Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

Royals eyeing Duran, but Red Sox' asking price too high: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

If the Boston Red Sox look to trade Jarren Duran this offseason, the Kansas City Royals are an obvious match. Kansas City is looking for outfield help, and its pitching staff includes multiple arms that could pique Boston’s interest.

The Royals are open to trading for Duran, but according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Red Sox’ asking price is too high. KC believes such a deal would require shipping left-hander Cole Ragans to Boston.

“Even after signing free agent Lane Thomas and trading for Isaac Collins, the Kansas City Royals are open to adding another outfielder – most notably Jarren Duran, if the Boston Red Sox lower their asking price,” Rosenthal writes.

“The Royals are under the impression Duran would cost them left-hander Cole Ragans, though the Red Sox view the initial talks as more informal and exploratory, according to people briefed on the conversations.

“Both Ragans, 28, and Duran, 29, are under club control for three more seasons, with Ragans under contract for a combined $12 million in 2026-27 and Duran for $7.75 million in ’26. The Royals, though, see Ragans as a player with greater value, a potential Game 1 starter in a postseason series.”

Although a Duran-for-Ragans deal makes sense for both sides, the Royals’ hesitance is understandable. Ragans is an ace-caliber starter with multiple years of control, and pitchers fitting that description typically come with a hefty price tag. Boston likely would have to add an intriguing prospect or two to the trade package to get Kansas City to bite, but given Ragans’ ability to slot in as the No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet, it may be worth it.

Ragans placed fourth in the 2024 American League Cy Young vote, finishing with a 3.14 ERA and an AL-best 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He missed time last season with groin and rotator cuff injuries, limiting him to only 13 starts (61.1 innings pitched). He posted a 4.67 ERA, but his 2.50 FIP and 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings were encouraging.

Duran, an All-Star in 2024, is coming off a down season in which he slashed .256/.332/.442 with 16 homers, 84 RBI, and 24 stolen bases in 157 games. He’s part of a crowded Red Sox outfield that includes Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, and Ceddanne Rafaela.

Boston has been expected to move one of their outfielders — specifically Duran or Abreu — this offseason, but chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is content with keeping the group intact, according to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe.

“According to executives from multiple clubs that have been in the market for outfielders and have talked trade possibilities with the Red Sox, Breslow’s message has been consistent. He has Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, and Jarren Duran on the roster. He is comfortable keeping it that way into next season unless a team convinces him not to,” Healey writes.

Keeping all four outfielders would be a head-scratcher. The only logical path to giving each player consistent playing time would be shifting Rafaela — an elite center fielder — to second base. Trading Duran or Abreu would clear the logjam while presumably upgrading the Red Sox’ pitching staff.

Other than Ragans, fellow southpaw Kris Bubic is among the Royals’ most valuable pitchers who could be available on the trade market. Bubic, 28, is coming off a breakout All-Star campaign in which he posted a 2.55 ERA across 20 starts.

Phillies sign two-time All-Star outfielder Adolis García originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

All offseason long, the Phillies have made it clear they want more right-handed impact. On Monday, they took a step in that direction.

Per Francys Romero of Beisbol FR, Philadelphia is finalizing a one-year, $10 million deal with outfielder Adolis García.

García, 32, has spent the past six seasons with Texas after breaking into the Majors with St. Louis in 2018. Over five full seasons with the Rangers (excluding 2020), he hit 141 home runs and posted a .234/.298/.443 line, averaging 3.0 WAR per season.

He was a key contributor in Texas’ victorious 2023 World Series run — a season that also included an All-Star nod and a Gold Glove— producing a 1.108 OPS with eight homers in the postseason and earning ALCS MVP honors after going deep five times against Houston. His biggest moment came in Game 1 of the Fall Classic when he slugged a dramatic walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th inning.

The Rangers non-tendered García on Nov. 21, as he was projected to make north of $10 million in his final year of arbitration.

The move comes after two down years at the plate. García has a .675 OPS in that span and has reached base at a .278 clip.

In 2025, he produced a .665 OPS — sixth-worst in the American League among qualified hitters — with a .227 average, 19 homers and 75 RBIs, and his Statcast profile reflected the swing-and-miss: a 35.7% chase rate, 30.3% whiff rate and 5.1% walk rate.  

Defensively, García remains an asset, even on the wrong side of 30. Across 128 games in right field last season, he graded above league average in Outs Above Average (OAA) and logged a 91.9 mph arm on average, placing him in the top eight percent of the league.

