The Mets' best avenue when it comes to adding a top of the rotation starter this offseason could be the trade market, where Twins ace Joe Ryan and Brewers ace Freddy Peralta are among those who could be available.
Heyman notes that Minnesota is believed to like Jonah Tong.
With Ryan having two years of team control remaining and being set to make just $6 million or so via arbitration in 2026, the cost to acquire him would almost certainly be Tong (or another top prospect) plus a lot more.
Ryan, who is entering his age-30 season, had a 3.42 ERA (3.74 FIP) and 1.03 WHIP with 194 strikeouts in a career-high 171 innings for the Twins in 2025. He was similarly impressive in 2024, posting a 3.60 ERA (3.44 FIP) and 0.98 WHIP with 147 strikeouts in 135 innings.
The Twins are in the midst of a rebuild after having a fire sale at the 2025 trade deadline as they traded 10 players from the big league roster.
That included Carlos Correa, Griffin Jax, and elite closer Jhoan Duran, who -- like Ryan -- has two more years of arbitration remaining and will be wildly inexpensive in 2026 (he made just $1.3 million this past season).
As the Mets continue to reshape the team following the Brandon Nimmo trade and signing of Devin Williams, their needs are obvious.
There's the need to re-sign Edwin Diaz, which would give New York perhaps the best 1-2 late-game punch in baseball, or add another high-leverage reliever.
Power must be added to the lineup, whether it's with the return of Pete Alonso or the addition of someone else.
And with Nimmo on the Rangers, there are now holes in both left field and center field.
Taking the above into account, the third base situation seems pretty settled, with Brett Baty penciled in as the starter.
But if Alonso isn't retained, upgrading the offense by adding a third baseman could make a lot of sense.
Even if Alonso is back, addressing third base with a legitimate bat could still be in the cards in the event the Mets go internal or short-term at one or both vacant outfield spots.
Let's break it down...
The Internal Candidates
In 432 plate appearances spanning 130 games last season, Baty hit .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs and 13 doubles. His .748 OPS dwarfed his previous career-best OPS of .633, his OPS+ of 111 was solidly above league average, and his defense at third base was smooth and reliable.
New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Brett Baty (7) rounds the bases after hitting a two run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the second inning at Citi Field. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
While his 51.0 percent groundball rate was improved from 2024 (54.5 percent), it was still well above the MLB average of 44.2 percent. Baty also strikes out at a pretty high clip for someone who doesn't hit for a lot of power. And he won't make an impact on the bases.
But Baty's above average offensive performance last season, strong defense, age (26 for all of next season), cost, and team control are all pluses. He won't become arbitration-eligible until after the 2026 season, is under team control through 2029, and made just $774,000 in 2025.
Following a down 2025, Mark Vientos is an option at third base as well.
But given Vientos' defensive struggles, it's hard to imagine him being given a starting role at the hot corner. His fit would be better at DH, and it's also a possibility he'll get traded.
Ronny Mauricio remains intriguing, due largely to his power potential and ability to hit the ball incredibly hard. Mauricio is also a versatile defender, able to handle third base, second base, and shortstop. But he's struggled offensively in the majors, slashing just .234/.295/.369.
The External Candidates
A possibility exists that the Red Sox sign Alonso, which would theoretically open the door for the Mets to turn to Alex Bregman.
In 114 games last season for Boston, Bregman slashed .273/.360/.462 with 18 homers and 28 doubles -- in a year that was interrupted by a quad strain. The 128 OPS+ he put up was his best since 2022, and he continued to be elite when it came to making contact.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman (2) plays third base during the game against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park / Troy Taormina - Imagn Images
Put it all together and it feels like Bregman checks all of the Mets' boxes: Right-handed, above average hitter, strong defense, and great in the clubhouse. But it's fair to wonder if New York will want to pay up for a player entering his age-32 season.
A wild card could be Bo Bichette, as unlikely as a potential signing might be. But if the Blue Jays sign Kyle Tucker, a return to Toronto could be a lot less likely for Bichette.
Before acquiring Marcus Semien in the Nimmo trade, Bichette -- who played second base during the World Series for the Blue Jays -- would've been a strong fit for New York there.
For the Mets to add him now, Bichette would have to be willing to move to third base -- a position he's never played in the majors.
But most shortstops are able to handle third base, and Bichette is a special hitter the Mets would be wise to pursue. He's also entering his age-28 season, meaning a long-term deal might be more palatable.
If the Mets want a short-term option, Eugenio Suarez could make sense -- especially if they're trying to add right-handed power in a world without Alonso.
Suarez mashed 49 homers last season for the Diamondbacks and Mariners, tying the career-high he set in 2019.
