Category: Baseball

Red Sox make free-agent splash with Ranger Suarez signing: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

At long last, the Boston Red Sox have signed a free agent.

The Red Sox are acquiring left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez on a five-year, $130 million contract, according to multiple reports. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman was the first to report Suarez’s signing.

Suarez is the first MLB-level free agent to sign with Boston this offseason. While the Red Sox have made several trades this winter, they’ve whiffed on a number of free agents, most notably Alex Bregman, who signed a reported five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Boston reportedly offered Bregman a deal worth $165 million over five years, so chief baseball officer Craig Breslow essentially has pivoted to invest that money in Suarez.

The 30-year-old left-hander spent his first eight MLB seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies and made an All-Star team in 2024. He posted a 3.20 ERA and 1.22 WHIP last season with a 12-8 record and 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings and also boasts an impressive postseason track record, with a 1.48 ERA over 42.2 playoff innings.

The addition of Suarez gives the Red Sox a very competitive projected starting rotation for 2026 that should feature three new additions:

• Garrett Crochet
• Brayan Bello
• Ranger Suarez (signed in free agency)
• Sonny Gray (acquired from Cardinals)
• Johan Oviedo (acquired from Pirates)

Young hurlers Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and Kyle Harrison could be in the mix for that fifth rotation spot, as well.

The Red Sox still could use another starting-caliber infielder after missing out on Bregman, but Suarez is a significant addition to the rotation that should make fans feel slightly better about the offseason.

Ranger Suárez reportedly inks five-year deal with Red Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Ranger Suárez is reportedly signing with the Red Sox in free agency, leaving the organization he first joined as a teenager. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was the first to break the news. 

The five-year deal is worth $130 million, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. The deal has no opt-outs or deferrals.

In 2025, Suárez posted an 11-6 record with a 3.20 ERA and 151 strikeouts, marking his fourth season in the last five with an ERA under 4.00.

His consistency made him an anchor in multiple roles — long reliever, swingman, rotation mainstay, and, most notably, a postseason go-to.

Through 11 postseason appearances (eight starts), Suárez owns a 1.48 ERA, one of the lowest in MLB history for pitchers with more than 40 playoff innings.

Since joining the Phillies rotation full-time back in 2022, though, he failed to make 30 starts in a season once. Durability is not his strong suit.

Dave Dombrowski acknowledged the financial reality at the season’s end when discussing the club’s free agents, noting the Phillies “don’t have unlimited [funds]” with large contracts already committed to Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker. The club has also expressed interest in an extension with Jesús Luzardo.

The Red Sox, on the other hand, were rumored to pursue Bo Bichette in free agency after they failed to re-sign Alex Bregman. With Suárez’s deal, Boston may not push their payroll as aggressively for Bichette, improving the Phils’ chances of signing the infielder.

All in all, Suárez leaves having become one of the most trusted pitchers on the staff, never phased by the moment or stage.

Philadelphia now turns to internal options — including top prospect Andrew Painter and the veteran Walker — as it rounds out the backend of the rotation heading into 2026.

The Phillies will receive a fourth-round pick in the 2026 Draft as compensation after tendering the qualifying offer to the lefty.

A former executive chairman and co-owner of Major League Baseball team the San Diego Padres is set to take a controlling stake in League One club Lincoln City.

American Ron Fowler initially bought a minority interest in third-tier Lincoln in April 2024, and he is now poised to replace Arizona-based Harvey Jabara as the majority shareholder if his bid is cleared by the English Football League.

Lincoln's board approved a proposal from Fowler to increase his stake - through his company Liquid Investments - to more than 25% on 11 December.

Fowler, whose son Andrew is also involved in the club, will take on the position of chairman at LNER Stadium and will "assume responsibility for the funding of the club for the immediate future".

The ownership shake-up at Lincoln, who are second in the table, was confirmed as a "future development" in the club's annual accounts covering the 12 months up to June 2025.

"Acquiring 25% or more of the share capital is regarded by the EFL as acquiring control and consequently Liquid Investments Inc will need to demonstrate they are eligible to acquire control and are able to and will provide the necessary funding to ensure the club can continue to operate post-acquisition," the club noted in its report.