According to FanGraphs, García was one of the best defenders at the position, finishing with 16 defensive runs saved — the best mark among right fielders and one more than Rawlings Platinum Glove Award winner Fernando Tatís Jr.

This move comes as a likely, direct replacement for Nick Castellanos. Clearly, García is the stronger defensive outfielder — he posted 1 OAA in 2025 compared to Castellanos’ -12 — and while it remains difficult to envision another club absorbing Castellanos’ $20 million salary, the Phillies clearly wanted a reset in right field.

García fits as a buy-low swing with real upside. The underlying power is still there, his arm and defense remain superior and the one-year deal limits risk. If the Phillies can get even a partial return to form, they’ve added right-handed protection for Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber without a long-term financial commitment.

Giants manager Tony Vitello explains why Drew Gilbert became a fan favorite originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Tony Vitello didn’t need long to explain why Giants outfielder Drew Gilbert already has become a fan favorite in San Francisco.

Vitello, who coached Gilbert at Tennessee before taking over in San Francisco, joined NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic on the latest “Giants Talk” podcast and broke down the energy and competitiveness that made the former Volunteer star a foundational player for him then — and a natural fit with Giants fans now.

“I think it’s easy to see how much he wants to win,” Vitello told Pavlovic. “If you pay for a ticket to go to the game, you want to see a win… so you want that equal kind of give from the players. And with Drew, because he wears his emotions on his sleeve so much, you’ll never doubt it.”

Vitello said Gilbert’s emotional transparency — the intensity, the reactions, the way he carries himself — creates a rare connection.

“There’s other players too that there’s as much give, but you just don’t see it as much,” Vitello added. “For him, you have that visual — the way he plays, the emotion he plays with — and it can really affect the locker room. I think that’s his strength. It’ll never leave.”

Now that the two are reunited at the big-league level, Vitello said Gilbert is focused on continuing to round out his game so he can “stand the test of time” in MLB.

And while Vitello has watched a lot of players move on from Tennessee, following Gilbert’s rise in San Francisco became something of an event inside the program.

“The coolest thing is when guys come back to work out or train with us, or see a game,” Vitello noted. “But second place to that is us being able to follow them and see them. We don’t get to look at box scores every day … but when it’s news that’s as loud or as exciting as it was with Drew, it kind of captivated the whole underbelly of our stadium for a while.”

Now, Vitello won’t have to follow from afar.

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How new Giants manager Tony Vitello is getting up to speed with team's roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — The second question of Tony Vitello’s media availability at the MLB Winter Meetings was about which manager he hopes to get to know as he makes the transition from Tennessee to leading the Giants. Vitello didn’t hesitate to mention Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy.

Murphy, a two-time Manager of the Year, already had relayed some advice to Vitello through the Andersons. Frank Anderson, who coached with Vitello at Tennessee and will be on his staff in San Francisco, has known Murphy for years, and his son, Brett, finished his career in Milwaukee.

“I haven’t seen him yet,” Vitello said of Murphy. “It’s been busy.”

Twenty minutes later, Vitello walked out of the conference room at the Signia by Hilton and ran right into Murphy. The two talked for several minutes, and in the middle of their conversation, Dusty Baker joined. 

Vitello joked on Tuesday that he didn’t “know what I’m doing at this thing, to be honest with you,” but in Orlando, he found plenty willing to help. Several current MLB managers went out of their way to approach and introduce themselves after interviews and meetings. They all will be competing in a few months, but right now, Vitello is being welcomed into a new community.

The Winter Meetings made it easy to meet other managers. Aside from simply running into one another at times, there were several events where all 30 attended, and one where they took a group picture. Meeting his own players before pitchers and catchers report will take a bit more effort. 

Vitello plans to fly to the Dominican Republic this week and then visit South Korea in January, trips that he hopes will allow him to spend quality time with Willy Adames, Rafael Devers and Jung Hoo Lee, while also meeting others in the organization and seeing some Giants facilities.

Vitello basically came straight from Tennessee practices to Oracle Park in October, and other than former Volunteers Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell, along with others he unsuccessfully recruited — Bryce Eldridge, Sam Hentges, etc. — he does not have a lot of experience with the current roster. He said getting time with his stars since that press conference has not been as easy as outsiders might think. There’s a reason for that.

“I know the coaching candidates very, very well, either the ones we’ve hired or the ones we’ve considered,” Vitello said. “That became an all-out project on top of some other things that came with this unique transition from the program I was very much a part of to now.”

“So the biggest thing has been that staff.”