On the negative side, Suarez had a sub-.300 OBP and was a poor defender, grading out in the ninth percentile. So if the Mets sign him, he'd make much more sense as a DH.
Then there's Japanese stars Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto, who are able to play both first base and third base.
When it comes to Murakami, most experts have him pegged as a first baseman only. And there are huge questions about whether he'll make enough contact in the majors for his offense and insane power to properly translate.
Okamoto is a plus defender, and could fit at third base for New York in certain scenarios. But the guess here is that he'd be viewed as a first base option if the Mets pursue him.
Fernando Valenzuela brought many new fans, young and old, to baseball. (Rick Meyer / Los Angeles Times)
In 2023, the Dodgers finally retired the number 34, worn with distinction by Fernando Valenzuela. It had been 42 years since the season of Fernandomania, 26 years since Valenzuela last threw a pitch in the major leagues.
Better late than never. The Dodgers generally do not retire the numbers of players not selected for the Hall of Fame, but it is never too late to do the right thing.
On Sunday, a committee is set to vote on whether Valenzuela should be admitted to the Hall of Fame. To the committee members: We commend Valenzuela to you with that same adage — it is never too late to do the right thing.
“He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” said longtime Dodgers broadcaster Jaime Jarrín, himself a Hall of Famer.
“The Hall of Fame is a special, special place, of course. But, what Fernando did for baseball, very few have done.”
Eight players are on the ballot, given a second chance at Cooperstown after the Baseball Writers Assn. of America passed on them all: Valenzuela, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Gary Sheffield.
The 16-person committee includes seven Hall of Famers, two owners (the Angels’ Arte Moreno is one), four former general managers, two writers and one statistician. Each committee member can vote for up to three players; 12 votes are required for election.
Still, of the 90 pitchers in the Hall, according to Baseball Reference, Valenzuela had a better earned-run average (3.54) than 11 of them. One of them, Jack Morris, had a 3.90 ERA. He was elected by a committee just like the one that will consider Valenzuela.
Morris was a workhorse and five-time All-Star best known for one game: a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the 1991 World Series. But Valenzuela, a workhorse, Cy Young Award winner and six-time All-Star, threw a 147-pitch complete game in Game 3 of the 1981 World Series, with the Dodgers at risk of losing the first three games of the series. The career postseason ERA for Valenzuela: 1.98. For Morris: 3.80.
If you’re evaluating Valenzuela on the numbers alone, you’re missing half the story, and the legacy of a player that transformed a city and a sport.
The Dodgers built their stadium on land that was previously home to three Latino neighborhoods. The city of Los Angeles had envisioned grand housing projects there and kicked out the residents, long before the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn. The projects never were built, but many Latinos considered the destruction of the neighborhoods and removal of the residents as something of the Dodgers’ original sin and vowed never to set foot inside Dodger Stadium.
Until 1981, that is, when a shy, modestly pudgy and virtually anonymous Mexican 20-year-old showed up, looked to the heavens before every pitch, and started his rookie season with eight consecutive victories, including seven complete games and five shutouts.
Shohei Ohtani lures baseball fans from everywhere. Valenzuela lured humans from everywhere.
“People who hadn’t really thought about baseball, or Dodger Stadium,” said Peter O’Malley, who became the Dodgers’ president in 1970 and then owner from 1979-1998. “Suddenly, they were coming. They were flying from all over to see him.
Fernando Valenzuela looks up before throwing a pitch. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Los Angeles Times)
“He captured the imagination of everyone. It was the most exciting time for me on my watch.”
If they didn’t come to Dodger Stadium, they came to see him somewhere else. President Reagan invited Valenzuela to a White House event with the president of Mexico.
“He was able to create such interest in baseball — not only in the Dodgers, but baseball in general,” Jarrín said. “In St. Louis. In Atlanta. In New York. In Chicago. They went wild when Fernando was throwing — 10,000 extra people at the ballpark when he was pitching.”
The Dodgers hurriedly set up a radio network in Mexico, so Jarrín’s broadcasts of Valenzuela’s games could be heard south of the border.
And talk about bringing the city together: In Los Angeles, half the television sets in use were tuned to a Valenzuela start on one Friday night, 60% on one Sunday, The Times reported.
“It was like watching the pope,” actor Danny Trejo said in the Times’ 12-part Fernandomania @ 40 documentary series. It’s worth watching, especially if you are one of the committee members voting Sunday.
The series did not focus on interviews with players, or with fans. Valenzuela’s impact on the community was told largely through the words of a playwright, a filmmaker, a historian, an actor, a singer, a songwriter, and a mayor.
Said O’Malley: “He has never gotten the credit he deserves for the impact he made on baseball — not just on the Dodger organization, but on Mexican baseball, international baseball, and the community.”
