Category: Baseball

The Yankees went into the 2025 season without an everyday third baseman. 

Manager Aaron Boone started with Oswaldo Cabrera at the hot corner, but once he suffered a season-ending injury, he had to use youngster Oswald Peraza and even shift Jazz Chisholm Jr. from second to fill the spot. 

Of course, it didn't work offensively or defensively, forcing GM Brian Cashman to finally address the position and trade for Ryan McMahon at the deadline.

Should the Yanks be content with McMahon starting at third base next year? It's an interesting quandary as there are many more pressing needs to address this offseason -- namely, the outfield -- but if an upgrade is available at third base, should Cashman take a look?

Alex Bregman, after a successful season with the Red Sox, is a free agent again and could be an intriguing option. Should the Yankees reach out to the All-Star? 

Here are the pros and cons...

PROS

Bregman was a free agent last offseason and landed with the Red Sox after signing a three-year, $120 million deal, but opted out to test free agency again. Why would he do that? Well, Bregman was the Red Sox's MVP in 2025, at least for the first half of the season.

Bregman entered May batting .328 with seven home runs and was still hitting .299 by the end of the month. However, he suffered a quad injury that wiped out the third baseman's June and some of July. 

Once Bregman returned, however, he picked up where he left off, finishing with a triple slash of .273/.360/.462 with an OPS of .822 to go along with 18 home runs and 62 RBI. 

Bregman notched his third All-Star selection in 2025 and was the veteran presence a young Red Sox team needed. There are plenty of stories that showcased Bregman's leadership in the Boston locker room, and they needed it with the Rafael Devers drama -- something that started in spring training and seeped into the regular season. 

Having Bregman there likely helped the Boston front office make the decision to trade their star slugger and it didn't deter the team. Bregman helped lead the Red Sox to the postseason and to a do-or-die Game 3 in the Wild Card series against the Yankees. That type of leadership wouldn't hurt in the Yankees locker room, especially for a young infield group.

In those three postseason games, Bregman was 3-for-10 with a double and two walks. His career postseason numbers are solid and he has the mental fortitude to not let the moment get too big for him.

And then there's the defense. While he may not be as good defensively as McMahon, he won a Gold Glove in 2024 and was in the 83rd percentile for outs above average (3) in MLB. 

Compare Bregman's numbers to McMahon's. The left-handed bat slashed .214/.312/.381 with an OPS of .693 between the Rockies and Yankees in 2025 with 20 home runs, just two more longballs than Bregman in 40 more games. Simply put, Bregman's offense is an upgrade to McMahon's. 

CONS

Bregman will enter his age-32 season next year, which, while not old, means his better years could be behind him. And they have McMahon (30) already under contract.

With age comes injury and we saw it in 2025. Bregman missed a good chunk of time and there's always risk for those soft tissue injuries as players get older. And while Bregman's offense hasn't really taken a step back, it's hard to deny he benefited from playing in Houston and Boston over the years. Those ballparks are great for right-handed hitters, which is the opposite at Yankee Stadium.

Although I believe Bregman is a hitter's hitter, and could change his approach to match his surroundings, it's hard to deny the numbers.

In 28 career games at Yankee Stadium, he's slashed .241/.336/.380 with an OPS of .716 and just four home runs. That includes going 7-for-20 (.438) in four games played in the Bronx in 2025. 

And then you have to think about the contract. Bregman walked away from $40 million in 2026, so what will he look for this time around? The third baseman will look for, perhaps, his final big contract -- and the Yankees shouldn't dedicate that kind of money to a position that's technically already filled. They have to figure out their outfield, fill out their bullpen, and get reinforcements for the starting rotation before thinking about a third baseman. 

VERDICT

The Yankees missed the boat when they didn't pursue Bregman more aggressively a year ago. Now that they have McMahon under contract through the 2027 season, adding the All-Star feels more like excess than filling a need.

Should Cashman reach out to see what can be done? Sure. But with payroll the way it is, and the holes still needing to be filled, adding Bregman doesn't feel necessary.

The designated hitter spot is one of the positions that the Mets have struggled to get consistent production out of since it became a full-time spot in the National League in 2022. Outside of the second half and playoff run from Jesse Winker in 2024, the Mets have not extracted enough value from having an additional hitter in the lineup.

This winter presents an option that could provide elite production at the DH spot in the second-best pure DH in the sport (behind Shohei Ohtani) -- free agent slugger Kyle Schwarber.

In 2025, Schwarber slashed .240/.365/.563 (.928 OPS), was second in baseball with 56 home runs, and led baseball in runs batted in with 132. He was named an MVP finalist along with Ohtani and Juan Soto.