The entire staff finally got together on Wednesday, having dinner at an Italian restaurant in the hotel hosting the Winter Meetings. While there has been a delay in announcing it because some exact responsibilities are still being finalized, everyone is under contract and the work on 2026 already has started. 

There are a lot of ways in which Vitello’s first year will be unique, and his relationship with his roster is near the top of the list. Just about every first-year manager has a pretty good baseline of MLB knowledge because most were big leaguers themselves or spent years as a bench coach or hitting coach. 

Vitello has coached quite a few current MLB stars and against just about every big name to come out of the college game in recent years, but he is playing catchup when it comes to learning the division and his own roster, which is understandable. 

It would have been unreasonable to expect Vitello to be watching Giants-Diamondbacks games in September when he was running a college program. But he did start following the organization more closely after Gilbert and Tidwell were traded over in July. 

Gilbert spent the weeks after the Vitello hire talking to some of his teammates about what to expect. The manager has exchanged plenty of text messages and calls, but said he’s looking forward to really diving in before they all gather in Scottsdale in February. 

Vitello said he has tried to be a little “guarded” early on, knowing that they’re all about to spend every day together for eight-plus months and there’s no value in jumping to conclusions now. But he kept his ears open in the suite at the Winter Meetings, listening closely to the information others were giving about Logan Webb, Matt Chapman and others.

“It would be great if I exchanged 25 more text messages than Chappy and I have, or we’ve yet to hook up in person, but nothing is going to be like being in Spring Training and being around somebody every day.”

The trips over the next couple of months will accelerate that process. They also will check off some destinations for a man who considers travel to be one of his biggest passions other than baseball.

“It’s fun to experience different cultures and get to meet different people and understand where they’re coming from and maybe you learn something that you make a part of your own life,” Vitello said. “I’m kind of as excited about that as anything. We’ll go to a couple places, either as a staff or I’ll go on my own, to visit with some of these players.

“Part of it is work, and part of it is me stealing a free trip to go see a new place because I truly kind of enjoy that.” 

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Giants reportedly on D-backs star Ketel Marte's five-team MLB no-trade list originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It does not appear the Giants can pull off a trade for Arizona Diamondbacks star second baseman Ketel Marte.

At least, without his blessing.

San Francisco, who The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported Saturday “remains engaged” with Arizona in trade talks for Marte, will have to clear one major hurdle to land the three-time All-Star.

The Giants, along with the Athletics, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals are five teams on Marte’s no-trade list, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported in a story published Monday morning, citing people briefed on Marte’s contract.

Marte, on the 10th day of the 2026 MLB season, also will gain full no-trade protection as a player with 10 years of major-league service, per The Athletic.

It’s unclear if Arizona is willing to trade Marte to a division rival, but as The Athletic previously reported, the Seattle Mariners also are interested in the 32-year-old.

Marte, over his last three seasons in Arizona, batted a combined .283/.368/.519 with 89 home runs, 249 RBI and a 141 OPS+ and is one season removed from a 35-homer, 95-RBI season in 2024.

He also is an attractive option for teams because of his affordable contract, with Marte owed $102.5 million over the next six seasons, including $41 million in deferrals that are not paid out until 10 years after the money is earned, which lowers his average annual value to a manageable $14.6 million.

If the Giants, or any team, wants to trade for Marte, Arizona, The Athletic reports, is seeking young pitching in any potential deal for the second baseman.

Should San Francisco be willing to part with its young pitching, and would Marte even waive his no-trade clause?

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If you were hoping for an immediate big-splash response to losing Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz that would make you feel better about this Mets’ offseason, well, it’s clear by now that David Stearns just isn’t wired that way. 

Which is to say, Jorge Polanco is a solid player coming off a good season with the Seattle Mariners that included a few electric postseason moments. He’s just not a guy who’s going to send anyone running to buy season tickets. 

And that’s fine if he helps the Mets win a lot of games next season. Which remains to be seen, of course. 

For the moment, the timing of Polanco’s signing seemed to indicate that Stearns won’t be pushed into going big-game hunting no matter how outraged the fan base is by the events of this past week.

On the other hand, a potential trade with the San Diego Padres that has been reported -- most heavily by The Athletic -- in recent days could be of blockbuster quality, even if it apparently wouldn’t include Francisco Lindor or Fernando Tatis Jr.

More on that to come. 

As for Polanco, it’s not exactly a bargain contract, as $20 million a year seems to be pushing the envelope on value, given his inconsistent track record. But it’s only a two-year deal, or $40 million total, which is $115 million less than Alonso is guaranteed with the Baltimore Orioles. 