Valenzuela belongs in the Hall of Fame because his legacy outlasted his career.
The Dodgers did not draw 3 million fans in any of their first 20 years in Los Angeles. They drew 3.6 million in Valenzuela’s first full season, 3.5 million in his second, and now 3 million is a disappointment rather than an aspiration.
Jarrín said the Dodgers’ Latino fan base had grown from “8, 9, 10%” when he started calling their games in 1959 to close to 50% now.
And, when Valenzuela debuted, O’Malley said international baseball was “a nonexistent subject” in league meetings. In the wake of a World Series that set record ratings in Canada and Japan, and in anticipation of the World Baseball Classic three months away, Valenzuela’s election to the Hall of Fame would be not only worthy but entirely fitting.
Fernando Valenzuela in 1982. (George Rose / Los Angeles Times)
The Hall of Fame includes players born in Canada, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, Panama, Puerto Rico, the Netherlands and Venezuela.
Valenzuela would be the first player from Mexico. The Hall of Fame’s motto: “Preserving history, honoring excellence, connecting generations.” Who better fits?
“A whole nation is very aware of the Hall of Fame,” Jarrín said. “I’m sure they would declare a holy day on the day Fernando gets in.”
SAN FRANCISCO — There’s never been a Major League manager with less experience than Tony Vitello, but the Giants are on the verge of adding another coach to his staff who will fill some of the gaps as he makes the transition from Tennessee to the big leagues.
During an appearance on KNBR on Thursday morning, general manager Zack Minasian confirmed a USA Today report that the organization is finalizing a deal with longtime coach and manager Ron Washington, giving Vitello another experienced voice, and giving the Giants one of the best infield coaches around.
Washington, 73, was most recently the manager in Anaheim, where Minasian’s brother is the general manager. He has 10 years of big league managing experience with the Angels and Texas Rangers and has been a coach for the Athletics and Atlanta Braves.
The Giants still are in the process of finalizing exact roles for their incoming coaches, and Minasian said it’s possible Washington gets in the mix as third base coach. But at the very least, he will coach up the infielders, and few have ever been better at that. With Washington and Ron Wotus in the organization, the Giants will have two of the most respected infield coaches in the industry.
Minasian said Washington’s name was brought up by Vitello, who is putting the finishing touches on his first big league staff. He also will lean on Jayce Tingler, who has been hired in a to-be-announced role. Tingler has previous big league managing experience, as well.
The Giants also have Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker on hand as advisors. Between those two, Washington and Wotus, and Tingler, there will be no shortage of experienced minds around to help Vitello navigate his first season. Minasian said the entire group will get together for the first time at next week’s Winter Meetings and the Giants hope to officially announce their hires in the coming days.
Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas celebrates with Max Muncy after the Dodgers won Game 7 of the World Series at Rogers Centre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
This past postseason, Miguel Rojas announced that 2026 would be the last year of his MLB career.
On Wednesday, he and the Dodgers ensured he would go out in Los Angeles.
Barely a month removed from Rojas’ heroics in this year’s World Series, he and the Dodgers agreed to a one-year, $5.5-million contract for next season, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
The move marks the Dodgers’ first signing of this offseason, bringing back the 12-year veteran and utility infielder in the club’s quest for a third consecutive World Series title.
After retiring at the end of next season, Rojas will also stay with the organization in a player development role.
El Extrabase first reported the signing.
Back at the beginning of his career, Rojas first broke into the majors with the Dodgers in 2014 before being traded to the Marlins. After eight seasons in Miami, Rojas was traded back to the Dodgers before the start of the 2023 season, and has become a key veteran voice in the team’s clubhouse since.
On the field, Rojas has remained a productive presence, hitting .259 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs over the last three years. He has also provided value defensively, playing second base, third base and shortstop — and becoming a finalist for the National League’s utility player Gold Glove award last season.
No contributions, of course, were more important than what Rojas did in the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
After being drawn back into the lineup for Game 6 of the series, he helped complete a game-sealing double-play by picking a throw from Kiké Hernández at second base.
Then in Game 7, he hit a season-saving, game-tying home run in the top of the ninth inning, before throwing out a potential winning Blue Jays run at home plate in the bottom half of the inning.
NEW YORK — Dylan Cease will wait until 2046 to receive the final payment from his $210 million, seven-year contract with the American League champion Toronto Blue Jays, which includes $64 million in deferred salaries.
A right-hander who turns 30 on Dec. 28, Cease gets a $23 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15, according to contract terms obtained by The Associated Press.
Under the deal announced Tuesday, he receives salaries of $22 million next year, $30 million in 2027, $29 million in 2029, $28 million in 2029, $27 million in 2030, $26 million in 2031 and $25 million in 2032.