Despite turning 33 years old before the 2026 season begins, Schwarber should still have a healthy market. Most projections indicate he could be looking at a four-year deal, potentially reaching five years, with an average annual value in the neighborhood of $30-32 million per season.

Here are the pros and cons of New York signing Schwarber…

PROS

Over the last four seasons, Schwarber has not hit fewer than 38 home runs and has exceeded 45 in three of those four. He is tied with Ohtani for second in baseball in home runs during that stretch with 187, trailing only Aaron Judge. Simply put, he is one of the most prolific power hitters in the sport.

As mentioned above, the Mets' primary designated hitters since 2022 have been names like Daniel Vogelbach, Darin Ruf, Winker, and Starling Marte. Schwarber would step right in and be a significant value add at the position.

If the Mets were to make a huge swing at Schwarber, it could allow president of baseball operations David Stearns to pursue his plan of improving the team’s defense. If that meant Pete Alonso departing as a free agent, the Mets would at least have the power that they’d be losing covered with Schwarber.

Beyond the baseline statistics, if you look under the hood, it might even be better. 

Schwarber’s Baseball Savant page is mostly lit up red like Christmas lights. He was in the 98th percentile in average exit velocity, 99th percentile in barrel percentage, 100th percentile in hard hit rate, 98th percentile in bat speed, and 97th percentile in walk percentage. Pretty good. 

CONS

The power numbers are gaudy, and the walks along with them help raise Schwarber’s floor. 

I am personally not the biggest batting average proponent you will meet, but extremes in any category matter. The last two years, Schwarber has settled into hitting in the .240s, which would be perfectly fine in combination with his walk rate and power.

However, in 2022 and 2023, he hit .218 and .197, respectively, and he is a career .231 hitter. If the Mets are confident in the adjustments he has made over the last two years, that would work. 

But if Schwarber is hitting near the Mendoza line and striking out at nearly a 30 percent clip while tied up to a long-term, big money contract, that won’t be received quite as well.

With Schwarber being essentially a position-less, full-time DH, it allows for zero flexibility to give Alonso or other players days as a DH unless you are sitting Schwarber.

Looking beyond 2026, is there a point in the next four to five years that Brandon Nimmo needs to be more of a DH? How about Soto? Ultimately, it would be a commitment that going forward, Schwarber is the DH and those two are in the corner outfield as they continue to age.

It is Stearns’ job to be pragmatic and operate in what he believes is in the best interest of the organization, but it would be naïve to think there is zero emotion attached to decisions that are made. Is he going to be willing to give a big contract to Schwarber that he could potentially just bring Alonso back for?

VERDICT

Unlike with Munetaka Murakami, who can play a couple of positions, I think Schwarber only makes sense if the Mets do not re-sign Alonso.

If Alonso continues to seek the reported seven-year type of deal, then a pivot to Schwarber makes a lot more sense. If not Alonso or Schwarber, the Mets may struggle to land a proven slugger this offseason. That would make the lineup just feel light, even if there are other pivots.

One of the big things to consider is timing. 

It is realistic to predict Alonso’s free agency to last beyond the new year or maybe even into February. Schwarber’s market is likely much more defined, and a decision by the Mets to pivot would likely have to be made in the next few weeks.

Much like I believe the Mets cannot exit this offseason without a frontline starter, I don’t believe they can come out of it without a thumper in the lineup. 

If Alonso is going to hold out and be patient, the Mets may not be able to have the same patience that they did last winter. And wouldn’t it be a statement move to pull Schwarber away from the division rival Phillies?

Leading off the 2028 Olympic Games: Shohei Ohtani, at Dodger Stadium. On deck: The lighting of the Olympic torch.

That is how the Los Angeles Games could look, based on the revised schedule announced Wednesday by LA28 organizers. In another sign that Major League Baseball is headed toward an agreement to allow its players to participate in the 2028 Games, LA28 adjusted its baseball schedule after discussions with the league.

Under the new schedule, the baseball competition would start on Thursday, July 13, 2028 — the day before the opening ceremony, rather than the day after.

That would give MLB the option to hold the 2028 All-Star Game on its traditional Tuesday date — most likely in San Francisco — with the Olympic baseball competition starting two days later in Los Angeles and ending on Wednesday, July 19. The major league schedule could resume the following weekend.

Read more:Rob Manfred feels 'positive' about MLB players participating in 2028 Olympics

In past Olympic baseball tournaments, MLB has declined to stop its season, so minor league and college players have populated the rosters of many countries, including the United States. For 2028, MLB had no interest in canceling its All-Star Game and replacing it with the Olympic competition.

