Category: Baseball

What Giants' Buster Posey took away from Dodgers' latest World Series win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LAS VEGAS — Buster Posey won’t hide the fact that he’s biased. When asked at the General Managers Meetings to weigh in on one of the biggest topics from the postseason, the Giants president of baseball operations smiled. 

“Bum,” he said.

When it comes to Madison Bumgarner vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, there’s no doubt for anyone who was there in 2014. But the rivalry doesn’t prevent the Giants from having appreciation for what Yamamoto, the World Series MVP who came back on no days rest in Game 7, accomplished. 

General manager Zack Minasian scouted Yamamoto extensively when the Giants were pursuing him and said that decision still stings, but added this is about what they expected in Yamamoto. Posey said he sees the parallels between Bumgarner’s 2014 and Yamamoto’s 2025. 

“I’m still shaking my head at what Bum did and shaking my head at what Yamamoto did, too,” he said. “I just didn’t expect him to have the velocity after throwing 100 pitches the night before.”

The 2014 World Series was the most intense of Posey’s three trips, but even the Giants can admit that this year’s seven-game back-and-forth brought more drama. Posey called the matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays “probably the most dynamic World Series that I can recall.”

“I thought the postseason in general was just so compelling to watch,” he said. “Somebody asked the question today, ‘Should we have the ghost runner at second in the postseason?’ I’m an adamant ‘no’ about that, just because those extra-inning games — even though sometimes they get a little wacky going 15, 16, 17, 18 innings — they’re a story.

“My kids are talking about it at school the next day, whereas if you have a ghost runner and it ends in the 10th or the 11th, it’s probably not as much of a story. I thought it was one for the ages, for sure.”

While the comparison for most was between Bumgarner and Yamamoto, Posey brought up another teammate, saying Yamamoto’s flexibility, range of motion and wiry-strong frame remind him of Tim Lincecum. The Giants were crushed when the right-hander turned them down two offseasons ago, and they’re still trying to close a massive gap in the NL West. 

There probably is not much they can replicate there, but there is a lot to be taken away from the Blue Jays, who were elite at putting the ball in play and made some savvy under-the-radar additions to their lineup and pitching staff en route to a World Series appearance. Posey said one of his main takeaways was just the power of getting hot in October. Anything can happen if you get a lineup on the same page for that final month.

“When these groups get going there’s a confidence that happens,” he said. “It’s hard to measure how much that comes into play. When you’re confident, you’re going to take those close pitches easier than you would if you’re searching a little bit. It all kind of adds up.”

Bailey’s Backup?

The Giants brought Jesus Rodriguez to Oracle Park for the season’s final homestand so he could spend some time learning from the big league coaches and get familiar with some of the team’s pitchers. The development will continue this offseason, when Rodriguez plays Winter Ball to get more reps behind the plate. 

Posey said he didn’t want to commit to anything this early as far as the backup catcher spot goes, but Rodriguez will be in camp and should get a shot to claim that job at some point in 2026. 

“We think he’s got a chance to be a good catcher in the Major Leagues,” Posey said. “We’ll evaluate how he looks this spring. Relative to other catchers that are his age, he has not caught as many games, but he seems to be handling himself well.”

The 23-year-old is a career .309 hitter in the minors and batted .322 with more walks than strikeouts in Sacramento after coming over in the Camilo Doval trade. Bailey’s primary backup last year was veteran Andrew Knizner, who is arbitration-eligible. The Giants also could add another experienced right-handed-hitting option this offseason. 

Another MVP Catcher?

Posey won the NL MVP Award in 2012 and he’s still the last MLB catcher to take the award home. He’s hopeful that he sees that change on Thursday night. 

Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and New York’s Aaron Judge are locked in one of the most fascinating MVP races in years. Posey is curious to see which way voters will lean and joked that “catchers have got to stay together.” 

“My vote would be Cal,” he said. “I think Aaron Judge is unbelievable, but for what (Raleigh) did, not only offensively but to lead a staff and to hit that many homers and go deep in the playoffs — (although) I know voting is not based on the playoffs.”

Raleigh hit 60 homers during the regular season while catching 121 games and playing 38 more as a DH. Judge led the Majors in batting average, OBP and slugging and had the edge over Raleigh in WAR, too.

In that last category, Posey’s 2012 would stack up to either of this year’s MVP candidates. He was worth 9.8 fWAR in 2012, which would put him between Judge (10.1) and Raleigh (9.1). 

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LAS VEGAS — The MLB offseason is in full swing and as Day 1 of the GM Meetings concluded, there is a big interest in this year’s reliever market that features some of the biggest names in baseball. 

The reliever market always moves quickly and this year should be no different, especially with a full caliber of players available. This year’s free-agent reliever class is highlighted by Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Pete Fairbanks and Robert Suarez at the top of the market.  Industry sources believe the market for the group will also be competitive.

Teams that have serious needs for high-leverage arms include the New YorkYankees, New YorkMets, ChicagoCubs, Los AngelesDodgers, BostonRed Sox, San DiegoPadres and Toronto Blue Jays. 

Díaz had the best year of the group with a 1.63 ERA with 28 saves. Unlike the other three relievers, he is the only player who has a qualifying offer. So if another team ultimately signs the three-time All-Star, it would have to forfeit a draft pick and the Mets would receive draft-pick compensation. 

Suarez became a free agent for the first time after opting out of the remaining two years and $16 million of his deal with the Padres. The right-hander went 4-6 with a 2.97 ERA and a NL-leading 40 saves. His 76 saves since 2024 are the most in MLB in that span. 