Toronto's deferred payments are due each Nov. 1 from 2033-46, with $10 million deferred from next year's salary and $9 million annually for the remainder of the contract. Cease gets $5 million payments in 2033 and '34 and $4.5 million each year from 2035-46.
He has a limited no-trade provision allowing him to block being sent without his consent to eight teams.
Deferred money in contracts this offseason will be discounted by 3.87% for luxury tax payrolls, up from 3.7% last offseason, and by 8% for MLB’s regular payroll calculations, down from 9% for the 2024-25 offseason. The players' association has used a 5% discount rate for its figures.
Cease went 8-12 with a 4.55 ERA in 32 starts this year for San Diego, striking out 215 and walking 71 in 168 innings. Cease spent his first five years with the Chicago White Sox, going 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA in 2022 despite leading the major leagues in walks. He finished second in AL Cy Young Award balloting.
He was traded to the Padres in March 2024 and went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA that season, pitching a no-hitter and finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting. Cease is 65-58 with a 3.88 ERA and 1,231 strikeouts in 188 starts over seven big league seasons.
Toronto won the AL East this year for the first time since 2015 and came within two outs of its first World Series title since 1993, losing Game 7 to the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 in 11 innings.
Cease joins a top-notch rotation projected to include Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber and José Berríos.
The Colorado Rockies brought in Josh Byrnes from the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers to become their general manager and turn around a floundering franchise.
Byrnes will team again with Paul DePodesta, who was hired Nov. 7 as the Rockies' president of baseball operations. The two joined forces in Cleveland in the 1990s, before DePodesta went to the Oakland Athletics and Byrnes joined the Rockies to work with then-GM Dan O'Dowd.
"I’m incredibly excited to be able to bring Josh into our group,” DePodesta said in a statement Wednesday. “Few executives in baseball share his combination of intellectual curiosity, breadth of experience, and on-field successes. We are extremely fortunate to add him, as he immediately strengthens our entire baseball operation.”
Byrnes joins a team coming off a third straight 100-loss season. He's fresh off winning a World Series with the Dodgers for a second straight season. He also was with the Dodgers when they won in 2020.
The 55-year-old Byrnes takes over for Bill Schmidt, who stepped down after the season and following a long tenure with the team in a variety of roles.
“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Rockies organization, especially at such an exciting time for the future of the franchise,” Byrnes said. “Working alongside Paul again is an incredible opportunity and I’m eager to join him and the rest of the group as we work to bring championship caliber baseball to the Rockies.”
Byrnes knows the NL West well having also been in the front offices with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres. He broke into the business as an advanced scout in Cleveland. Byrnes was with Boston as an assistant GM when the Red Sox won the World Series in 2004.
Colorado missed the playoffs for a seventh straight season. The Rockies finished 43-119 this year as they narrowly avoided becoming the team with the worst record since the 162-game schedule started in 1961.
Among the first moves by DePodesta was the promotion of Warren Schaeffer to full-time manager. Schaeffer assumed the role on an interim basis after the Rockies fired Bud Black - the winningest manager in franchise history - in May following a 7-33 start.
Colorado boasts a young nucleus that includes All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. The team also drafted Ethan Holliday with the No. 4 pick last summer. His father, Matt, is Rockies royalty after helping spark 2007's “Rocktober” run that led to the franchise’s only World Series appearance, in which they were swept by Boston.
A chunk of Colorado's payroll is tied up in the contract of often-injured slugger Kris Bryant, who’s played in only 170 big league games since signing a $182 million, seven-year deal before the 2022 season.
CHICAGO — Anthony Kay is returning to the major leagues, agreeing to a $12 million, two-year contract with the Chicago White Sox.
The deal for the left-hander includes a mutual option for 2028, according to a person who confirmed the agreement to The Associated Press on Wednesday on condition of anonymity because it was pending a physical.
The 30-year-old Kay pitched in Japan for the past two years. He last appeared in a big league game on Oct. 1, 2023, with the New York Mets.
The White Sox finished last in the AL Central this year with a 60-102 record, but that was a 19-game improvement from the previous season. They are hoping to take another step forward in 2026 behind a promising group of young players that includes Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth.
Kay joins a bullpen that had a 4.16 ERA and a major league-high 48 losses this year.
Kay was selected by the Mets in the first round of the 2016 amateur draft out of the University of Connecticut. He is 4-2 with a 5.59 ERA in 44 major league games, also playing for Toronto and the Chicago Cubs.
FanSided.com first reported Kay's contract with the White Sox.