However, on the heels of a dramatic World Series that attracted record worldwide attention, and with a highly anticipated World Baseball Classic four months away, MLB would be passing up a global marketing bonanza by skipping the Olympics.

No final deal among LA28, MLB and the Major League Baseball Players’ Assn. has been reached, but MLB commissioner Rob Manfred all but telegraphed this resolution in July, one day after LA28 said its baseball competition would begin on the day after the opening ceremony.

“They put out a schedule,” Manfred said then. “They tell you it’s not going to move. We’ll see whether there is any movement on that.

Read more:How to volunteer for the LA28 Olympics as organizers begin registration for Summer Games

“It is possible to play the All-Star Game in its normal spot, have a single break that would be longer, but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November. It would require significant accommodations, but it is possible.”

And now, it appears likely.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Duane Kuiper slyly responds to Joe Maddon's ‘insulting' Tony Vitello take originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Tony Vitello’s jump to the Giants’ managerial position, with no prior major-league experience, was “insulting” to former MLB manager Joe Maddon. 

Giants play-by-play announcer Duane Kuiper, who joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Wednesday, took exception to Maddon’s choice of words. 

“I was insulted. I was insulted because that word is going to get the headline,” Kuiper explained. “He also said, ‘I’m rooting for the guy.’ Did ‘I’m rooting for the guy’ get in that headline? Absolutely not. So that’s why I thought the whole thing just kind of upset me a little bit…” 

“…‘Insulted’ is a really strong word. And maybe he wanted to get the [Giants manager] job, who knows. So, look, it kind of got him a lot of publicity, and maybe that’s what he wanted. But ‘insulted’ to me, bothers me.” 

Kuiper proceeded to give an important piece of context. Baseball is a sport rooted in tradition, and its practitioners can be very stubborn in the face of an unconventional move such as the Giants’ hiring of Vitello. 

“The one thing about baseball – and it’s different than all the other sports – is if you do something different and you’re going to try to maybe go outside the box, there’s going to be a whole bunch of people that are going to criticize you,” Kuiper said. “It’s not like football. You can jerk a defensive tackle and put him in the backfield and run touchdowns in the Super Bowl, and everybody thinks that’s a great idea…”  

“…But you do something different in baseball, and people are going to go: ‘No, you know what, I’m insulted by that.’ So yeah, I’m not surprised by this reaction at all.” 

This isn’t the first disagreement that Kuiper has had with something Maddon said.  

“Remember, Joe Maddon is the guy that said that Buster Posey did a poor job of blocking home plate when he got hurt,” Kuiper recalled. “From that point on, I was always a little skeptical as to what was going on.”  

It’s safe to say, with his recent comments, that Maddon once again has drawn the ire of the Giants organization and fan base alike. 

“[Maddon’s] a likeable guy, he’s got a great personality, he probably doesn’t have to pay for a meal in Chicago,” Kuiper qualified. “But I’ll stand by what I’ve said; I was insulted by him saying he was insulted.” 

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With Edwin Diaz a free agent and the Dodgers searching for a high-end reliever, it seemed they might be a big threat to lure him away from the Mets.

Maybe not.

While the Dodgers are indeed seeking a jolt for their bullpen, they could be deterred by the fact that Diaz has a qualifying offer attached to him, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.

Per Ardaya, with the Dodgers already owing draft penalties due to exceeding the luxury tax, it could "dissuade" them and other teams in similar situations from making a run at Diaz. 

According to The Athletic, Los Angeles has made free agent reliever Devin Williams a target. Williams, who spent last season with the Yankees after being acquired from the Brewers via trade, was eyed by the Dodgers before that deal. 

Jon Heyman of The New York Post also reported on Diaz and the Dodgers, noting that "they may not be a big player" for him.

Per Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the contract Diaz is seeking is "essentially the same one" the Mets gave him after the 2022 season.

That deal was worth five years and $102 million.

Speaking on Tuesday at the GM Meetings, Mets president of baseball operationsDavid Stearnsdiscussed Diaz's future.

"We love both Pete [Alonso] and Edwin," Stearns said. "They've been great representatives of the organization. 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."

Diaz, who will be entering his age-32 season in 2026, is coming off a year where he was one of the best and most dominant relievers in baseball. He had a 1.63 ERA (2.28 FIP) and 0.87 WHIP with 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings.