Williams, 31, had the most interesting season of the group, spending his final season prior to free agency with the Yankees. While the overall numbers don’t stand out as the right-hander pitched to a 4.79 ERA in 67 appearances in 2025, underlying numbers tell a different story that could soften the fact that he lost his closer role in the Bronx in late April. Williams owned a 2.68 FIP in 2025 and an eye-popping 0.36 FIP over the final six weeks of the season. 

Last but not least is Fairbanks, who might be one of the most consistent relievers in baseball over the past three seasons. The former Tampa closer has at least 23 saves each of the past three seasons and had a career-high 27 saves in 2025.

All eyes on Brewers as decision with trade-target Freddy Peralta looms

The clock has begun on the Milwaukee Brewers as several teams wait to see what the fate of ace Freddy Peralta will be. Peralta, 29, is entering his final year of club control prior to becoming a free agent next offseason and could be one the biggest names to be traded this winter. 

Sources tell Yahoo Sports that a trade for Peralta is “likely,” and unlike other names, like Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, the right-hander is indeed a realistic candidate to be moved. 

Mary DeCicco via Getty Images

“Clearly, there’s a lot of interest in Freddy,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said Tuesday. “He means a lot to our group  but certainly a ton of interest there. And I've said before, we can never shut the door on anything with anybody in our market. We've had to make some very tough decisions over the years. … I mean, we want to try to compete next year, and I think he could be a really big part of that like he has for a long time.”

Peralta is coming off the best season of his career in 2025, with an NL-leading 17 wins and a career-best 2.70 ERA with 204 strikeouts in 33 starts. Milwaukee’s ace has a career 3.59 ERA in 162 starts over eight seasons with the Brewers. 

Nationals make another addition to new-look staff

The Washington Nationals have hired Simon Mathews to be their new pitching coach, the team announced Tuesday. Mathews, 30, has been with the Cincinnati Reds since 2021 and was serving as the team’s assistant pitching coach under Derek Johnson. Mathew’s hiring, which was first reported by Yahoo Sports, is unique as he becomes the youngest pitching coach in the big leagues. 

Nationals president Paul Toboni, 35, has been turning over Washington’s front office and coaching staff since he was hired in October and there has been a clear eye on youth. Toboni hired 33-year-old Blake Butera to be the team’s next manager, making him the youngest manager in MLB and the youngest in the last 50 years. 

While hiring youth has been the direction the Nationals have taken, Toboni says it’s not a requirement to be on Washington’s staff.  

“I thought about it a lot and one of the ways I think about it is, ‘Let's just evaluate this person. Completely remove age from the equation,” Toboni told Yahoo Sports after the announcement of Mathew’s hire. “Let's evaluate this person and evaluate on their merits and their knowledge, their intelligence and space and their leadership traits. Like, are they the best fit? 

“I almost think about it from a player perspective. Do we talk about the player’s ages at the basic level or do we just say, ‘Hey, can this guy play and produce or can he not play and produce?’ And so I view our staff in the same set of ways. Are these guys stud leaders? Are they going to do a really good job creating a culture that we want?”

Every year, teams are tasked with retooling their bullpens and the Mets are no different.

However, this offseason adds an extra wrinkle to the plans of president of baseball operations David Stearns. The free agency of Edwin Diaz.

The Mets closer opted out of his contract to test free agency, and after a dominant 2025, the right-hander is looking for a big payday. And while Diaz says he would "love to come back" to the Mets, he and the organization will need to undergo negotiations to make that happen.

"We love both Pete [Alonso] and Edwin. They've been great representatives of the organization," Stearns said of both free agents at Tuesday's GM Meetings in Las Vegas. "We'd love to have them both back. At this stage of the offseason, it’s really tough to predict any outcomes, but certainly, we would love to have both those guys back."

The last time Diaz approached free agency, he signed a five-year $102 million deal during the Mets' exclusive negotiating window in November 2022. He made $21.155 million in 2025 and will likely receive a raise after converting 28 saves and pitching to a minuscule 1.63 ERA across 62 appearances last season. 

But are Stearns and the Mets willing to offer a high-dollar contract to a closer like Diaz? Stearns remained coy but didn't rule out the possibility.

"We’re always evaluating each situation on the individual situation," he said. "I try not to draw lines in the sand. We understand the benefits and risks of investments in every segment of the player market; that’s part of the work that we do. We’re never going to rule out any type of player or go after any type of player."

Aside from Diaz, the Mets will also have to fill holes left by Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Gregory Soto, among others, so Stearns has work to do this offseason, but the executive was asked if there's an internal option to be a closer if Diaz were to sign elsewhere.

Stearns was non-committal but said the team will be involved in the reliever market.

"I’d imagine over the course of the offseason, we’re going to add to our bullpen," he said. "You never know how the back-end of your bullpen is going to take shape, but I imagine over the course of the offseason we’re going to add to our bullpen. We have plenty of vacancies and I think we have the opportunity to improve in that area." 

The MLB GM Meetings kicked off in Las Vegas on Tuesday with Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaking to reporters about the team's offseason so far and its plans going forward.

One of the main topics for New York heading into the 2026 season surrounds the starting rotation and how it can be improved after a disappointing 2025. Injuries and poor performance were the main issues last year, something Stearns acknowledged, especially with how the replacements after injuries did not perform well.

Kodai Senga, who missed nearly the entire 2024 season due to injury, was third on the team in starts with 22, behind only Clay Holmes (31) and David Peterson (30). He looked like an ace and his 2023 self during the first half of the season, but after suffering a hamstring injury in June, he never got back to form and found himself in the minor leagues in September. 

The right-hander's future in Queens is a bit murky and his name has been mentioned in trade rumors, but Stearns still sees him as part of the rotation and not the bullpen.

"I think right now we view Senga as part of our rotation," Stearns said. "He's proven at the major league level that he can have really good years. Clearly, the last two years, at times, have been struggles for him.