It’s understandable if the Mets were frustrated withKodai Senga by the end of last season, with his slow recovery from injuries, with his need for extra rest even when healthy, with his seeming obsession over his mechanics, and with his honest-yet-eyebrow-raising admission in late September that he wasn’t in a position to help the Mets nab a Wild Card spot.
In short, to say he’s high maintenance would seem to be an understatement.
As such, the Mets have made it no secret this offseason they’re open to trading Senga, to the point where, according to The Athletic, the Japanese right-hander reached out recently to let David Stearns know he’d prefer to stay in Queens -- though a 10-team no-trade list in his contract is the only control he has over the situation.
So would the Mets benefit by moving on from Senga? I asked that question of several MLB scouts and executives this week and the consensus answer was no -- that his proven upside and relatively affordable contract make keeping him the more reasonable decision.
“He’s pitched at a high level in two different seasons,” said one scout, referring to 2023 and Senga’s pre-injury 2025. “You’d be selling low on him. You almost certainly wouldn’t get comparable value in return. He’s got the stuff to help you win a championship, so I think you have to roll the dice and hope he’s healthy when it counts most.”
That was the theme of most other responses, though a couple of people did make the case that the Mets theoretically could better spend the $30 million that Senga is owed on the remaining two years of his contract.
But even those suggestions came with disclaimers.
“If dumping his money helps them justify overpaying to keep (Edwin) Diaz or signing a top free-agent pitcher, then maybe it makes some sense,” one team exec said. “But does Steve Cohen really need to do that? If you have his financial power and you’re trying to compete with the Dodgers, you need high-end assets, and even with Senga’s injuries, I’d put him in that category.
“Now if there’s more going on behind the scenes that makes the ballclub feel he just can’t be relied on, that adds a different layer to the situation. But on the surface I can’t see how you’re a better team by trading him.”
As an aside of sorts, there was less of a consensus from the same evaluators as to how far the Mets should go to re-sign Diaz, especially after signing Devin Williams. All agreed that a Williams/Diaz combo would be a championship-worthy weapon, but there was a split on where to draw a line in negotiations for their closer, with only a couple of people willing to give him more than a four-year deal in the $20 million per year range.
“I wouldn’t go to five for $100 (million),” one exec said. “If you believe in Williams, you got a closer on a reasonable deal and you can build depth around him without that type of risky overpay (for Diaz).”
“I’d go to five (for $100 million) to build a super pen,” countered another. “I’d want the protection for Williams too. What Stearns does will probably tell you a little more about him, about how committed he is to making value judgments.”
Aug 31, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at Citi Field. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
In that sense, the decision to trade or keep Senga may be revealing as well. Remember, the Japanese star was a Billy Eppler signing, a year ahead of Stearns’ arrival, and at the time there were concerns about his elbow.
To this point there is no indication the elbow has been an issue, but Senga has been sidelined by a shoulder capsule injury, as well as in-season injuries to his calf in 2024 and hamstring in 2025 that both kept him out for extended periods, and seemed to affect him when he returned to pitching -- in the ’24 postseason and the second half last season.
Still, he was in good form last season before the hamstring injury on June 12th, pitching to a 1.39 ERA over 14 starts, averaging between five and six innings per start. Senga returned a month later and showed flashes of dominance but struggled badly at times while putting up a 6.56 ERA over eight starts, and indicating at one point that he was lacking his usual leg drive.
To his credit, Senga accepted a demotion to the minors. But with the Mets desperate for pitching in late September, he essentially opted not to try to make a start.
“You always want guys to want to take the ball,” said one exec. “But you also want guys to be honest what’s going on with them, so that’s a tough situation. If I was evaluating him for my team going forward, it would be more about the injury history and the certainty. Obviously when he’s healthy he’s a guy you want on the mound.”
With that in mind, another exec pointed out that the way the Dodgers used their pitching depth to win the championship in 2025 could serve as reason enough to keep Senga.
“They had a ton of injuries to their starting rotation,” the exec said. “Look at their innings totals during the season and you’d never believe they were the champs. But they got their top guys healthy for October and that’s how they won.”
It’s true, the Dodgers had only one starter throw more than 112 innings last season, and that was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who totaled 173.2 innings. Tyler Glasnow threw only 90 innings, while Blake Snell threw 61, Shohei Ohtani 47 and Roki Sasaki 36.
Yet all of them played important roles in the postseason.
“You can’t plan on that,” said the exec, “but when you have the Dodgers’ depth you can manage injuries with an eye on the big picture and still have the talent to reach the post-season. I don’t know if the Mets are quite there yet but with the young pitching they used late in the season, they seem to be developing the kind of depth where it would make sense to keep Senga.”
To that point, one scout noted that for all the injuries and missed time, Senga has shown he can be tough-minded when he does pitch.