• Ex-San Diego co-owner Fowler invests in Lincoln
• Lincoln trigger contract extensions for 'core' trio
• Listen to BBC Radio Lincolnshire's Red Imps Club podcast

Fowler will take on responsibility for a promotion-chasing club that reported a loss of just under £2.9m relating to the 2024-25 season.

While the club's turnover was a record £8.5m, up from just under £7m the previous season, their losses were down from just under £3m a year earlier.

It was also a season in which the club's shareholders put £3.6m into the club.

Funding that Fowler now intends to put into the club is said to have already been "earmarked" for "various projects at the LNER Stadium".

Fowler is a business owner in the beverage industry in the United States.

He turned his attention to English football after his involvement in the Padres came to an end in March 2022, having served as vice-chairman after passing on control of the MLB team 16 months earlier.

The Yankees have acquired left-hander Ryan Weathers from the Marlins.

As first reported by YES Network's Jack Curry, New York will send four minor leaguers to Miami for the southpaw in a move that will fortify the rotation in 2026 and beyond.

The minor leaguers the Yankees will send include outfielders Dillon Lewis, Brendan Jones, and infielders Dillon Jasso and Juan Matheus, according to multiple reports.

Jones is the No. 15 Yankees prospect according to MLB Pipeline, while Lewis (16) and Jasso (23) round out the prospects in the organization's top 30 prospects. 

Weathers, 26, is coming off an injury-laden season where he made just eight starts due to flexor and lat strains. In limited time on the field in 2025, Weathers pitched to a 3.99 ERA with a K9 of 8.7 and a WHIP of 1.27. 

In two-plus seasons with the Marlins, Weathers was 7-10 in 27 appearances (26 starts) while pitching to a 4.57 ERA. He was traded to Miami from the Padres in a deal that was headlined by first baseman Garrett Cooper in 2023. Before landing in South Beach, Weathers made 43 appearances (29 starts) and pitched to a 5.73 ERA with San Diego from 2021-23. 

Weathers will make $1.35 million this season and is arbitration-eligible for two more seasons, giving the Yankees control of the southpaw until 2029.

While not as splashy a move, the Yankees can use Weathers -- whose father David pitched for the Bombers in 1996 and 1997 -- to give the rotation some healthy bodies until Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt return from injury. Currently, the Yankees' rotation will include Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren. Ryan Yarbrough is also slated to take a few starts as a swing man.

It’s been an offseason of seismic changes for the Mets, and while there are still plenty of moves to be made between now and the Opening Day, president of baseball operations David Stearns sat down with reporters on Tuesday to discuss where things currently stand with the club.

The Mets have already said goodbye to Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil this offseason, but Stearns believes the organization is in a very good spot, and with good reasoning.

"We’ve said goodbye to players who have performed really well here, people we care a lot about, players that out fans care a lot about who have meshed well with our community, who have done what we as organization have asked them to do for a long time, and that’s really tough and we all recognize that," Stearns said. "And we’re doing all of that because we are committed universally, from ownership down, to ensure that the next five years of the Mets are better, and that we win more games and meet the lofty expectations that we have for ourselves, than what we’ve done previously. What we’ve done previously has not been good enough. We all know that, I certainly know that, and we’ve got to do better. And we’re committed to doing that.

"We have tremendous ownership support to do that. We have elite talent at the top of our major league roster. We’ve got a very good farm system, and we’ve got a very good present-day major league team as we sit here today that’s going to get better before we get to Opening Day."

Stearns added that the Mets currently have a mix of “truly elite talent on our major league team, combined with some young players who have already established themselves at the major league level and are ready to take that next step."

"We have this pretty unique combination right now of MVP-caliber talent up top, players who have already established themselves at the major league level who are at that point of their career where there is the potential – not the certainty, but the potential – for a jump, and really exciting premium young prospects who are about to hit the major league level," Stearns said. "That is an enviable place for any organization to be." 