"The talent is there, the desire is certainly there to have a bounce-back year. We're going to give him every opportunity to do that."

On paper, the Mets' current starting rotation would then consist of Peterson, Holmes, Senga, Sean Manaea, and Nolan McLean. Of course, Stearns will also have to consider Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat in that mix as well, barring any major trades. 

David Stearns on if Kodai Senga could pitch in the bullpen next season:

"Right now we view Senga as part of our rotation. The talent is there, the desire is certainly there to have a bounce-back year. We're going to give him every opportunity to do that" pic.twitter.com/ho9JkCLmN4

— SNY (@SNYtv) November 11, 2025

Stearns was later asked about the team's "commitment to finding" a No. 1 starter this offseason, whether that be through a trade or free agency signing. The Tigers' Tarik Skubal and Marlins' Sandy Alcantara are among names being floated around as potential trade targets, while Stearns made it clear they will do all they can to find a top-of-the-line pitcher, including developing one within the organization.

"You'd always love to find a No. 1 type starter," Stearns said. "I don't know how many true No. 1 starters are out there right now. I don't know how many are actually going to be traded, I don't know how many are truly available in free agency. You'd always like to find that top of the rotation guy, certainly makes building out the rest of the rotation, rest of the pitching staff a lot easier. If one of those guys happens to be available, we'll be right there with them.

"I will also go back to what I've said many times, the way to ultimately have a true ace on your staff is to develop the ace on your staff. I think we're on our way to doing that. I think we will do that. We're going to continue to try to supplement that in any way we can."

McLean showed he has what it takes to become the No. 1 starter Stearns is referring to after an impressive eight starts at the end of the season. Although other young players could be moved to land a top pitcher, something Stearns made clear the Mets are willing to do.

"I think we have numbers in the starting pitching staff," Stearns said. "I remain very optimistic about the younger starters that we have, about the guys we have coming even behind the group we saw get its feet wet at the major league level.

"We're also certainly not going to turn away from any opportunities that we think makes ourselves better at the major league level. We'll be looking at starting pitching in both free agency and trades. Very early for me to predict how active or what discussions are actually going to take place, but we're certainly going to be involved in that market."

Stearns reiterated that the Mets will have their hat in the ring for any top starting pitcher this offseason, and believes they've built up the farm system to properly execute a big trade.

"I think if a front-line pitcher, top-of-the-rotation pitcher is available, we're going to be involved in those discussions. There are limits to what we would do, as there would be for any player. But we do have the depth and quality of farm system at this point that we can both have those players impact our major league team in a real way and potentially trade some of them to get some really near-term help if that's available."

Almost everyone in baseball, it seems, is waiting to see how aggressive the Dodgers will be this offseason.

For now, that appears to include the two-time defending champions themselves.

As the club’s front office arrived at The Cosmopolitan Hotel for MLB’s annual general managers' meetings this week, the team’s plans for this winter remained in a formative stage.

The Dodgers should have plenty of financial flexibility to play with in the coming months, with more than $60 million in salary from last season set to come off the books (resulting from Clayton Kershaw’s retirement, the expiration of contracts for Michael Conforto, Kirby Yates, Michael Kopech and others, and the team’s decision to designate Tony Gonsolin for assignment last week).

Read more:'Work to do': Four questions the World Series champion Dodgers face this offseason

They could also use upgrades at some of the deepest positions in this year’s free agent class, namely a corner outfielder (where Kyle Tucker beckons as the biggest name available) and another top relief arm at the back end of the bullpen (where Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez and Pete Fairbanks will all be on the open market).

Add in a farm system that MLB Pipeline ranked as the best in the majors this year — giving the Dodgers plenty of chips to use in a potential trade as well — and the team could be poised for another splashy offseason of big-name acquisitions.

Or … they could stand relatively pat.

After all, there is no blockbuster move the Dodgers feel like they need to make this winter. Having virtually all of their star-studded core intact means, even compared to last winter, their urgency for another offseason of star additions could very well be less pressing now.

That was the tone general manager Brandon Gomes struck on Tuesday while discussing the team’s winter plans — acknowledging the outfield and bullpen as areas the Dodgers will explore this winter, but stopping short of describing either as outright “needs.”

“By being aggressive over the last couple offseasons, we do have a very, very good core in place,” Gomes said. “So it’s continuing to fine-tune and look at what the weaknesses on the roster are and try to address those … It’s being very targeted in who we go out and look to acquire. I think that holds true across the board, without many glaring holes.”

As a reminder, here’s where the Dodgers’ 2026 roster stands.

The starting rotation? Stacked, with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and a host of other young pitchers all slated to be back (including Gavin Stone and River Ryan, breakout rookies in 2024 expected to have normal offseasons after missing last year with surgeries).

The lineup? Relatively unchanged, with Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas representing the only out-of-contract players who played important roles in the postseason (and they, of course, remain options to be re-signed, too).

The bullpen? That group could certainly use some more help, after Tanner Scott struggled in the closer role last year. But even there, the Dodgers still possess plenty of depth in Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, Blake Treinen, Ben Casparius, Justin Wrobleski, Brock Stewart, Edgardo Henriquez and a number of other young pitchers who could step into big-league roles (plus the returns of Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips from injury).

Read more:How Dodgers' Will Smith turned into a Game 7 World Series hero

And on the whole, Gomes described the Dodgers’ expected 2026 pitching staff as being “as good as we’ve ever had.”

That’s why, at least at this juncture, the Dodgers’ aggressiveness this winter remains unclear.

They are in their preferred place as an organization — able to see how the market develops, without facing an overwhelming need at any one spot.