Diaz ranked in the 99th percentile this past season when it came to xERA, xBA, whiff percentage, and strikeout percentage, via Baseball Savant. He was in the 89th percentile or better in fastball velocity, barrel percentage, and extension. His ground ball rate, chase percentage, and the average exit velocity against him all graded out well above average.

Batters hit .133 with a .200 slugging percentage against Diaz's fastball in 2025, while hitting .179 with a .269 slugging percentage against his slider.

In addition to Diaz's dominance and familiarity with (and ability to succeed in) New York is the fact that the Mets don't have an internal replacement for him. And there are no better options on the free agent market.

First Test, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (day two of five)

Ireland 286: Stirling 60; Miraz 3-50

338-1: Joy 169; Humphries 1-78

Ireland won the toss

Scorecard

A career-best 169 not out from Mahmudul Hasan Joy has helped Bangladesh take a firm grip on the first Test against Ireland after day two in Sylhet.

The visitors entered the day two n 270-8 after four late wickets on Tuesday had given Bangladesh the upper hand at the close of play.

Ireland managed to add just 16 further runs to their tally as they lost Matthew Humphreys lbw to Taijul Islam for a two-ball duck before the innings ended with Barry McCarthy bowled by Hasan Mahmud after two early boundaries helped him to respectable tally of 31.

Bangladesh had no such issues with the bat with Joy cutting loose as the day progressed to surpass the 100 mark with a double century now in his sights.

His opening partner Shadman Islam did fall on 80 when caught by wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker from Humphreys' delivery, but Mominul Haque would pick up the baton with 80 not out.

With the pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers, it was a flying start for Bangladesh as they wrapped up Ireland's first innings before making rapid inroads with the bat.

Joy hit 14 fours and four sixes in the 283 balls he faced over the day, surviving a scare on 156 to remain at the crease as Paul Stirling missed the catch.

Shadman had been closing in on his century as he hit nine fours and also a six but his partnership with Joy concluded at 168 with Humphreys getting the dismissal he had been threatening.

However, it was a wicketless third session of the day with the hosts hitting 140 in 30 overs with Haque settling after a few close calls when attempting to sweep, hitting five fours and two sixes on his way to 80 not out to help Bangladesh into as healthy position going into day three.

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Giants reportedly set to hire Blue Jays assistant Hunter Mense as hitting coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — There was a clear theme as the Giants went through the draft and trade deadline this summer. Just about every single one of their additions on the position player side was known for putting the ball in play and having a good feel for the strike zone, and it appears there will now be a greater emphasis on that at the big-league level. 

The Giants are hiring Toronto Blue Jays assistant hitting coach Hunter Mense, The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon reported Wednesday, citing sources. Mense presumably would replace outgoing hitting coach Pat Burrell — who is being reassigned to another role in the organization — and work with assistant hitting coach Oscar Bernard, who is staying, and likely one more addition on the hitting side. Burrell’s other assistant, Damon Minor, also had been told he wouldn’t be on Tony Vitello’s staff. 

Mense is coming off a run to the World Series in which the Blue Jays showed off a deep and relentless attack. During the regular season, they led the big leagues with a .265 average (the Giants hit .235) and ranked second-to-last with 1,099 strikeouts (the Giants have been over 1,300 in five consecutive seasons). The Blue Jays also ranked third in OPS and fourth in runs scored. 

The Giants certainly won’t be at the bottom of the league in strikeouts in 2026; their lineup is filled with free-swinging veterans on long-term contracts and president of baseball operations Buster Posey said on Tuesday that he wouldn’t want to make too many changes with his marquee players. Posey used Rafael Devers as an example, noting that he swings as hard as anyone he has ever seen and that’s one of his strengths. 

Still, the Giants certainly could use a different approach from some of their younger players, and they could do a much better job of putting the ball in play with runners in scoring position. Long term, the hope is that there’s more balance around Devers, Willy Adames and Matt Chapman, but the 2026 Giants will be much better off if Mense simply can get more out of guys like Patrick Bailey and Jung Hoo Lee. 

Mense has been rumored to be a top candidate since Tony Vitello was hired, and the two have been friends for years. Both are Missouri natives and Mense played at Missouri while Vitello was an assistant coach. 

Mense reached Triple-A with the Marlins during his professional career and he had a quick rise through the Blue Jays organization in recent years. He was a minor-league hitting coordinator and Double-A hitting coach before being promoted to assistant hitting coach in 2022. 

On Tuesday at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, Posey said the Giants are close to finalizing deals with several external candidates to join the staff. Bernard and Taira Uematsu are the two Bob Melvin coaches who will be staying, and the hope is that Mark Hallberg and Alex Burg return, as well. 

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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."