The timing of these statements is certainly of note, considering there's now reporting that the Mets have offered All-Star Kyle Tucker a short-team deal worth $50 million per season.

Losing fan-favorite pieces like Diaz and Alonso hasn't been an easy pill to swallow, but potentially adding Tucker, the best position player available via free agency this year, would completely change the narrative for the Mets.

And Stearns is committed to doing whatever it takes to achieve the ultimate goal.

“I certainly understand that there have been points this offseason that have been frustrating for our fan base. We’re not blind to that at all," Stearns said. "I’m certainly not blind to that. I hear it, I recognize it. I hear it from my friends and family at times. I’m also very convicted that what we are doing is the right thing for our franchise going forward to accomplish our goals of creating a consistent playoff team, a team that year after year is a true World Series contender, and ultimately a team that does what we are all here to do, which is to win a World Series. And that’s why we are doing all of this."

The Mets' pursuit of star free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker could be nearing a conclusion.

Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets are offering Tucker a deal "in the range" of $120 million to $140 million for three years and have had multiple video meetings with him over the last week. 

Meanwhile, Robert Murray of FanSided reports that the Mets' offer to Tucker is $150 million for three years.

A contract to Tucker worth $150 million over three years would give him an average annual value of $50 million, right underJuan Soto's AAV of $51 million.

As far as when Tucker could decide on a team, Sammon reports that "multiple industry sources suggested" that could happen as early as this week.

In addition to the Mets, the Blue Jays and Dodgers have been heavily connected to Tucker, with Jon Heyman of The New York Post reporting on Monday that the Yankees were "on the periphery."

The Blue Jays are known to include heavy deferrals in their long-term deals, as they recently did with Dylan Cease.

Sammon did not note whether the Mets' offer to Tucker includes deferrals. 

As far as the Dodgers, they have seemingly unlimited spending power.

If the Mets are able to land Tucker, it stands to reason that he will be asked to shift to left field while Soto remains in right field.

Tucker has played only right field and designated hitter over the last five seasons, but got extensive time in left field for the Astros in 2020 -- starting 40 games there and being a positive defender. 

Tucker's addition to the Mets' lineup would be enormous.

After subtracting Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo while adding Jorge Polanco and Marcus Semien, New York has a glaring need for another significant bat to bolster a group led by Soto and Francisco Lindor.

Tucker, like Soto, is an elite hitter who mixes power with a tremendous eye and a discerning approach at the plate. 

During his eight-year career, Tucker has slashed .273/.358/.507 with an .865 OPS. He has never struck out more than 95 times in a season.

Phillies acquire Chase Shugart from Pirates, fill 40-man roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies have filled their 40-man roster.

On Tuesday, the club announced they acquired right-handed reliever Chase Shugart from the Pirates in exchange for minor league infielder Francisco Loreto.

Shugart, 29, is coming off a strong 2025 season out of Pittsburgh’s bullpen. He posted a 3.40 ERA over 45 innings, registering a 1.11 WHIP while working exclusively in relief.

The Texas native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 12th round of the 2018 draft out of the University of Texas. He made six big league appearances with Boston before being designated for assignment last January.

Shugart features a five-pitch mix but primarily relies on a sweeper, cutter and sinker. His fastball averages around 95 mph. While he did not qualify for Statcast leaderboards last season, he limited hard contact at an above-average rate, reflected in a strong hard-hit profile.

He was especially tough on right-handed hitters, who posted just a .618 OPS. Opponents fared slightly better with runners in scoring position, managing a .631 OPS.

The 5-foot-11 right-hander has one minor league option remaining, giving the Phillies added flexibility as they sort through bullpen roles this spring.

Loreto, 18, signed with the Phillies as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in early 2024. He has appeared in parts of two seasons, reaching the Florida Complex League, where he slashed .234/.341/.371 across 77 professional games. He was not ranked among the organization’s top 30 prospects by MLB.com.

Giants ‘aggressively' pursuing Nico Hoerner, Brendan Donovan trade, per report originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants might not be done making moves this offseason.