“I think the mindset is still to approach the offseason and not have to go out and make big splashy trades at the deadline,” Gomes said. “But what that all looks like? Thankfully, we haven’t had a ton of time to dive in, but we’re gonna look to do that here over this week and the coming weeks.”

The team’s pursuit of Tucker could provide the first big tell of the offseason.

As far back as the summer, the Dodgers were seen around the industry as a likely front-runner for the four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger. As a left-handed bat who would fit perfectly into the middle of their lineup, and someone who will be only 29 by the start of next year, Tucker represented the kind of still-in-his-prime, star-caliber player whom the Dodgers always want to be in position to go after when available.

However, Tucker will not come cheaply. He is likely to field offers of 10-plus years. He could drive a bidding war upwards of $400 million to $500 million.

For all the Dodgers’ short-term financial flexibility, it is fair to wonder how many more lucrative, long-term deals they want to add to what is already an aging core.

Thus, the higher the price for Tucker becomes, the less likely it could be he winds up in Los Angeles.

On Tuesday, Gomes spent more of his time touting the internal outfield options the Dodgers already boast — from deadline addition Alex Call, to utilitymen Hyeseong Kim and Tommy Edman (who will undergo surgery next week on his nagging ankle injury, but is hoped to be ready for spring training), to triple-A MVP Ryan Ward, who was added to the 40-man roster last week and is expected to “get a bunch of opportunities at some point this year,” Gomes said. The door also remains open to backup catcher Dalton Rushing potentially getting some time in the outfield again, after he struggled with limited playing time behind Will Smith.

Read more:Dodgers pick up club options on Max Muncy and Alex Vesia; Tony Gonsolin and Justin Dean DFA'd

Gomes was similarly complimentary of the Dodgers’ current relief corps, even maintaining belief in Scott to “come back and have a great year for us next year, and be right there in the mix to pitch at the back end of games.”

It would still be a surprise if the Dodgers don’t swing some notable addition to the bullpen. The depth of options on the free-agent market (especially in players such as Williams and Fairbanks, who have been trade targets of the team the past couple years) should make finding an acquisition there a more likely endeavor.

Yet, Gomes insisted that a top reliever is less of a need and more of a “nice-to-have.”

Really, that figures to be the theme of the Dodgers’ entire offseason: Searching for upgrades on terms they like, without feeling pressured to make another wave of top-dollar acquisitions.

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

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Just like a year ago, Pete Alonso's free agency is the talk of the Mets offseason. 

The franchise leader in home runs and Edwin Diaz declined their player options to explore free agency ahead of the 2026 season. Both players are the biggest names potentially leaving the organization and president of baseball operations David Stearns was asked about both when he met with the media on Tuesday night at the MLB GM Meetings in Las Vegas.   

"We love both Pete and Edwin. They've been great representatives of the organization," Stearns said. "We'd love to have them both back. At this stage of the offseason, it’s really tough to predict any outcomes, but certainly, we would love to have both those guys back."

For Alonso in particular, he and the Mets did this dance before, when it took until the end of February for both sides to agree on a new deal ahead of the 2025 season. The Mets made minor moves, like the re-signing of Jesse Winker, to get their offseason moves started as negotiations between the first baseman and the team continued.

Stearns is in a similar position after a disappointing 2025. There are holes to fill on the roster and, for now, first base is one of them. But Stearns says patience is needed during this time.

"You’d always love clarity early in the process. Sometimes that’s not realistic," Stearns said of his timeline. "Offseasons are really long and can be tough at times in November when we’re all really excited to get going and standing here in the GM Meetings….but a lot of signings occur in January, February, and March. Offseasons now go into spring training and we have to recognize that, be patient and let the offseason play out."

At his end-of-season presser, Stearns emphasized run prevention and defense as areas the Mets needed to improve on. He was asked if Alonso's defense would be a part of his evaluation of the slugger. 

"All parts of player contribution inform how we view the player," he said. "For a position player, that’s certainly going to include offense and what they do in the box and what they do defensively. It also includes what they mean to us off the field, what they meant to us in the clubhouse and in the community. All that gets factored in with every player and Pete's no different."

Stearns said all of the returning Mets players need to improve defensively and that it will be an emphasis in the offseason, spring training and as the season rolls on. 

"The brand of baseball, the brand of defense that we played over the last two months of the season, was not close to good enough," Stearns said. "It has to get better."

Stearns was asked if he believes Alonso can improve his defense at first, and the second-year Met executive said he does because Alonso has shown it in the past and that he's a "motivated, dedicated player." 

But what if Alono doesn't return? What will be Stearns and the Mets' plan for first base?

Stearns was confident that the Mets would be able to pivot, but reiterated how early in the offseason it is.

"We have internal options. We have younger players who deserve some more opportunity," Stearns said. "We have players that we can move around positionally and also explore outside [the organization] there, but all that is premature. We’ll see how the offseason progresses and go from there."

As the Mets enter a pivotal offseason heading into 2026, the team has plenty of questions to answer when it comes to the roster. 

Two of the positions that will be in focus for David Stearns and company are center field and third base, and speaking at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas on Monday, the Mets’ president of baseball operations gave some insight into those two spots. 

Asked specifically about the team’s options for center field, Stearns said that while veteran Tyrone Taylor has played well defensively, prospect Carson Benge has a legitimate chance of making the team out of spring training. 

“Carson Benge is going to come into spring training with a chance to make our team, and we’ll see where the offseason takes us beyond that,” Stearns said. 

“When you have good players at the upper levels of the minor leagues, we have to find space for those players to play. Carson is among them. He’s not the only one, but he’s among them. So, as we build out our team, we have to ensure that as we move forward, there is room for our young players to get to the major leagues when they deserve to get there, and have a chance to really contribute to our major league team.”