There is also the little matter of whether Polanco can play first base, which is where Mets’ people are saying they see him getting most of his at-bats. It’s notable because he’s virtually never played first base at the big-league level (one career game at first base, which came this past season), and though most middle infielders are a good bet to adapt well to the new position, it still adds some risk to the equation. 

It’s also thinking outside the box, to a degree, which is kind of what you want to see from Stearns after all the bloodletting this past week. Yet Polanco, whose 26 home runs last season was the second-highest total of his career, is hardly a guy who’s going to fill the power void left by Alonso’s departure. 

However, Stearns may think he can build an effective offensive team without big power. Consider what his old team, the Milwaukee Brewers, did last season, finishing third in the majors in runs scored despite ranking only 22^nd in home runs. 

Of course, the Brewers also finished second in the majors in stolen bases and had the fifth-fewest total of strikeouts, so they were a fast, contact-hitting team that would be hard for the Mets to emulate. They also were completely shut down in the postseason by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and indeed they’ve had little success in October in recent years.

Perhaps Stearns also had an eye on the Toronto Blue Jays, who had great success with a high-contact offense, including the second-fewest total of strikeouts. Polanco struck out only 84 times last season, which ranked in the 83^rd percentile of all major league hitters last season.

“What you’re seeing is David wants to build a team that is solid in all facets of the game,” one person who has worked for Stearns in the past told me. “He’s a sum-of-the-parts guy. I think he’d rather have grinders than stars.”

Polanco fits that mold. So does outfielder Ramon Laureano, who could be coming to Queens as well if the Mets make that multi-player trade with the Padres that has been reported in detail by The Athletic as being in the talking stages.

There is no indication that Lindor or Tatis Jr. would be part of such a deal, yet it could still fill a lot of holes for the Mets, as it reportedly could include starting pitcher Nick Pivetta, reliever and strikeout monster Mason Miller, as well as lefty reliever Adrian Morejon, who was dominant last season, and Laureano too.

Laureano isn’t the contact hitter that Polanco is, striking out 119 times last season in 132 games, but he hit .281 last season and he’s got some pop, as evidenced by his 54 extra-base hits and a .512 slugging percentage. Last year he ranked in the 93^rd percentile of all MLB hitters in expected slugging percentage, based on his quality of contact.

At age 31 he’s coming off his two best offensive seasons since 2019, and while he has very limited range in the outfield, according to Statcast, he does have one of the strongest arms in the game.

And Laureano is making $6.5 million on a team option in 2026 before reaching free agency next winter, which means he would come a lot cheaper than Cody Bellinger, not to mention Kyle Tucker.

Likewise, Pivetta could be a short-term answer to upgrading the starting rotation, coming off the best season of his career at age 32, with a 2.87 ERA over 31 starts and 181 innings. The righthander is due to make $19.75 million in 2026 and can opt out of the final two years of his contract (worth $33.5 million) after next season.

For the Mets to also get Miller, perhaps the hardest thrower in the game, in the same deal, it would take a huge package, but baseball people say the two teams do match up in terms of needs.

That is, the Padres are desperate for pitching, after losing Dylan Cease and (presumably) Michael King to free agency, as well as Yu Darvish to injury, and while the Mets would get Pivetta they could send back Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat, as well as David Peterson and perhaps Kodai Senga as well, in addition to a Mark Vientos or Ronny Mauricio.

It’s an intriguing possibility and, perhaps more to the point, it would fill some key needs for the Mets without dipping heavily into free agency.

“I’d bet on Stearns making some version of that trade (with the Padres) before I could see him giving (Framber) Valdez or (Ranger) Suarez a long-term deal,” said the person who once worked for Stearns.  “That’s just who he is. (Juan) Soto was the exception, and that was probably more (Steve) Cohen anyway. David wants to build something without committing to long-term contracts as much as he can.”

That’s becoming more obvious by the day.

Proving yet again that nobody combines excitement and entertainment like these guys, this week the Dodgers made baseball’s most important winter deal.

They acquired Timmy Trumpet.

In real life he’s an Australian impresario who, surprise, plays the trumpet. But in the breathtaking world of ninth-inning baseball, he’s the game’s most popular soundtrack.

It is Timmy Trumpet who plays the chillingly inspiring solo from “Narco” that accompanies closer Edwin Díaz from the bullpen to the mound. For the seven seasons Díaz played for the New York Mets, it was the coolest entrance song in the big leagues, creating the most intimidating scene in any ballpark anywhere.