“I’ve seen him make pitches to get out of trouble a bunch of times,” the scout said. “He seems to be able to set up the forkball and command it when he really needs to. So he looks like a guy you’d want pitching big games.”
The numbers bear out that observation. For his career Senga has allowed a .170 batting average against with runners in scoring position, and in 2025 that average was just .155 -- even including his poor second half performance.
All in all, then, there is plenty of reason to believe Senga could still be a difference-maker. If the Mets don’t believe he’ll stay healthy, you can understand wanting to trade him, but with a 2026 championship as the goal, they may be better off taking another shot with him.
The Boston Red Sox ended their three-year postseason drought in 2025, but they must continue bolstering their roster if they hope to be taken seriously as a World Series contender. To do so, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow should explore more major trades this winter.
Boston already made a significant splash by acquiring veteran right-hander Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals. It also added organizational depth by trading for infielder Tristan Gray and catcher Ronny Hernandez.
There are still moves to be made as we gear up for this weekend’s Winter Meetings. Regardless of your thoughts on a 36-year-old Sonny Gray at this stage of his career, the Red Sox could use another frontline starting pitcher. They also need a slugger or two, plus a second baseman to stabilize what continues to be a revolving door of a position for the club.
Fortunately for Boston, there are a handful of intriguing names who reportedly could be had for the right price. Here are five trade targets the Red Sox should inquire about this winter:
Joe Ryan, RHP, Minnesota Twins
We’ll start with the obvious. Joe Ryan is the name constantly connected to the Red Sox in trade rumors, and it’s easy to understand why.
The Red Sox reportedly pursued Ryan at the 2025 trade deadline but couldn’t get the Minnesota Twins to bite on an offer. Now would be a good time to revisit those trade talks with Minnesota potentially undergoing a rebuild.
Ryan, 29, has been rock-solid since his 2021 rookie campaign and reached a new level in 2025. The right-hander posted a career-best 3.42 ERA with a 1.035 WHIP, 194 strikeouts, and 39 walks through 171 innings (31 games) in his first All-Star season.
Under team control through 2027, adding Ryan would require a hefty trade package. That shouldn’t dissuade Breslow from aggressively pursuing an arm that would immediately earn the No. 2 spot in the rotation.
Ragans was an All-Star in 2024, when he finished fourth in the American League Cy Young voting. The soon-to-be 28-year-old amassed a 3.14 ERA and 1.14 WHIP that season with 223 strikeouts and 67 walks in 32 starts.
Injuries plagued Ragans in 2025, limiting him to only 13 starts. Don’t let the 4.67 ERA fool you, however. He posted a 2.50 FIP with 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings, so the Cy Young-caliber stuff was still there.
Like Ryan, Ragans fits the mold as a true No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet. He’s under team control through 2028.
Freddy Peralta, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers
Looking for a more affordable starting pitcher on the trade market? Perhaps Peralta is more your style.
Peralta, 29, has been the subject of trade rumors as he enters his contract year with Milwaukee. A trusted arm in the Brewers’ rotation since 2018, the right-hander is coming off his best season. He finished 2025 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.075 WHIP with 204 strikeouts and 66 walks in 33 starts (176.2 innings). He earned his second All-Star nod and was fifth in the National League Cy Young race.
The Red Sox need a reliable everyday second baseman. Six players spent time at the position in 2025, which is actually an improvement from the 11 who played second in 2024.
The Diamondbacks appear open to trading Marte for young pitching, and that should pique Boston’s interest. The 32-year-old has been among the game’s best hitters for the last three years, including two of his three All-Star seasons in 2024 and 2025. Last year, he slashed .283/.376/.517 with 28 homers and 72 RBI.
The D’backs signed Marte to a team-friendly six-year, $116.5 million contract last April, so it’d take a haul to acquire him. He’s worth a look if Arizona actively pursues a deal, though someone like free agent Jorge Polanco would be a more realistic option to fill the second base void.
Brendan Donovan, IF/OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Although Donovan wouldn’t be as sexy an addition as Marte, the super utility man would be a major upgrade at second base. He’d also be capable of filling in at any other infield position and both corner outfield spots.
Donovan, who turns 29 next month, has been a model of consistency for St. Louis since entering the league in 2022. You can expect 10 to 15 home runs with an OPS in the high 700s to go along with his rock-solid defense at the aforementioned positions.
Donovan is under team control through 2027. There’s a strong chance the Cardinals deal him as ex-Red Sox CBO Chaim Bloom continues to retool the roster, so Breslow should inquire about making his second big trade with St. Louis this offseason.
If the Tigers aren't willing to trade Tarik Skubal this offseason, the Mets' best bet when looking to add an impact starting pitcher via trade this offseason could be calling the Brewers about right-hander Freddy Peralta.