Benge, ranked as Joe DeMayo’s No. 3 prospect in the Mets’ system, started last season with High-A Brooklyn but ended up playing 24 games for Triple-A Syracuse before the season came to a close. 

While Benge struggled a bit at the Triple-A level (.583 OPS), it was still a strong year overall for the former first-round pick, as he posted an .857 OPS with 15 home runs and 73 RBI across all three levels. 

Third base, meanwhile, features a pair of internal candidates in Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, both of whom were formerly top prospects. 

According to Stearns, while it’s early in the offseason to make any kind of sweeping proclamations about the 2026 roster, he does foresee “significant” playing time at third for Baty.

"I think Brett had a really good year, took some real steps forward in his development," Stearns said. "I think going into the offseason, he's probably someone we would pencil in for significant third base time next year. 

“Probably premature in mid-November for me to outline exactly how playing time is going to be allocated, but Brett did a really nice job. He earned more and more opportunities as the year went on, I think he's going to continue to get that."

Baty posted a .748 OPS with 18 home runs and 50 RBI while playing both third base and second base last season.

As for Vientos, who had a down 2025 after a 2024 breakout season that saw him smash 27 home runs, Stearns said the objective is for him to come into spring training ready to play, no matter what happens with the rest of the roster over the next few months.

“I think Mark had a disappointing year last year. I think he’s very motivated to prove that last year was the outlier and he’s much closer to the player that we saw in ’24,” Stearns said. “The one thing that’s apparent is no matter how our roster shapes out, there is going to be opportunity. Through performance or injuries, there are always opportunities, there are always plate appearances, there is always playing time for players who are performing. 

“So what we’re encouraging Mark to do is put himself in a spot where he comes to spring training ready to perform, regardless of what our offseason looks like.”

Nov. 13, 11:09 a.m.

The Red Sox are among the teams with interest in Devin Williams, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic, who also lists the Dodgers and Reds among teams that have expressed interest.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic also reported on Los Angeles and Williams, saying there appears to be mutual interest.

Los Angeles was one of the teams exploring the possibility of dealing for Williams last offseason before he was traded to the Yankees.

Williams, 31, struggled last season for the Yanks, posting a 4.79 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 62.0 innings.

While Williams was not his regular elite self, his stuff still played up as he had a strikeout rate of 13.1 per nine.

In addition to Williams, Luke Weaver is also a free agent, leaving the back end of New York's bullpen in an uncertain spot.

Nov. 12, 11:33 a.m.

A source told Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News that the Yankees have checked in on left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, and the club is "expected to be suitors" for the 33-year-old.

After signing with the Yanks last spring, Yarbrough ended up being a valuable and versatile piece for Aaron Boone's pitching staff. He started eight games and appeared in 19 games in total, pitching to a 4.36 ERA while holding opposing lefties to a .198 batting average. 

Yarbrough did miss a significant chunk of the season, though, as an oblique injury kept him out from mid-June to early September. As a result, he was left off the Yankees' postseason roster.

Nov. 11, 3:45 p.m.

Historically, the Yankees have been among the highest-spending teams in baseball, but owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman have reiterated multiple times over the past couple of years that having a payroll over $300 million is "simply not sustainable for us, financially," as Cashman put it.

"It wouldn’t be sustainable for the vast majority of ownership [groups], given the luxury tax we have to pay," Cashman said last May. "I’ve been a broken record [on this topic]: I don’t believe I should have a $300 million payroll to win a championship."

So how does that line of thinking impact what the Yankees will do this offseason?

Appearing on "Pinstripe Post," Joel Sherman of the New York Post laid out how he believes the Yankees can thread the needle to retain a key free agent like Cody Bellinger, whom he referred to as "the key to their offseason," while lowering their payroll beneath the $300 million number.

"I think the goal this offseason is to try to get under $300 million, luxury tax money. I think within that they’d like to re-sign Cody Bellinger, add another reliever who can pitch in the final six outs of the game… I think they’d like to find a complementary starting pitcher to help them through some injuries early in the season. I think they’d love to flip J.C. Escarra for a righty version of J.C. Escarra… and I think they’d like to find a complementary right-handed bat, and maybe plus Amed Rosario, who they liked a lot and tried in previous years to get.

"That all told, I think the Yankees would feel, if they got the versions of the players they wanted to, they would feel that’s a 90+ win team, and they’d have a shot to line it up, and that they could do that in the high ($200 millions)."

The Yankees ended last season with a payroll of $323.7 million, for luxury tax purposes. Factoring in projections for arbitration eligible players and other players in their pre-arbitration years who are still under team control, the Yankees currently have a payroll of roughly $244 million.

Can the Yankees fit in a player like Bellinger, who is projected to make somewhere around $27 million per season, and still make other needed moves while staying under the $304 million luxury tax threshold? 

If that is indeed the goal, while it does appear possible, there doesn't seem to be a lot of wiggle room.

Making sense of Red Sox rumors early in MLB offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

One of the most exciting World Series ever played only concluded a week and a half ago, but the MLB offseason officially kicked into gear this week with the GM meetings taking place in Las Vegas.

While the GM meetings don’t lead to as much direct action as the winter meetings later in the offseason (Dec. 7 in Orlando this year), they are an obvious opportunity for executives and agents to begin the work that will shape rosters for the 2026 season and beyond.

And whenever people start talking, rumors are sure to follow.

With that, here’s what’s come out regarding the Red Sox this week out of Vegas.

Joe Ryan still makes sense as a trade target

This one’s not a rumor so much as it’s some informed speculation from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who noted that the Red Sox “believed they were close to landing” Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan at the deadline this year. As such, Passan tabbed Ryan as the perfect offseason move for the Red Sox to make.

