MLB free agency is cruising right along, with many of the big names, including Juan Soto, off the board. But some impact players are still available, and the trade market has been active.
Here’s a quick look at where things stand so far this offseason:
Reports: Roki Sasaki down to 3 finalists, won’t sign with Yankees, Giants, Mets, Rangers, Cubs
Roki Sasaki, the No. 2 player on Yahoo Sports’ Top 50 free-agent rankings, reportedly won’t sign with the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs or Texas Rangers, according to multiple reports on Monday.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Sasaki’s three finalists are the L.A. Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays. According to The Athletic, the Blue Jays hosted Sasaki for a visit last week.
Dodgers stay active with Gavin Lux trade, Hyeseong Kim signing
The Dodgers traded second baseman Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a Competitive Balance Round A pick (around No. 37). The move came a few days after Los Angeles signed former KBO infielder Hyeseong Kim to a three-year deal with $12.5 million guaranteed. The contract has a two-year option for the 2028 and 2029 seasons that could allow the deal to be worth as much as $22 million.
The 25-year-old Kim, who played the past six seasons with the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes, was the first player from South Korea and Japan to be posted this offseason and has been training in Los Angeles for the past month.
Corbin Burnes signing with Diamondbacks
Corbin Burnes is headed to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and it wasn’t cheap.
The 2021 Cy Young Award winner agreed to a six-year, $210 million deal with the Diamondbacks, which includes an opt-out for Burnes after two seasons.
Because Burnes, Yahoo Sports’ No. 3-ranked free agent, turned down a qualifying offer from Baltimore, the Orioles will receive draft pick compensation from his new team.
The contract is the largest in Diamondbacks history. Burnes, who lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, will pitch for the local team after reportedly turning down offers from the San Francisco Giants and Toronto Blue Jays.
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Mets re-sign outfielder Jesse Winker to one-year deal reportedly worth up to $9 million
The New York Mets are bringing back Jesse Winker for another year, signing the 31-year-old outfielder to a one-year deal that is reportedly worth up to $9 million. Winker joined the team midseason after being traded by the Washington Nationals in July 2024, and was a key part of the team’s postseason run.
The move also hints at the Mets’ tactics on first baseman Pete Alonso, who is one of the top free agents this offseason. With talks to bring back Alonso still stalled, and with the first baseman receiving significant interest from other teams, re-signing Winker might be a signal that the Mets are not expecting Alonso to return and are starting to look at other options.
Yankees make a trade
The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Michael Arias from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations.
A process that began in earnest when his NPB team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, posted him on Dec. 10 has gradually unfolded over the past month, with the entire baseball industry eagerly awaiting his decision and the potential fallout. With his window to sign officially opening Wednesday and extending through Jan. 23, Sasaki has reportedly narrowed the field to three finalists: the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays.
If you haven’t been tracking each and every plot point of Sasaki’s free agency along the way, don’t fret — it’s not too late to get caught up and prepare for his entrance into the MLB universe as one of the most intriguing characters of the upcoming season.
The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes are down to just three teams: the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays. According to The Athletic, the Dodgers are getting one more meeting with Sasaki on Tuesday, which will reportedly involve “several of their star” players.
The Roki Sasaki sweepstakes is down to just three teams. The Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays are the three finalists to land the Japanese star once the international signing period opens on Wednesday. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, we should have his decision shortly.
The finalists for Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki are the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Toronto Blue Jays, sources tell ESPN. Sasaki will decide on his team by the closing of his posting window Jan. 23.
With the international signing period opening Wednesday, Roki Sasaki is narrowing down his options. His camp has reportedly informed the Mets and Rangers that he will not be signing with them.
The Mets have been told they are out on Roki Sasaki.
According to a report from The Athletic, the Blue Jays hosted prized free agent Roki Sasaki for a meeting in Toronto ahead of his impending signing deadline.
The international signing period opens Wednesday, at which point Sasaki is free to sign with an MLB team. He has until Jan. 23 to make his decision. The Dodgers, Rangers, Cubs, Mets, Padres and Mariners are also believed to be in the running for Sasaki’s services.
