Category: Sports News

Winter Meetings kick off while MLB's Hot Stove heats up originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

ORLANDO – The wait continues.

The first day of the Major League Baseball Meetings brought nothing magical to the Phillies, so neighboring Disney World need not worry. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suarez remain for sale in the free agent market, and President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Preston Mattingly pulled no trades in a very quiet first day.

While many expect a Schwarber signing to be the first domino to fall, when and where the designated hitter opts to take his talents will have a massive effect on how the Phillies will be formed for the 2026 season. The leading contenders for Schwarber’s services appear to be the Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and his hometown Reds. It was reported Sunday night by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal that the Pirates made a four-year offer worth over $100 million. That doesn’t appear to be a serious threat to offers that will probably go to five years and approach the $150 to $160 million, or more, mark.

Many gathered for the meetings still believe the Phillies to be the front-runners to land the National League’s MVP runner-up, and to bring back Realmuto, who will be 35 entering the regular season. If that is the case, it would certainly appear to be another “run it back” season for an organization that has made the playoffs each of the past four seasons but been eliminated in the first round each of the past two.

If Schwarber should move on, certainly Dombrowski, Mattingly and company must have backup plans that may or may not include Pete Alonso, the all-time home run leader in Mets history. Kyle Tucker is a free agent outfielder that is drawing interest from almost everyone. Cody Bellinger would certainly lend a great glove and bat to a Phillies outfield that is certainly going to look different from last season.

On the trade market, Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte has been linked in some reports to the Phillies, but that would probably require the organization giving away a prospect or two that they may not be comfortable in parting with.

“I don’t like that expression,” said Dombrowski of “running it back” in a sit down with the local Phillies media.

“We’re not running our club back. There’s already some changes (with Justin Crawford in the mix) and (Aiden) Miller is getting close to playing. When I say that, I’m not so sure that when you win 96 games, that you should really look to have to do a lot of things differently .But you’re always looking to get better so it’s very dependent upon if you sign guys, how much money you spend, who else is available. If somebody’s better than what you have then by all means we’re open-minded to it.

“I think (Alec) Bohm’s going to have a much better year offensively. He was hurt last year for a time period. He drove in close to 100 runs two years before that. I think he’s much closer to that type of hitter than he was last year. I think that’s a pretty good addition in itself right there. It’s hard to find right-handed hitters. I’m not sure how it will fall. We’ve explored all different type of options.”

The biggest option for the Phillies, and for some other teams, is the signing of Schwarber. Dombrowski reiterated what he’s been saying since last season about the power-hitter and clubhouse leader.

“I’m just not sure what’s going to happen,” he said. “We continue to have that interest and there’s optimism but the reality is at this point is I don’t really know. I don’t really know.”

And the need-to-know time period is coming quickly for the organization, and Dombrowski and company haven’t hidden their feelings when it comes to that.

“I think that we’ve properly expressed that (they want clarity soon),” he said. “The one thing that I would not have wanted to do is that I want those guys to know how much we respect them, how much we’d like to have them back. At some point you have to move some things forward. I think that’s been properly communicated. I’m not saying that we’re sprinting forward with a lot of different things, but that’s been properly communicated that we’re prepared to shift if we need to.”

The catching position is a tricky one with Realmuto as the Phillies don’t appear to have a viable option to replace the three-time All-Star, also a treasured presence in the clubhouse. The guess is that he’ll be back behind the plate for the next for years, if possible, but if not?

“We have done very, very thorough job, I would say thoroughly on every position, so it’s not just catching, but any position that we might think we’ll have a hole or a void,” said Dombrowski. “We’re prepared. We’re ready to move in any position with priority rankings.”

While Schwarber and Realmuto are the top priorities, forming an outfield isn’t far behind for the organization, which currently boasts a contingent of players who don’t possess a bunch of power in Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Otto Kemp and Johan Rojas.

“We’ve got work to do, is what we need to do,” said Dombrowski of the outfield. “Really, we’ve got a couple of options with Marsh and the situation that we’ve talked about with Crawford, we’re going to give him that opportunity to make the club and we feel good about it. Rojas is out there. We’ve got Kemp who can go out there and play. We’ve talked about trying to find a change of scenery for Nick (Castellanos). Really, we’ve got work to do, is what it comes down to. We continue to try to make things happen.”

Is finding some sort of power out there, particularly if they lose Schwarber, a major concern?

“Not really,” Dombrowski said. “I really have always preferred having a good hitting club that’s a doubles-oriented team. And that doesn’t fit everybody, it’s usually a generality. It means you usually have a better approach, you use the whole field, and you score a bunch of runs like that. And then some guys have power, and they hit a few more home runs than other years. I think some guys might naturally hit more home runs still. I just assume have extra base hits. I think that some guys may do that just in a natural progression.”

There seems to be a variety of ways the 2026 Phillies team could look. Perhaps we’ll find out some more this week as the meetings progress through Thursday.

Stay tuned.

NOTES

•Manager Rob Thomson is scheduled to meet with the media Tuesday afternoon.

•Pete Alonso, who many have suggested could be the replacement for Schwarber should he sign elsewhere, was in Orlando for the meetings.