“As long as Red Sox ownership keeps the financial clamps on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, he’ll need to get creative in improving a Red Sox team that’s already quite good,” Passan wrote. “Revisiting what he missed at the deadline is the simplest way to do so.”

While nobody in Boston wants to hear about “financial clamps” being placed on Breslow, Ryan would be a wise addition for any team, whether they were on a spending spree or trying to be frugal.

A bit of a late bloomer, Ryan made his first All-Star team last season, finishing the year with a 3.42 ERA and 1.035 WHIP in 30 starts. He posted a 0.985 WHIP in 135 innings in 2024.

With two seasons left under team control, Ryan is the perfect candidate to receive a pre-free agency contract extension, much like how the Red Sox handled Garrett Crochet after acquiring him via trade last season.

Certainly, the prospect of having Crochet (signed through 2031), Brayan Bello (signed through 2029 with a 2030 option) and Ryan at the top of the rotation for years to come makes such an acquisition awfully enticing for the Boston front office.

According to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, the Red Sox were unwilling to part with either Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu at the deadline when they talked with Minnesota about Ryan. With four starting-caliber outfielders on the current roster (Duran, Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony), there should be no such hold-up this time when engaging the Twins in trade talks for Ryan.

Red Sox an ‘interesting fit’ to trade for Freddy Peralta

The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off their best regular season ever, winning 97 games and a division crown in 2025. So they might not be supremely motivated to offload talent.

However … MLB Network’s Jon Morosi noted that the Brewers did trade away pitchers Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams when they were a year away from free agency, noting that listening to offers on free-agents-to-be is “in their DNA.”

With that in mind, Morosi singled out the Red Sox as a team that may come calling for Freddy Peralta.

“The Red Sox, when you think about Garrett Crochet, and you consider what they’ve been able to build there with the Red Sox being able to get back to the playoffs in 2025, they’re — I think — one starting pitcher away from making a real run at this,” Morosi said. “And we know they’ve got an excellent farm system. They even have some position players they could move from the major league club if they had to with Duran and Abreu. So I think that’s an interesting fit to watch going forward.”

Peralta, 29, is the same age as Joe Ryan (they were born one day apart) and is also coming off an All-Star season in 2025, when he went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.075 WHIP, striking out 204 batters in 176.2 innings. Peralta previously made an All-Star team in 2021, when he posted a 2.81 ERA and 0.970 WHIP in a breakout season for Milwaukee.

If Breslow does have “the financial clamps” limiting him this offseason, Peralta may make the most sense as a Plan B for Boston. With one fewer year of team control and significantly more MLB experience, Peralta will be due a bigger payday than Ryan.

On the other hand, a lesser package could potentially land Peralta, which would at the very least provide a major boost to the rotation in the short term.

Breslow wants an impactful middle-of-the-lineup bat

Here’s a quote that might inspire some baseball fans in Boston to pull out their hair, smash their face off a table, and/or chew on a handful of broken glass (per The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey):

“There is just something about a bat in the middle of the lineup that forces another team to game plan against it that has a compounding effect on the rest of the roster. So we didn’t slug nearly as much as I think we can, or we will, and we’ll pursue opportunities to improve that.”

Using so many words to say “it’s helpful to have a power hitter in the middle of the lineup” is certainly verbose, but this isn’t a rant on Craig Breslow’s diction.

It is, however, a note that the Boston Red Sox did indeed have one of the best power bats in all of baseball in Rafael Devers but butchered their relationship with him so badly that they felt the need to trade him away last June. The Red Sox received a 20-year-old pitcher, an outfield prospect (subsequently traded), a bad relief pitcher and a potential back-of-the-rotation starter in return.

Unsurprisingly, the team didn’t slug nearly as much as Breslow thought they could.

As for who could fill that need?

Pete Alonso fits the bill, and could help fill the first base black hole that’s plagued the Red Sox since Mitch Moreland left following the 2019 season.

Kyle Schwarber was a fan favorite in Boston during his brief 2021 stint, but locking in on a designated hitter at top dollar for a roster that already has an extra outfielder and a DH that cannot play the field doesn’t seem like the likeliest path.

Free-agent shortstop Bo Bichette primarily batted leadoff for the AL-champion Blue Jays, but he did mash in his 40 starts in the cleanup spot, batting .372 with a 1.008 OPS. Even though Trevor Story opted in to his deal, he has already spent a year at second base with Boston and could do so again if the Red Sox opted to pursue Bichette.

But speaking of that Red Sox infield …

All quiet on the Alex Bregman front

If you’re looking for an update on Alex Bregman’s status, you’re out of luck.

After he opted out of his deal last week, not much at all has percolated in terms of teams that may pursue him in free agency. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel projected Bregman to land a five-year, $160 million deal, despite the fact that he’ll be 32 on Opening Day and missed significant time last year with a quad injury that never truly healed. (Bregman opted out of two years at $40 million per season.)

Much like last year, it would seem as though Bregman’s market may take a while to crystallize. And as he proved last spring, he’s willing to wait until the last minute to make up his mind.

Considering Breslow’s comment about the need for impactful middle-of-the-order bats, the Red Sox would seemingly be very interested in keeping Bregman in the fold. He batted .299 with a .938 OPS in 51 games before suffering the injury, hitting 17 doubles and 11 home runs with 35 RBIs. That dropped to a .250 average and .724 OPS in 63 games after returning from the injury.

Assuming the quad heals in the offseason, Bregman could be part of Boston’s solution in the middle of the order. The price, though, will likely have to drop significantly for that relationship to continue.

Morosi also offered up this potential wrinkle: Teams have expressed interest in moving Bichette to third.