And now it’s coming to Dodger Stadium, as the Dodgers and Díaz agreed this week to a three-year, $69-million contract that will include Timmy Trumpet rattling the bejeezus out of visiting teams who must be asking, do the Dodgers really have to buy everything?

Was it not enough for them to sign the best reliever in baseball? Did they also have to bring in the best ninth-inning atmosphere in baseball?

Yes, they do, and yes, they did, and if you haven’t witnessed the Edwin Díaz/Timmy Trumpet duet, Google it once and you’ll be hooked.

Upon his signing, the social media of Dodgers fans was filled with trumpet emojis. Even the venerable Dieter Ruehle posted a video of him playing the trumpet solo on the keyboard.

Welcome to LA, #EdwinDiaz ! #Dodgers#ITFDB#MLB#WinterMeetingspic.twitter.com/qxtfcn6SMj

— Dieter Ruehle (@DieterRuehle) December 10, 2025

In the pantheon of Dodgers entrance and walk-up songs, this immediately moves to the top of a playlist that has become ingrained in the hearts of fans who have come to associate the brief clips of music with the enduring heroics of their players.

From the late great organist Nancy Bea Hefley playing “Master of the House” for Orel Hershiser … to Kenley Jansen revving up the crowd with “California Love” … there is a rich history of Dodgers being identified by their accompanying music.

Read more:Analysis: Could Dodgers’ Edwin Díaz signing portend more big moves later this offseason?

This team is no different, with several songs reaching iconic status simply based on the splendid feats that spring from their chords.

One man’s nine best songs, in order of impact.

1. ”Narco” for Edwin Díaz

It is already the best Dodgers song and he hasn’t even shown up yet. Trust me.

Díaz chose it in 2018 when he played for the Seattle Mariners. When that became his 57-save breakout season, his wife advised him to keep it. After being traded to the Mets, he became so loyal to the song, he even asked it to be played in an empty Citi Field during the 2020 pandemic season.

In ensuing seasons the scene went viral, highlighted by an actual performance by Timmy Trumpet last summer. Expect the Dodgers to invite Mr. Trumpet to Chavez Ravine, maybe even for the opening series. Like so many things they have staged during these consecutive championship seasons, it will be an event.

2. ”We Are Young” for Clayton Kershaw

The pitcher is retired, but the song still warrants celebration on an emeritus basis.

Quick question: Has any Dodgers entrance hymn endured as long as this one? Dodgers fans have adult children as old as this song.

Another quick question: When you heard this song for the last time in the final months of this past season, did you surprisingly feel tears?

The perfect anthem for the perfect pitcher.

3. ”Bailalo Rocky” for Roki Sasaki

It’s not really a song, it’s a chant, bailalorocky, bailalorocky, bailalorocky with the “Rocky” sounding like, “Roki.”

It was chosen for the famously unhip Sasaki by Miguel Rojas in spring training and, by the time the kid pitcher returned from the disabled list to save playoff games, the fans were chanting it and dancing to it like few celebration songs in Chavez Ravine history.

“You can see it in Dodger Stadium … it was amazing,” Rojas told reporters before the World Series. “So electric, dancing on the bleachers in left-center field … I’m hoping everybody starts dancing to that song when Roki comes to pitch.”

4. ”Feeling Good” for Shohei Ohtani

Thank you, Michael Bublé, for singing what everybody is thinking every time Ohtani comes to the plate.

And thank you, Mamiko Tanaka, for making it happen.

“The coach of the Dodgers was nice enough to introduce me to Shohei, and I said to him, ‘Why did you choose my song?'” Bublé explained in an interview on "The Today Show." “And very quickly he just turned to his wife … and it was his wife that chose it.”

Bublé added, “I’ll take it!”

He and about 4 million others.

5. ”Baila Conmigo” for Freddie Freeman

It played before Freeman’s game-winning grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.

It played before Freeman’s game-winning home run in the 18th inning of Game 3 of this year’s World Series.

The horn solo at the beginning of this catchy tune has come to represent two words to Dodgers fans who now bounce to its beat.

Greatness coming.

6. "La Leche Materna” for Kiké Hernandez

Just like Hernandez’s Dodgers contributions, this tune saves its best for last.

The final 30 seconds of the song sound like, “Kiké, Kiké, Kiké” over and over again.

It’s weird, but also as powerfully effective as, say, a double play fly ball to end a World Series game.