•Jeff Kent, who holds the record for most home runs by a second baseman with 377, was introduced as the most recent Hall of Fame inductee after being voted in by the Contemporary Era Committee and mentioned Phillies legend Dallas Green as someone who taught him how to play the game during an interview session.

•When asked if an extension for Rob Thomson had been discussed, Dombrowski said: “You would know that would happen when we would make an announcement but we’re not at that spot.”

•Dombrowski said he does not see moving Trea Turner from shortstop or Bryce Harper from first base at this time. He lauded the defensive play of Turner, saying he made great strides.

•Dombrowski said three more arms in the bullpen to add with Jhoan Duran, Matt Strahm, Tanner Banks, Jose Alvarado and Orion Kerkering. 

•The Phillies continue to have interest in bringing on Don Mattingly as their bench coach.

Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso among free agents Red Sox should prioritize originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox have been active this offseason. They’ve bolstered their pitching staff by trading for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo, and they added infield depth by acquiring utility man Tristan Gray.

But with the MLB Winter Meetings underway, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow should consider some of the top options on the free-agent market. There are several players capable of filling the club’s biggest needs: a middle-of-the-order bat (or two), a No. 2 starter, and a left-handed reliever.

So, which free agents should the Red Sox prioritize? Here are six of the best fits available this winter:

Alex Bregman, 3B

Bregman opted out of the final two years of the three-year, $120 million contract he signed with the Red Sox last offseason. The 31-year-old was a great fit for Boston, serving as a significant defensive upgrade at third base while putting up strong offensive numbers when healthy. He also immediately made his presence felt as a respected veteran in the Red Sox clubhouse.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently reported that re-signing Bregman is a priority for Boston. That should come as no surprise. An All-Star for the third time in 2025, Bregman was an MVP frontrunner before he suffered a quad injury in May. He finished the campaign with a .273/.360/.462 slash line, 18 homers, and 62 RBI in 114 games.

Pete Alonso, 1B

The Red Sox must add some pop to the middle of their lineup this winter. A right-handed bat would be ideal, making Alonso the perfect fit.

The “Polar Bear” mashed 38 homers for the New York Mets last season. Not counting the abbreviated 2020 campaign, Alonso has hit at least 34 homers in each season of his seven-year career.

The Red Sox are among the teams Alonso is expected to meet with at the MLB Winter Meetings in Orlando. The 31-year-old would split time between first base and designated hitter in Boston.

Alonso earned his fifth career All-Star nod and appeared in all 162 games last season.

Kyle Schwarber, DH

The Red Sox never should have let Schwarber go in the 2022 offseason. They’ll have a chance to attone for that mistake this winter, with Schwarber joining Alonso as the top sluggers on the free-agent market.

Schwarber finished second in the 2025 National League MVP race after belting an NL-leading 56 homers and tallying an MLB-leading 132 RBI. Like Alonso, the 32-year-old played in all 162 games.

The Red Sox acquired Schwarber from the Washington Nationals at the 2021 trade deadline. The three-time All-Star played a huge role in the club’s unexpected run to the American League Championship Series. In 41 games with Boston, he hit seven homers and posted a .957 OPS.

Bo Bichette, INF

If the Red Sox fail to bring Bregman back, Rosenthal reports that “some with the club view Bo Bichette as an intriguing alternative.” It’s easy to see why.

Bichette, 28 in March, is coming off a bounce-back campaign with the Toronto Blue Jays. The two-time All-Star slashed .311/.357/.483 with 18 homers and 94 RBI in 139 games, and he stayed hot in the postseason to lead Toronto to its first World Series appearance since 1993.

With Trevor Story expected to remain Boston’s starting shortstop, Bichette would have to shift to either second or third base. He played five postseason games at second, but otherwise has never played either position in his MLB career.

Regardless, Bichette’s bat will make up for his defensive shortcomings if he can duplicate his 2025 performance.

Michael King, RHP

The Red Sox may be done adding to their rotation after trading for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. But if they turn to the free-agent market to add a No. 2 starter, King should be on their radar.

King, 30, performed like an ace upon joining the San Diego Padres. Primarily a reliever for his first five seasons with the New York Yankees, he posted a 2.95 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP over 31 games (30 starts) in 2024.

King’s 2025 campaign was marred by a nerve issue in his right shoulder and left knee inflammation. Those ailments limited him to only 15 starts, in which he amassed a 3.44 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 73.1 innings. That should make him more affordable than the other top options on the market, with just as much upside.

Taylor Rogers, LHP

Boston’s bullpen was among MLB’s best in 2025, but it could use reinforcements after losing left-handers Brennan Bernardino, Chris Murphy, Steven Matz, and Justin Wilson. If Matz and/or Wilson don’t re-sign, the Red Sox will be in dire need of southpaws relievers. Veteran closer Aroldis Chapman is the only proven option on the current 40-man roster.

Rogers, 35 later this month, notched a 3.38 ERA and 1.38 WHIP with 53 strikeouts and 23 walks across 57 appearances (50.2 innings) with the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs last season. An All-Star in 2021, he’s among the top left-handed relievers available and has a solid track record over 10 MLB seasons.