If Bichette is open to a position change (the Red Sox learned last season that some players are not), and if Bichette actually wants to leave Toronto, the Red Sox could “replace” Bregman with the younger Bichette at a similar cost. For now, that looks like it would go in the “surprise” category of any potential offseason moves.

Royals eyeing Red Sox outfielders

The Royals have one of the best all-around players in baseball in Bobby Witt Jr. They also have an elite, young third baseman in Maikel Garcia.

After that, though, the lineup is lacking, so the team is reportedly looking to add to its outfield via trade. (Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are free agents but are likely too expensive for Kansas City.) And according to Morosi — who’s full of all of the early-offseason information — the Red Sox are a potential partner.

While the Red Sox do have an abundance of outfielders, they also can only really afford to trade one of them away. As such, they’ll be selective when it comes to maximizing the return out of whoever it is they opt to send away. (The guess here: Jarren Duran.)

Morosi didn’t detail which players the Royals might be willing to part with, but the Red Sox’ priority in trading away an outfielder would most likely be in landing a frontline starter like Joe Ryan. Any potential Royals deal would likely be placed on the backburner for now.

Red Sox believe Jarren Duran needs ‘a fresh start’

Perhaps the most concrete evidence that Jarren Duran will be the odd man out of the outfield picture came from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who wrote that Duran is indeed on the trade block.

“The Red Sox believe that they need an upgrade over Duran, and that he needs a fresh start,” Nightengale wrote. “It would a huge surprise if he’s in Fort Myers, Fla., come spring training.”

Duran was an All-Star in 2024, leading the league in doubles (48) and triples (14) while posting an .834 OPS. He was named MVP of the All-Star Game and finished eighth in AL MVP voting. He understandably took a step backward in 2025, though was still a productive player with a .774 OPS and an AL-leading 13 triples.

At 29 years old, he’s still in his prime, thus making him an appealing addition for a team in need of a corner outfielder and a lefty bat. Yet with Rafaela (25 years old), Abreu (26) and Anthony (21) in Boston’s outfield, the team is fairly set for the future in the outfield without Duran.

Where Giants stand in collaborative search for Tony Vitello's new coaching staff originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

LAS VEGAS — As Buster Posey settled into a corner of a conference room at The Cosmopolitan on Tuesday afternoon, a large crowd gathered a few feet away for Paul DePodesta, who was named Colorado Rockies president of baseball operations last week after a decade in the NFL. It was a reminder that for all the heavy lifting ahead for Posey and the Giants, there are other organizations with bigger holes to fill.

Unlike DePodesta, Posey at least has his manager. Most of the rest is still up in the air, though. 

At the annual General Managers meetings, Posey said the front office and new manager Tony Vitello are closing in on finalizing contracts with several coaches, but announcements were not imminent Tuesday afternoon. There are some, however, who know they will be back.

Assistant hitting coach Oscar Bernard, quality control coach Taira Uematsu and bullpen catcher Eliezer Zambrano all have been informed they’ll be back, Posey said. There will be new leadership atop the hitting and pitching groups, and possibly new base coaches. Matt Williams was told early in the offseason that he wouldn’t return, and the status of first base coach Mark Hallberg is to be determined. 

“He’s one of those that we’d love to have back, but he has been kind of a popular guy with some other teams, as well,” Posey said of his former Florida State teammate. “We’re working through that.”

Catching coach Alex Burg is in a similar spot, balancing external interest with the Giants’ offer. Posey also said that Ron Wotus will be back in a similar role to the last few seasons, working with the front office, big leaguers and visiting minor league affiliates. Hitting coach Pat Burrell will remain with the organization but will not be on Vitello’s staff, and assistant hitting coach Damon Minor also has been let go. 

While it’s not yet official, Vitello’s first addition was former San Diego Padres manager Jayce Tingler. It would seem like an obvious fit to make Tingler the bench coach or associate manager, but Posey said the front office isn’t ready to announce his exact role.

The Giants are believed to be closer to hiring a hitting coach than a pitching coach. J.P. Martinez, the incumbent on the pitching side, had hoped to remain, but he ended up taking a job as the bullpen coach for the Atlanta Braves. Bullpen coach Garvin Alston also hoped to return, but he was let go, too. 

“With nothing being a guarantee [in San Francisco] for J.P., I think he took the bird in hand,” Posey said. “We were still going through the process with him. We hadn’t told him that he was not going to be returning. I’m a J.P. fan and had a good talk with him when he took the [Braves] job. I told him I think he’s going to be successful and maybe we’ll see him down the road.”

While Ryan Vogelsong has been rumored as a potential replacement for Martinez, he is not in the mix, per sources. Another former Posey teammate does have an increased role, though. Former Giants reliever Javier Lopez has been added to the front office in an advisory role. 

There are a lot of holes to fill, and all of Vitello’s picks will get a bit of extra scrutiny given the manager’s lack of MLB experience. But Posey said the group is trying to avoid feeling rushed. There’s plenty of offseason left and the interviews will continue this week, with Posey and Vitello leading the way. General manager Zack Minasian, assistant GM Jeremy Shelley and VP of analytics Paul Bien also have been part of the process. 

Posey let Bob Melvin handle his own staff, but has been much more involved in helping Vitello fill out his first big league coaching staff. He said the process has been “a collaboration.”

“I think you’re going to be most productive in that way,” he said. “I don’t think it would be fair for me to come in and say I’m going to choose every single person. That’s just not the way I think is best, or vice versa, for [Vitello] to operate that way, as well.”

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Why Jeff Passan claims star reliever Devin Williams is ‘perfect' Giants addition originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

As the annual General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas have begun, so have the offseason transactions. 

There have been no splashy free agent signings in the early days of MLB’s Hot Stove season, but that doesn’t stop media speculation on potential fits for different teams. 

