) in a deal to shore up the bullpen or to find a center fielder? They’d need reliable rotation coverage, which is where Keller comes in.
He’ll turn 30 in April and he’s got three years and $55.7 million left on his contract. He might be gettable because the Pirates, unlike many teams, have an abundance of young pitching, including the incomparable Paul Skenes. Pittsburgh’s MLB-worst offense (3.6 runs per game in 2025) needs help. Maybe the Yanks can trade the Bucs some young offense for Keller, who had a 4.19 ERA in 32 starts last season and has made at least 29 starts in each of the past four years.
New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman walks on the field before game three of the 2024 MLB World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
3. CF Oneil Cruz, Pirates
He’s so toolsy that it’s easy to dream on Cruz, what with his power, speed and arm strength. He tied for the NL lead in steals (38) with Juan Soto and also slugged 20 homers, all while playing center field full-time for the first time. Might he be a pinstriped answer in center, depending on how the rest of their winter goes?
Cruz ranked in the 98th percentile or better in hard hit percentage, bat speed, and average exit velocity, which is plenty enticing. But he batted just .200 with a 32 percent strikeout rate and the Yanks already have a few low-BA, big-whiff types. Maybe Cruz, who’s just 27, just had a bad year and his career arc is still trending skyward. He had a 114 OPS+ and 58 extra-base hits as a shortstop in 2024.
2. RHP Pete Fairbanks, Rays
The Yanks have some nice bullpen pieces in place, such as David Bednar, but Devin Williams and Luke Weaver are free agents, so there is significant work to be done on Bronx relief. Fairbanks, who reached career-bests in games (61) and saves (27) last season, would be a nice target as a setup man for Bednar. The Rays hold a $12.5 million option on Fairbanks for the 2026 season. That might be pricey for a reliever on a team that traditionally does not spend lavishly.
Fairbanks, who turns 32 in December, relies mostly on a 97 mph fastball and slider combo and has addressed some of the command issues that have plagued him in the past. Last season, he trimmed his walk rate to 7.4 percent, below the MLB average of 8.4 percent. One caution – he’s dealt with injuries in the past, though he was healthy for all of 2025 and notched a 2.83 ERA.
1. OF Steven Kwan, Guardians
Kwan is a little different than most of the hitters the Yankees currently employ, which might make him a nifty fit. He’s a put-the-ball-in-play type (seventh in the AL with 170 hits last season) who does not strike out (8.7 percent strikeout rate). Could be a leadoff solution – he’s got a .351 career on-base percentage, though it was only .330 last season. He’s also an expert left fielder, with four straight Gold Gloves there, and Yankee Stadium is one of the most difficult left fields in baseball.
Kwan is also an efficient base-stealer (80.7 percent in 2025; MLB average was 77.6). He doesn’t pound extra-base hits, but he’d look good scoring on a bushel of Aaron Judge bombs, no? The Guardians might not be specifically looking to deal Kwan, but they’ve swapped players as they move through arbitration before.
Rebuilding the bullpen is one of the Yankees’ main priorities this offseason, and they retained a key member of that group on Wednesday morning by picking up Tim Hill’s 2026 option.
Hill, who will make $3 million next season, was Aaron Boone’s go-to left-hander out of the pen in 2025, appearing in 70 games while pitching to a 3.09 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 67.0 innings.
The 35-year-old veteran was especially tough on left-handed hitters, holding them to a .444 OPS. Hill allowed just 23 hits to lefties all season while striking out 27 lefty hitters.
Hill was one of a number of relievers the Yanks could have lost to free agency. Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Paul Blackburn, and Ryan Yarbrough are all free agents.
Meanwhile, the Yankees declined right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga’s $5 million option, making him a free agent as well.
A member of the Yankees for the past eight seasons, Loaisiga has some absolutely electric stuff, but his last few seasons have been derailed by injury. After elbow issues limited him to 17.2 innings in 2023, the righty had to have Tommy John surgery in 2024. While he came back in 2025, a flexor strain ended his season in August.
After three seasons in Philadelphia, Taijuan Walker remains one of the harder players on the roster to evaluate. Brought on to bring stability to the rotation, he’s been serviceable at times and frustrating at others. Now, he enters 2026 in a gray area between reliable and replaceable.
An average start
When the Phillies signed Walker to a four-year, $72 million deal in December 2022, the expectations were clear. He was coming off his best season in the bigs — a 3.49 ERA across 29 starts for the Mets — and was expected to be a steady option behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
In his first year in Philadelphia, Walker largely held up his end. He tallied 15 wins and logged 172 ⅔ innings, both career highs. But when October came, the Phillies failed to give him the ball one time across 13 postseason games that year. This expressed the questionable trust the organization had in the right-hander.
Underwhelming results since
Injuries and inconsistency followed. Walker battled injuries throughout 2024 and in 2025, he shifted between the rotation and bullpen. He made 21 starts and 13 relief outings, finishing with a 4.08 ERA and a 108 ERA+ — eight percent better than league average.
The tough reality has always been who Walker succeeds against. Since arriving in Philadelphia, Walker has a 6.67 ERA in 21 starts against playoff teams, with opponents hitting .306. Against non-playoff opponents, he owns a 4.17 ERA across 46 starts. For a club with postseason aspirations every season, that split is challenging to ignore.
The outlook for 2026
With Zack Wheeler recovering from thoracic outlet surgery and expected to miss around the first two months, the Phillies’ rotation remains unsettled. Ranger Suárez’s return in free agency appears unlikely, leaving Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola as the only locks for 2026.