Reliever Jorge López joins Nationals
López had an eventful 2024 season, as he was DFA’d by the New York Mets after he was ejected from a game and threw his glove into the crowd.
He moved on to the Chicago Cubs and had a solid finish to the 2024 season, recording a 2.03 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 26 2/3 innings pitched with the Cubs.
Jeff Hoffman gets 3-year, $33 million deal from Blue Jays
The molasses-slow reliever market got some movement Friday, as former Philadelphia Phillies reliever Jeff Hoffman signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. The deal is reportedly worth $33 million, with $6 million in incentives.
Hoffman was drafted by the Blue Jays and then traded as one of the prospects in the Troy Tulowitzki deal in 2015. He has moved around since then, finding success in the Phillies’ bullpen, with a 2.28 ERA in 118 1/3 innings across two seasons.
Orioles agree to one-year, $10 million deal with reliever Andrew Kittredge
Reliever Andrew Kittredge has agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, per The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Kittredge’s contract reportedly includes $9 million guaranteed and a $9 million club option with a $1 million buyout.
Free-agent reliever Andrew Kittredge in agreement with Orioles on one-year, $10M contract, source tells @TheAthletic. Kittredge’s guarantee includes $9M in salary and a $1M buyout on a $9M club option.
Kittredge spent seven seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals ahead of last season. The 34-year-old reliever finished 2024 with an ERA of 2.80 across 70 2/3 innings for the Cardinals.
Why are the A’s finally spending in free agency?
Tigers, SP Tarik Skubal work out 1-year, $10.15M deal
Skubal, the 2024 AL Cy Young Award and Triple Crown winner, avoids arbitration. The 28-year-old left hander went 18-4 for the Tigers last season with a 2.39 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 228 strikeouts.
AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a one-year, $10.15 million contract to avoid arbitration, sources tell ESPN. Skubal gets a big raise in his second time through the system. He’ll get one more try before reaching free agency after 2026.
The Los Angeles Dodgers traded catcher Diego Cartaya to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday in exchange for right-handed pitcher Jose Vasquez, the teams announced.
Cartaya, 23, is a former top catching prospect who spent the 2024 season between Double-A and Triple-A, posting a .221/.323/.363 slash line in 95 total games. Vasquez has spent the past two seasons in the Dominican Summer League.
Could Nolan Arenado finally be on the move?
After he reportedly blocked a trade to the Houston Astros a few weeks ago, Nolan Arenado is reportedly more “open-minded” to waiving his no-trade clause to more teams, per MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. The Boston Red Sox seem to be a top destination.
A’s All-Star Brent Rooker agrees to $60M extension
A’s designated hitter Brent Rooker has agreed to a five-year, $60 million contract extension, according to multiple reports. Rooker, 30, slashed .293/.365/.562 with 39 home runs, 11 stolen bases and 112 RBI in 2024, all career bests. He was an All-Star in 2023.
Justin Verlander to spend 20th MLB season with Giants
Justin Verlander, who will be 42 during the 2025 season, reportedly agreed with the San Francisco Giants on a one-year deal, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
BREAKING: Right-hander Justin Verlander and the San Francisco Giants are in agreement on a one-year contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. The future Hall of Famer, who turns 42 next month, will spend his 20th season with the Giants.
Verlander is not the pitcher he once was. He was borderline unusable in his 90⅓ innings in 2024, scuffling to a 5.48 ERA and a career-low strikeout rate. While the three-time Cy Young has been vocal about his desire to pitch until he turns 45, it’s hard to ignore a fastball that continues to lose velocity.
The Giants are surely hoping Verlander can find some return to form in San Francisco next season. He joins a staff that features 2024 All-Star Logan Webb but lost two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to the rival Dodgers in free agency.
Paula LavigneClosePaula LavigneESPN Investigative ReporterData analyst and reporter for ESPN's Enterprise and Investigative Unit.
Winner, 2014 Alfred I. duPont
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