One “perfect” transaction for the Giants would be to sign free-agent relief pitcher Devin Williams, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.  

“As many live arms as the Giants have in their bullpen, Randy Rodriguez’s Tommy John surgery leaves them thin enough at the back end that prioritizing a dependable ninth-inning option makes sense,” Passan wrote in a recent column. “And even if the best non-Díaz reliever in free agency struggled at times this past season, [Williams’] stuff did not tick backward, and the underlying numbers continue to say he’s elite.” 

San Francisco’s bullpen looked elite early in the 2025 MLB season. But, with surgery knocking out the All-Star Rodriguez, trading away Camilo Doval and Ryan Walker struggling in the closer role, any back-end bullpen additions make sense for the Giants. 

The Giants could prove to be a desirable location for free-agent pitchers. 

“The Giants have plenty of options. They’ve got money to spend, and while their lineup is mostly set, their rotation and bullpen are in flux,” Passan wrote. “San Francisco is among the most attractive pitchers’ parks in baseball, which is the sort of thing that plays at the top and bottom of markets.” 

As Passan noted, Williams did not have a statistically great 2025 season with the New York Yankees. In 67 appearances, the two-time MLB All Star posted a 4.79 ERA, a career high in his seven-year career. 

Williams, however, boasts one of the league’s deadliest changeups. His knockout pitch helped him earn the closing role with the Milwaukee Brewers.  

In his best season, Williams finished the 2023 campaign with 36 saves in 40 opportunities along with a 1.53 ERA. 

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Why Bruce Bochy is confident in Tony Vitello's success as new Giants manager originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

While many talking heads question new Giants manager Tony Vitello’s coaching experience, one World Series-winning manager sees no issue. 

Bruce Bochy, former Giants manager and newly appointed special advisor to baseball operations, explained his confidence in Vitello’s ability in an interview on KNBR’s “Murph and Markus” show.  

“I can tell you this, he knows the game, man. He’s smart,” Bochy said. “He’s worn a lot of hats. He’s been a coach. He’s been a pitching coach. It wasn’t an easy road to get to being the head coach of Tennessee. I mean, he grinded his way up to where he got there, and he’s earned this, I think, when you look at the success that he’s had.” 

Bochy said he recently met with Vitello in Nashville, Tennessee. Despite the two having just a few conversations, Bochy is thoroughly impressed with the Giants’ new skipper. 

“And just to me, he’s got a great way about him,” Bochy explained.  “You know, [he] speaks well. He’s got a great feel for people, and to me, that’s the most important job that he’ll have is managing his people, and he’s so good at that. And so, I really think he’s going to have a lot of success in the major leagues.” 

Vitello’s interpersonal skills were a part of what stood about to president of baseball operations Buster Posey when conducting the search for the new Giants manager. Bochy seems to agree that Vitello has what it takes to lead the group. 

Nevertheless, Vitello’s jump to MLB surely will provide its challenges. Bochy was asked what the biggest challenge will be in that jump from college baseball. 

“I’d say more than anything, it’s just the number of games. You’re talking 162 games, and hopefully more,” Bochy said. 

The former Giants manager was known for his bullpen management, leading San Francisco to three World Series titles. Bochy highlighted that as a large focus in the longer seasons. 

“In college, I’m sure you got your horses out there and every game you’re doing all you can to win every game, similar to what the [MLB] postseason is once you get there,” Bochy noted. “But during a regular season, you got to remember, man, it’s a long season. It’s a grind. You got to watch your horses. You got to take care of them so they’re fresh down the stretch.” 

With advisors such as Bochy on his side, Vitello is making the jump to MLB with an exceptional supporting cast. 

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Giants' Tony Vitello hire is ‘insulting' to former MLB manager Joe Maddon originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Giants are taking a risk with their historic hire of Tony Vitello as their next manager, and not everyone loves the move.

Specifically, former MLB manager Joe Maddon, who joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Tuesday and explained why he was insulted by San Francisco’s decision to hire a manager straight from the collegiate level.

“Quite frankly, I’m using the word ‘insulting’ only from the perspective that you don’t have to have any kind of experience on a professional level to do this job anymore,” Maddon said. “Because when I was coming up, you had to have all that, you had to go through the minor leagues, you had to ride your buses. I was a scout, I started in 1981, I finally get a managerial job in 2006. There was a rite of passage, a method to get to that point. So to think somebody can just do what you took 20-some years to be considered qualified to, it is kind of insulting.”

Maddon then proceeded to wish Vitello well while oddly comparing the new Giants manager’s lack of MLB experience to other high-profile jobs around the country that are being filled by candidates who might not have the traditional experience in their respective fields, including New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

“Now, having said that, the next part is, I wish him nothing but the best, because I watch videos of the guy and I can actually understand why it’s perceived that he’s ready to do something like this,” Maddon added. “I guess the overarching point is, in today’s world, prerequisites to get jobs of this caliber, even jobs like the Mayor job of New York City now, it doesn’t require the years of experience that you may have had to have gone through in the past.

“I think communication skills, perceived leadership skills, those are the kind of things that become more valid or important and not necessarily having kind of like, internal knowledge, working knowledge of the craft at hand, which would be Major League Baseball or running a city. It’s not just baseball, it permeates throughout the entire world right now.”

Maddon then was asked if Vitello’s hire is a good or bad thing for baseball moving forward.

“I don’t think it’s either, I just think it’s baseball,” Maddon explained. “It’s going to be a good thing for the Giants if it works out well, which honestly, I am rooting for him. I didn’t know of him until he was hired and then I started looking at videos and then I said ‘Oh, I get it. I understand why.'”

Does he?

It’s safe to assume neither Vitello nor the Giants care.

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