Top prospect Andrew Painter is inching closer to the Majors after missing two full seasons with a torn UCL. He returned in 2025 but struggled across 26 starts between Single-A and Triple-A, posting a 5.49 ERA. The organization still believes in his upside, but command remains a concern — he averaged 3.6 walks per nine innings — which could make it tough to hand him a rotation spot out of Spring Training.
Walker’s situation feels similar to Marcus Stroman’s with the Yankees last season. Stroman, in the final year of an $18 million deal, opened the year in the rotation largely out of necessity after injuries to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil. The results were uneven, but the Yankees had little choice but to ride it out until reinforcements arrived.
Where he fits, the path forward
Given the Phillies’ current rotation outlook, Walker could stick around out strictly out of need. He’s owed $18 million in the final year of his deal, and with the front office unlikely to spend heavily on another starter, his ability to take the ball every fifth day might keep him in the mix by default.
His limitations are obvious, but his value lies in stability. If he gives the Phillies 15-to-20 starts with an ERA around 4.00, that’s enough to steady the back end until Wheeler returns and Painter is ready.
If another team calls looking for pitching depth, Philadelphia could explore a trade while covering part of the salary. But for now, keeping Walker as a short-term bridge makes the most sense.
One of the top needs for the Mets this winter is to acquire a frontline type of starter. I look at that as getting a No. 1 or No. 2 type of arm that could pair with Nolan McLean atop the rotation.
I know there is an infatuation with the concept of the Mets needing an ace. That would be nice, and trading for Tarik Skubal would be getting an ace. Outside of that? I am not sure there is going to be another true ace available. I believe that term is thrown around too loosely on some pitchers, but that is a conversation for another day.
Among the many intriguing possibilities in the trade market, one of the standouts is Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara.
Here are the pros and cons of trading for him…
PROS
In 2022, Alcantara won the National League Cy Young award after posting a 2.28 ERA in 228.2 innings and throwing six complete games, which is unheard of in this era. He clearly looked like he was on the shortlist to be considered the best pitcher in the sport.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in October of 2023, the now 30-year-old Alcantara returned in 2025 and continued to improve as the year went on. From July 18 through the end of the season, he posted a 3.33 ERA in 13 starts across 83.2 innings with 71 strikeouts. In seven of those 13 starts, Alcantara pitched 7.0 innings. In that span, opposing batters hit only .217 against him.
The starting pitchers’ inability to pitch deep into games was one of the downfalls of the 2025 Mets. Alcantara would be a boost to that.
As would be expected, Alcantara’s control and command steadily improved as he readjusted to being back on a normal rotational turn. He slashed his walk rate from nine percent in the first half to six percent in the second half, which would be just a touch higher than his Cy Young season.
Mar 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) looks on against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at loanDepot Park. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Alcantara’s strikeout rate also rose from 17.3 percent to 21.3 percent in that stretch, which isn’t an elite number, but it is closer to average. He has always been a ground ball merchant, and his ground ball rate of 48.1 percent was not far off from 2022.
From a stuff standpoint, his average fastball velocity of 97.8 mph in the second half of 2025 is exactly the same as his average fastball velocity in 2022. By all accounts, he had a perfectly normal, expected return from Tommy John, where things got gradually better as his first season back wore on.
From a contractual standpoint, he is a tremendous fit. Unlike Skubal, for example, who would be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, Alcantara would be under team control through 2027. He is owed $17 million in 2026 and there is a club option for 2027 at $21 million. A two-year $38 million dollar deal for a pitcher with this type of potential would look nice on a payroll sheet that includes some hefty, long-term contracts.
CONS
Yes, Alcantara won the Cy Young in 2022. But in 2023, he was more or less an average pitcher -- with a 4.14 ERA accompanied by a 4.03 FIP in 28 starts before his season ended in the beginning of September, leading into his Tommy John surgery.
When he returned from Tommy John in 2025, from Opening Day through July 9, Alcantara posted an ERA of 7.22. That stretch did come with a 4.22 FIP, which implies some bad luck.
It has been a tale of two almost equal, but opposite, stretches of time for Alcantara. From 2022 to 2025, he had an excellent year and a half stretch (2022+2025 second half) and a well below average or worse year and a half stretch (2023+2025 first half).
The question is, which version of Alcantara would the Mets be buying?
While the fastball velocity is there, Alcantara has never generated swings and misses at a rate more than average. In 2025, his chase percentage of 29 percent was in the 57th percentile. Previously, he carried elite numbers in chase percentage. In 2023, he was in the 97th percentile and in 2022, the 94th percentile. That chase number will have to rise to sustain success, given his profile of not missing a ton of bats.
That team-friendly contract also means the Marlins will have the right to have a very high asking price. Dealing Alcantara was an option for them at the 2025 trade deadline, but the general asking price for him was described to me as "massive."
After a great second half, what would be the Marlins' motivation to lower the asking price? Is there an in-division tax?
This likely means having to trade two of the Mets' top five prospects and possibly another piece or two on the back end.
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) pitches against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park / Sam Navarro - Imagn Images
VERDICT
There is a very real chance the Tigers hang onto Skubal, who should be the Mets' top priority, and make a push for a World Series in 2026. They can decide to deal with the future in the future.
Either way, the Mets cannot come up empty handed in the rotation this winter.
Could they look at a different arm in the trade market? Absolutely. There will be at least a few real options out there. Do the other options possess the same potential that Alcantara does? That is debatable, but I do not believe so.
If the asking price is one of Jett Williams or Carson Benge plus someone like Brandon Sproat, is that worth doing?
I would lean against making the blockbuster for Alcantara. While the upside is there, the downside is a lot of risk to be willing to part with multiple high-end prospects.
Matthew Pouliot