And after waffling on the possibility of dealing Peralta, Milwaukee is considering "cracking the door open for trade discussions," reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, who notes that interest in Peralta is "significant."
Peralta, 29, is set to make just $8 million this season in what is his final year before free agency.
The cost-conscious Brewers have made a habit of trading their most valuable players in the final year or two of their deal.
They traded pending free agent Corbin Burnes during the 2023-24 offseason and pending free agent Devin Williams last offseason. At the 2022 trade deadline, the Brewers dealt Josh Hader to the Padres when he still had a year and change of team control remaining.
So Peralta getting moved this offseason would keep with the above philosophy.
For the Mets, Peralta would be a perfect fit atop a rotation that is expected to include Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, and David Peterson.
Oct 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of game one of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. / Michael McLoone - Imagn Images
It's unclear what the Brewers would want in exchange for Peralta, but it's fair to believe they would want at least one of New York's highly thought of young starters -- Brandon Sproat or Jonah Tong -- as part of a deal.
Peralta is coming off a phenomenal 2025 season, where he had a career-best 2.70 ERA in 176.2 innings. He posted a 1.07 WHIP, allowed just 124 hits, and struck out 204 batters -- a rate of 10.4 per nine.
Since transitioning in 2021 from mainly a relief option to the starting rotation, Peralta has been one of the best pitchers in baseball. In 139 starts over the last five years, Peralta has a 3.30 ERA and 1.09 WHIP and has fanned 895 batters in 738.1 innings while allowing just 536 hits. He has also been reliable when it comes to taking the ball, tossing 165.2 innings or more reach of the last three seasons.
His ability to miss bats and limit hits is elite, as is his stuff.
Peralta relies mainly on a four-seam fastball (which he threw 53 percent of the time this past season), a changeup, and a curve. He'll also mix in a slider.
In 2025, his pitching run value graded out in the 97th percentile, via Baseball Savant. And all of his individual pitches were tremendous -- the fastball was in the 84th percentile, the breaking balls were in the 88th percentile, and the changeup was in the 96th percentile. Looking at Peralta's advanced metrics, he was near the top of the league in xERA, xBA, average exit velocity, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage, hard hit percentage, and extension.
If the Mets don't land Peralta, other possibilities on the trade market include Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez of the Twins, Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera of the Marlins, and MacKenzie Gore of the Nationals.
SNY's Joe DeMayo answers your Mets prospect questions...
What is your opinion of Elian Peña and what are the chances he is a phenom who could make the major leagues by 20? - @JeopardyJesseC on X
I, and more importantly, the Mets, are incredibly high on Peña, who ranked as the No. 9 prospect in the Mets system in my latest update.
After signing with the Mets for a franchise record $5 million in January, Peña started his pro career in an 0-26 stretch in the Dominican Summer League.
In the remaining 46 games, Peña looked a lot more like the player they thought they were getting. He hit .341/.463/618 (1.081 OPS) with 13 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 32 RBI, 18 stolen bases and walked more (33) than he struck out (29). He also had two separate three-home run games.
From a tools standpoint, Peña possesses strong bat-to-ball skills with a compact, quick swing and an advanced knowledge of the strike zone. This even dates to prior to him turning professional at either showcases or even in batting practice, 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.
Peña may have the highest upside of any prospect in the Mets system, and it would not shock me if he cracked top 100 prospect lists in the next 12 months.
Despite that, making the big leagues at 20 years old might be a tall ask. Peña will be 18 years old for the entirety of the 2026 season, where he will come stateside and either play for the Florida Complex League Mets or go straight to Low-A St. Lucie. To make it to the major leagues by 20, he would need to rise through every minor league level in just two years.
Could it happen? I try not to rule anything out, and if there is a prospect who could do it, Peña might be the one. I just think that is an aggressive timeline and leaves little room for error and development. He is an exciting prospect, and it could be a quicker ascent than your typical international free agent signing -- just maybe not to the big leagues in two years.
Could A.J. Ewing make a huge jump on prospect lists this year? - @JahrellC on X
Absolutely. Ewing was the biggest riser in the Mets organization in the calendar year 2025. He just missed making the preseason top 30 list and climbed all the way to No. 6 in my most recent ranking.
In 124 games split between three levels, reaching Double-A, Ewing hit .315/.401/.429 (.830 OPS) with 26 doubles, 10 triples, three home runs and 70 stolen bases.
His offensive profile is tailored to bat-to-ball and limiting swing-and-miss. There was a point in the season when I wondered if Ewing would finish with more stolen bases than strikeouts.
He's currently spraying line drives and utilizing his legs on balls into the gaps. The next step in his development will be adding strength and impacting the baseball more.