7. A rotation of songs for Mookie Betts

Betts has walked out to a varied playlist, but his selections are included here because he can boast of one walk-up tune unmatched in baseball history.

He steps to the plate accompanied by an unreleased song written by Snoop Dogg just for him.

8. ”Amen” for Max Muncy

The chorus of this country song that accompanies Muncy to the plate appropriately begins, “Somebody say a prayer for me … ”

Considering all of his injury issues during his eight-year Dodgers career, fans have heeded that call.

Considering he holds the Dodgers record with 16 career postseason homers, those prayers have been answered.

9. ”Squabble Up” for Will Smith

His current Kendrick Lamar song is cool, but Smith is on this list in honor of a previous walk-up song that endeared him to Dodgers fans as that rare player who can laugh at himself.

This Will Smith once walked up to the theme from “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Giants, Mariners front-runners to trade for All-Star Brendan Donovan, per report originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

While the Giants have been quiet on the free-agent market, they could look to upgrade their roster via trades, and they have their eyes on an All-Star National League second baseman.

The Giants and Seattle Mariners have emerged as the front-runners to acquire Brendan Donovan from the St. Louis Cardinals, The Athletic’s Katie Woo reported, citing sources familiar with negotiations.

The 28-year-old Donovan has been a solid contributor for the Cardinals during his four-year MLB career, and he earned his first All-Star nod last season.

In 118 games last season, Donovan slashed .287/.353/.422 with 32 doubles, 10 homers and 50 RBI. In 2024, he recorded career highs in doubles (34), home runs (14) and RBI (73).

While Donovan primarily played second base in 2025, he predominantly played left field in 2024, so he would provide first-year manager Tony Vitello with a versatile option.

Per Woo, the Giants and Cardinals have discussed several top prospects who could be part of a potential Donovan deal, including left-handed pitcher Carson Whisenhunt and 2025 first-round draft pick Gavin Kilen, who played for Vitello at Tennessee.

Whisenhunt, 25, made his long-anticipated MLB debut last season and struggled over 23 1/3 innings with the Giants. He posted a 5.01 ERA and just 16 strikeouts in five starts. But MLB Pipeline still had him ranked as San Francisco’s No. 7 prospect to end the season.

Kilen, a middle infielder who ranks as the Giants’ No. 3 prospect, hit .205 in 10 games with Low A San Jose after being drafted No. 13 overall.

But Woo also reports, citing multiple team sources, that the Cardinals won’t trade Donovan unless they are “blown away by the return.”

So the Giants will have to come to the table with a strong offer and beat out the Mariners, who have one of baseball’s best minor league farm systems.

Donovan wouldn’t be a one-year rental, as he is arbitration-eligible in 2026 and 2027. MLB Trade Rumors projects that Donovan will earn $5.4 million in arbitration next season.

At the moment, Casey Schmitt is slated to get most of the reps at second base in 2026, but he underwent left wrist surgery this offseason and won’t start camp on time in February. He should be ready for spring training, though.

“We don’t think he’ll be slowed during spring training at all. He should be fine,” general manager Zack Minasian said on the “Giants Talk” podcast earlier in December. “I thought Casey made a lot of positive strides last year: At-bat quality, learning a new position, there’s still some upside there, and I’m excited to see what he can do going forward.”

If the Giants acquire Donovan, he could split time at second base with Schmitt, while both players move around the field, making use of their versatility.

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Mets pitching prospect Jonah Tong is reportedly a top player to know as New York navigates the trade market.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman reported Saturday that the 22-year-old right-hander "is highly coveted in trade talks" with the Mets valuing Tong "highly" but "listening."

Fellow right-hander Nolan McLean, meanwhile, "is viewed as off-limits" with outfielder Carson Benge "close to that," Heyman added.

McLean and Benge are the highest-ranked prospects in Joe DeMayo's offseason top 30 for SNY. Tong is fourth behind infielder/center fielder Jett Williams.

Tong went 2-3 with a 7.71 ERA in five starts this past season. He rose through the Mets' farm system, starting the year with Double-A Binghamton before elevating to Triple-A Syracuse in August and New York by the end of the month.

Tong's MLB debut on Aug. 29 against the Miami Marlins was a 19-9 win for the Mets. He allowed four runs (one earned) on six hits while striking out six and walking none.

His next four starts were mixed. Tong's final outing, a 10-3 loss at the Chicago Cubs, saw him last two innings while surrendering five runs on seven hits with two walks to one strikeout.

"Tong could use a little more minor league time, but with improvement in command and refinement of a third and maybe fourth pitch, the sky’s the limit," DeMayo wrote. "Without that development, there is a non-zero chance for some reliever risk."