After adding to the starting rotation and the bullpen this winter, San Francisco is looking for an upgrade in the infield and is “aggressively” pursuing either Chicago Cubs’ Nico Hoerner and St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported Tuesday, citing sources.

The Giants reportedly have had interest in Donovan throughout the offseason, and recently have been connected to Hoerner after Chicago agreed to a five-year, $175 million free-agent contract with star third baseman Alex Bregman last week, a move that many believe could make the long-time Cubs infielder expendable.

NBC Sports Bay Area’s Giants insider Alex Pavlovic highlighted both Hoerner and Donovan as potential fits for San Francisco earlier this month.

Hoerner, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, batted .297/.345/.394 with seven home runs, 61 RBI and 29 stolen bases in 156 games last season with Chicago.

The 28-year-old also is a Bay Area native, born in Oakland.

Donovan, 28, is a former All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner, and batted .287/.353/.422 with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 118 games with St. Louis last season.

The Giants saw improvement from infielder Casey Schmitt last season, who was the team’s primary second baseman down the stretch, and while they might feel comfortable with their in-house options, it’s clear they are on the hunt for a potential upgrade.

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The Mets announced on their Player Development X account on Monday that top prospect Elian Peña has been added to the Domestic Reserve List. 

Peña is officially in line to make his stateside debut during the 2026 season. 

The 18-year-old infielder signed with the Mets for a franchise-record $5 million last January. 

He started his career in a brutal 0-for-26 stretch, but finally was able to find his footing and finished the season hitting a strong .292 with 24 extra base-hits and a .949 OPS over 55 DSL games. 

Peña also stole 21 bases in 25 attempts and had as many walks as strikeouts (36). 

SNY’s Joe DeMayo has him as the Mets’ No. 9 prospect, but feels he may have the highest upside in the system. 

DeMayo writes: “From a tools standpoint, Peña possesses strong bat-to-ball skills with a compact, quick swing and an advanced knowledge of the zone. This dates to prior to him turning pro at either showcases or in BP, where he would refuse to swing at pitches he deemed outside the zone as not to make a habit out of it.

“From a power perspective, scouts project him to be above-average with a chance for more as he physically matures. There have been public comparisons to multi-time All-Star Rafael Devers.”

It wouldn't surprise anyone to see Peña skyrocket up prospect rankings with a successful season. 

MLB Pipeline released their updated Top 10 right-handed pitching prospects heading into the 2026 season on Monday, and unsurprisingly two of the Mets’ young arms made the cut. 

Nolan McLean topped the list, and Jonah Tong came in at No. 7. 

Both youngsters are coming off tremendous seasons in which they cruised through the minors and found themselves pitching in big games at the big-league level down the stretch. 

McLean enjoyed a bit more success in the majors than Tong, though. 

The Oklahoma State product finished 11th in NL Rookie of the Year voting after pitching to a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 57 strikeouts over his first eight career outings. 

He’s in line to play a huge role in the Mets’ rotation out of the gate this season. 

Tong, on the other hand, was more of a mixed bag. 

The 22-year-old showed flashes of the potential that helped him secure Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year, but ultimately struggled to a 7.71 ERA over his five outings.

It’ll be interesting to see how things play out for Tong to begin this season. 

The righty certainly could use more time in the minors, but whether or not that’ll be with the Mets remains to be seen, as he is said to be “highly coveted” in trade talks this winter. 

While they are listening, New York reportedly values Tong highly, so they likely wouldn't actually move him unless they are receiving a top-tier talent in return. 

If he sticks around, he could play a role in the majors at some point this season. 

The rest of the Top 10 is as follows: 

Our preseason rankings kicked off today with the Top 10 RHP prospects: https://t.co/TjidkbGPfnpic.twitter.com/qAY44DsYe1

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) January 12, 2026

Bichette or bust? Four options for Red Sox after Bregman disaster originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With Alex Bregman joining the Chicago Cubs in free agency, the Boston Red Sox’ offseason has gone from underwhelming to unmitigated disaster.