As the Mets' farm system continues to grow into one of the best in baseball, Ewing is a prospect who likely will land just outside of top 100 lists when the major publications update those.
If Ewing can improve upon what he did in 2025, I suspect he will find his way into those top 100 lists. And as some prospects graduate from the Mets list, he could find himself very high in a midseason update.
They could also go internal in left and fill center from outside the organization.
Let's break it down...
The Internal Candidates
Before the Nimmo trade, president of baseball operationsDavid Stearns was touting prospectCarson Benge, noting that he would enter spring training with a chance to win the starting center field job.
While Benge might be a better long-term solution in a corner outfield spot, he could obviously be a fit in center to start the 2026 campaign if his bat is deemed ready.
After dominating Double-A Binghamton last season to the tune of a .317/.407/.571 triple slash in 32 games, Benge struggled after being promoted to Triple-A Syracuse -- posting a .583 OPS. He caught fire over the last week of the season, though, reaching base 12 times in his final 31 plate appearances of the season while belting a pair of home runs, a double, and a triple.
/ SNY
If the Mets go internal in center and Benge isn't ready (or they use him in left field instead), they could theoretically go defense-first and hand the job to Tyrone Taylor.
Taylor's bat was an issue in 2025, as he put up an OPS+ of just 70 after being about average in 2024 (OPS+ of 98). But his defense remained elite. He was worth three Outs Above Average (in the 84th percentile), had an arm value that graded out in the 98th percentile, and his arm strength was also terrific (82nd percentile).
It stands to reason that if the Mets use Taylor as the starting center fielder, they will have upgraded the offense in multiple other spots in order to counterbalance the possible minimal offensive production from center.
Jett Williams could also be in the mix as an internal option, though it seemed notable that Stearns did not mention him as an Opening Day possibility while discussing Benge's chances of breaking camp.
That means it's fair to believe Williams wouldn't be viewed as an answer from the jump.
There's also the possibility Williams is traded this offseason, especially now that his potential long-term home of second base is blocked by Semien.
The External Candidates
If the Mets go the free agent route for a center fielder, the most obvious fit could be Harrison Bader.
Bader had a very good year at the plate for the Twins and Phillies in 2025, hitting .277/.347/.449 with 17 home runs and 24 doubles in 146 games. He was especially strong for Philadelphia down the stretch after being acquired at the trade deadline, posting an .824 OPS in 50 games. He was also elite defensively, worth seven Outs Above Average (in the 92nd percentile).
For the Mets, a reunion with Bader would give them a center fielder with pop and likely result in Taylor being a fourth outfielder -- a role he's better suited for than starting.
Another option could be signing Cody Bellinger and using him in center field until Benge is deemed ready. But that would seemingly leave left field unsettled.
There are also two very intriguing trade possibilities.
Jul 18, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Luis Robert Jr., whom the Mets had interest in acquiring at last season's trade deadline, is available again. This time around, the White Sox -- who are in a deep rebuild -- are expected to deal him.
The 28-year-old will earn $20 million in 2026 and has a club option for $20 million for 2027. That means the Mets can easily move on if he doesn't succeed, or easily retain him at a reasonable cost if he excels.
Robert emerged as one of the best young players in baseball in 2023, posting an .857 OPS and blasting 38 homers in a career-high 145 games. But it's been a struggle for him at the plate since -- he had a .657 OPS in 2024 and .661 OPS in 2025.
The tools, including elite bat speed and an ability to use his plus speed to swipe bases (he had 33 last season) are still there, though. And Robert turned a corner offensively in the second half of the 2025 campaign, slashing .297/.350/.469 in 35 games. But his season ended in late August after he suffered a hamstring strain.
Twins star Byron Buxton is also reportedly available, but his situation is complicated.
Buxton has a full no-trade clause, meaning he can veto a trade to any team.
He's also struggled to stay on the field, playing 100 or more games just three times during his 11-year career -- that includes 126 games last season and 102 in 2024.
When healthy, Buxton is among the most dangerous hitters in baseball and a tremendous defensive center fielder, making him a tantalizing option.
Dundee United are winless in their last 11 league meetings with Rangers (D3 L8) since a 1-0 victory in August 2021.
Rangers have won each of their last three league visits to Dundee United, last winning more in a row in August 2003 (run of five).
Dundee United have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine home league games (W3 D1 L5), doing so in a 2-0 win over Aberdeen in September.
Rangers remain unbeaten in their last 17 away league games (W8 D9), their longest run since May 2021, when they went 21 without losing on the road – a run which was ended by Dundee United in August 2021.
Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin remains winless in 16 Scottish Premiership games against Rangers as a manager (D2 L14) – the only side he has faced more than twice in the competition without yet winning.