The Yankees are re-signing Amed Rosario, according to multiple Saturday reports.

YES Network's Jack Curry first reported the deal, which is a one-year contract.

The pact is reportedly for $2.5 million. The New York Post's Jon Heyman and The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal were among those to report the salary terms.

Rosario can earn another $250,000 in incentives, according to ESPN's Jorge Castillo.

Rosario, 30, slashed .303/.303/.485 with one home run and five RBI in 16 regular-season games for the Yankees this past season.

He especially crushed left-handed pitching, slashing .302/.328/.491 with four home runs and 15 RBI in 52 games across two teams.

Rosario is "likely to get reps" behind third baseman Ryan McMahon, against left-handed pitching and elsewhere, Curry added.

New York landed Rosario before the 2025 MLB trade deadline in a July 26 deal with the Washington Nationals.

He signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Nats last January and slashed .270/.310/.426 with five home runs and 18 RBI in 46 games for Washington.

Rosario's career started with the Mets. He played for New York from 2017-20 before stints with Cleveland (2021-23), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2023) and Tampa Bay (2024), Cincinnati (2024).

The Mets and Padres are "engaging" in trade talks, according to a report Saturday by The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, Dennis Lin and Will Sammon.

Right-handed starting pitcher Nick Pivetta, outfielder Ramón Laureano and three relievers -- right-handers Jeremiah Estrada and Mason Miller and left-hander Adrian Morejon -- are San Diego's reported players in discussions with New York.

The Padres, meanwhile, are reportedly inquiring about the Mets' younger MLB players and all top prospects.

The Mets had "substantial" trade talks with the Athletics about Miller, whom the Padres ultimately landed at the 2025 deadline in a July 31 deal.

Miller was a 2024 All-Star with the Athletics. In his 22 regular-season games with the Padres this past campaign, he allowed two runs on seven hits (one homer) while striking out 45 and walking 10 across 23.1 IP. The 27-year-old is under club control through the 2029 season.

Meanwhile, Pivetta, 32, signed a four-year, $55 million contract with the Padres after splitting his career's first leg on the Philadelphia Phillies (2017-20) and Boston Red Sox (2020-24).

In his 31 regular-season games this past campaign, Pivetta went 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA over 181.2 IP. He had a career-high 5.3 WAR and personal-best 0.985 WHIP.

Pivetta has an opt-out clause after the 2026 season, and a player option following the 2027 campaign.

The Baltimore Orioles originally signed Laureano, 31, last February on a one-year, $4 million contract with a team option for the 2026 season. The Padres landed him in a July 31 trade and exercised his club option in early November.

Laureano logged 50 regular-season games with the Padres this past year, slashing .269/.323/.489 while adding nine home runs and 30 RBI. He totaled 24 home runs, 76 RBI and a /.281/.342/.512 slash line in 132 games (82 with Baltimore).

Morejon, 26, was a 2025 All-Star and has been with the Padres for the past decade. He defected from Cuba in October 2015 and signed with San Diego the following July, working through the minor leagues before making his MLB debut July 21, 2019.

In 75 regular-season games this past year, Morejon totaled a career-best 2.08 ERA and 0.896 WHIP across 73.2 IP.

Estrada, 27, has been with the Padres since they claimed him off waivers in November 2023. In two seasons with the Padres, he has a 3.22 ERA and 1.119 WHIP over 139 games (134 IP).

The Mets are signing veteran infielder Jorge Polanco on a two-year deal, according to multiple Saturday reports.

The Athletic's Will Sammon first reported the agreement, which is worth $40 million, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Passan added that Polanco is expected to play first base and designated hitter.

Polanco, 32, slashed .265/.326/.495 with  26 home runs and 78 RBI in 138 regular-season games for the Seattle Mariners this past season.

"There's also somebody like a Jorge Polanco, who I think is a creative choice actually," Sammon said this week on SNY's Baseball Night in New York. "Everybody thinks of that guy as a third baseman, maybe a second baseman in this market. I think he could play some first base, too. And that's not really the name that jumps to people's minds, but he's a pretty good offensive player and I feel like his defense is a little bit underrated. I know he's taken some groundballs at first base. It's just a possibility."

He rebounded from his 2024 campaign with Seattle in which he slashed .213/.296/.355 while adding 16 home runs and 45 RBI across 118 games.

Polanco spent the first 10 years of his career with the Minnesota Twins. He slashed .269/.334/.446 with 112 home runs and 447 RBI in 832 regular-season games.