Bregman signed a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs on Saturday, two months after opting out of the final two years of his Red Sox pact. Boston’s offer was reportedly $165 million over five years with significant deferrals and worth $2 million less in average annual value than Chicago’s deal, which also includes a full no-trade clause.

The Red Sox’ failure to re-sign Bregman has left the club with a massive question mark at third base. One year after signing Bregman — a deal that ultimately led to Rafael Devers being shipped to San Francisco — Boston will enter the 2026 campaign with neither star player. It’s the worst-case scenario for Boston and a major letdown after an encouraging 2025 season.

So, where do the Red Sox go from here? It’s still possible to rebound from Bregman’s departure, but the options are dwindling.

Below are Boston’s four options for replacing Bregman, plus a “rating” and “likelihood” for each on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best). The higher the rating, the more the move makes sense. The higher the likelihood, the more we can picture the move happening.

Option No. 1 – Sign Bo Bichette

• Rating: 9/10
• Likelihood: 4/10

Bichette is the no-brainer Plan B, but it’s hard to imagine the Red Sox spending big for the 27-year-old. They’ve shown zero willingness to overextend themselves for top-tier free agents, and Bichette is reportedly seeking a deal worth around $300 million. If his market is anywhere near that figure, that’s a non-starter.

Still, the Red Sox should be aggressive for Bichette as he’s the only truly appealing option left. He’d give Boston the right-handed infield bat it desperately needs while stabilizing what has been a revolving door at the second base position. With Bichette at second, Boston could comfortably roll with former top prospect Marcelo Mayer at third.

Option No. 2 – Sign Eugenio Suarez

• Rating: 3/10
• Likelihood: 6/10

Suarez’s right-handed power at Fenway Park would be fun to watch, but it sure would be ironic to sign one of the worst defensive third basemen in the league right after shipping Devers out of town.

Infield defense has been a consistent problem for Boston in recent years, and putting Suarez at the hot corner would only worsen those issues. Sure, he might hit 40-plus homers, but the soon-to-be 35-year-old will also strike out in about 30 percent of his plate appearances. For a lineup that already strikes out at a high clip — and one that added another strikeout-prone hitter in Willson Contreras — Suarez simply isn’t the right fit.

Option No. 3 – Trade for a second or third baseman

• Rating: 7/10
• Likelihood: 4/10

The Red Sox haven’t spent a cent on a big-league free agent this offseason, but they’ve added payroll with a handful of trades. Will Breslow stay active on the trade market to fill the infield void?

If Boston pursues another trade, St. Louis Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan and Chicago Cubs infielder Nico Hoerner stand out as potential options. The Red Sox reportedly showed interest in Donovan earlier in the offseason, and Hoerner emerged as a trade candidate after Chicago landed Bregman.

Neither profiles as the big bat the Red Sox need, but beggars can’t be choosers at this point. The problem is Breslow doesn’t have many valuable trade chips at his disposal outside of young lefties Peyton Tolle and Connelly Early, and parting ways with either of them for Donovan or a similar option would be foolish.

Option No. 4 – Stick with internal options, upgrade elsewhere

• Rating: 3/10
• Likelihood: 8/10

It’s beginning to look like Breslow and the Red Sox are ready to roll into spring training with their current infield group and hope for the best. That would likely mean Mayer at third base with a combination, David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez, and Ceddanne Rafaela at second. Perhaps former top prospect Kristian Campbell could spend some time at second as well, but he exclusively played outfield and DH while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico.

If this is the route the Red Sox decide to go, they could allocate their resources toward talented players who don’t necessarily fill a position of need. For example, outfielder Kyle Tucker remains on the market as the No. 1 free agent in this year’s class. Boston’s outfield logjam makes such a move improbable, but Breslow could theoretically add Tucker and trade Jarren Duran and/or Wilyer Abreu for a haul. Again, this scenario is extremely unlikely.

Boston could also shift its focus back to improving the pitching staff. The starting rotation is already solid, but Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez are still out there in free agency. The Red Sox have also reportedly shown interest in acquiring Milwaukee Brewers righty Freddy Peralta, who would immediately slot in as the club’s No. 2 starter.