The Twins originally signed Polanco, who is from the Dominican Republic, as an international free agent in 2009.

He made his MLB debut June 26, 2014.

Step into the Dodgers’ team store, turn to the right, and you’ll be staring at Shohei Ohtani.

Not in person, of course. But amid all the jerseys and caps and T-shirts, there is a commercial playing on a loop, with Ohtani waving his fingers through his hair and winking as he displays the product he is endorsing: the top-selling skin serum in Japan.

“Take care of your skin,” the narrator says. “Live life to the fullest.”

Life is good at Dodger Stadium. In the store at the top of the park, you can buy a bottle of skin serum that retails for $118, or World Series championship gear including T-shirts and caps for $54 and up, hoodies for $110 and up, and cool jackets for as much as $382.

If you’re a fan of any team besides the Dodgers, you might despise all the money they spend on players. On Friday after the Dodgers introduced their latest All-Star, closer Edwin Díaz, I asked general manager Brandon Gomes if they really could buy whatever player they wanted.

Read more:How the Dodgers landed Edwin Díaz — and finally found a bona fide closer

“Our ownership group has been incredibly supportive, so if we feel like it’s something that meaningfully impacts our World Series chances, we’ve had that support all the time,” he said. “We’re fortunate to be in that position.”

The Dodgers’ owners spend money to make money, and they wisely hired Andrew Friedman a decade ago to tell them where to spend their money. Sounds simple, but some owners do not spend money wisely, and some do not spend money, period.

And sometimes you do both, and it just does not work out.

In the last decade the Dodgers have made the playoffs every year. Take a guess: What other Los Angeles pro team has made the playoffs the most during the last decade?

It’s the Clippers — eight playoff appearances, no championships and now a disaster.

The Dodgers have won three championships over the last decade. You might not remember that the Dodgers’ owners were ridiculed within the industry for spending $2 billion to buy the team in 2012.

At the time I asked co-owner Todd Boehly how he would define successful ownership of the Dodgers.

“You’re not really asking me that, are you?” he said then. “The more World Series we win, the more valuable a franchise it is, right?”

The Dodgers were valued at $8 billion last year by Sportico.

They signed Díaz for three years and $69 million. I asked Gomes what winter signing he recalled as the biggest during the five years he pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2014, he said, the Rays signed closer Grant Balfour: two years and $12 million — after the Baltimore Orioles withdrew a two-year, $15-million deal following a physical examination.

It’s not just the Rays, or even the small markets. The New York Mets’ spending rivaled the Dodgers last season, but the Mets missed the playoffs and lost free agents Díaz, Pete Alonso and Tyler Rogers this week alone. The New York Yankees sound oddly supportive of a salary cap. The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs talk like big-market teams but do not spend like them.

At the Angels’ team store Friday morning, five customers looked around the team store, where all jerseys sold for 50% off. The attraction at the store Saturday: photos with Santa.

The Angels have not made a postseason appearance since 2014, and their acquisitions so far this offseason: a formerly touted infield prospect once traded for Chris Sale, a talented young pitcher who missed this past season because of injury and another pitcher who finished third in Cy Young voting in 2022 but has not pitched in the majors in more than 18 months. They’ll likely pay those three players less than $4 million combined.

In March, Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken invited Angels owner Arte Moreno to join her in “an open and honest conversation about the future of baseball in Anaheim.”

This week when the future of the Angel Stadium site came up during an Anaheim City Council meeting, Aitken mused about asking city residents “how much of a priority is it to have the land tied up with a baseball franchise,” Voice of OC reported. (The Angels’ stadium lease extends through 2032, and the Angels have the right to extend it through 2038.)

So consider this a timely holiday reminder for Dodgers fans to give thanks for this ownership group, for what the Dodgers are doing now is exceptional and extremely rare.

Read more:Free tickets vs. 34% raise: Dodger Stadium tour guides contentious divide colors union vote

It would be nice if the Dodgers made more of a commitment to family affordability — and also if the Dodgers did not charge $102.25 for “an iconic photo op with the 2024 and 2025 World Series trophies" — but their attendance nonetheless hit 4 million for the first time.

This is a Dodger town, and the team is the toast of the town. The Dodgers are the biggest winner in American pro sports right now.

The owners are winners too. On Thursday, Boehly’s company staged its holiday party, and the musicians included Eddie Vedder, Bruno Mars, Anthony Kiedis, Brandi Carlile and Slash. Live life to the fullest, indeed.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.