At least 6 teams linked to this All-Star pitcher

LATEST FREE AGENT & TRADE RUMORSJanuary 6th, 2024

We’re keeping track of all the latest free agent and trade rumors.

Jan. 6: At least 6 teams linked to Stroman

While MLB fans wait to see where the top free-agent pitchers — Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Shōta Imanaga, etc. — will end up, other players on the open market are doing just the same. If not for an injury-marred second half of last season, Marcus Stroman might have been included in that lead tier. But now, per MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Stroman will likely have to wait for at least one of those aforementioned hurlers to sign before finding his future MLB home.

On the bright side, Stroman appears to have a rather robust market. Feinsand writes that the Giants, Angels, Orioles and Red Sox have been connected to the 32-year-old right-hander, and a reunion with the Cubs “can’t be ruled out.” On Friday, MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi mentioned the Phillies as “a really good possibility” for Stroman.

Stroman earned his second All-Star selection in 2023 as he carried a sub-3.00 ERA and a .566 opponents’ OPS into the break. But he made only four starts the rest of the way — and none after July — due to hip and rib ailments.

Jan. 5: Growing number of teams interested in Cease

As it appears increasingly likely that the White Sox will trade right-hander Dylan Cease, the number of clubs contemplating a deal for the 28-year-old seems to be growing by the day. On Thursday, Ken Rosenthal wrote in The Athletic (subscription required) that the Yankees and Orioles are among the teams that are expressing “sincere” interest in Cease, the 2022 AL Cy Young Award runner-up.

Meanwhile, MLB Network insider Joel Sherman wrote in the New York Post on Friday that the Mets “continue to check in” on Cease. MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi has mentioned the Mariners as another potential landing spot. The Dodgers, Cardinals and Red Sox are three other teams “possibly in the mix,” per Rosenthal.

Cease is an attractive option for clubs looking to add to their starting rotation because he has two years of team control remaining before he hits free agency, and will be much more economical than the top free agents remaining on this offseason’s market, e.g. Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.

Jan. 5: Four teams are finalists to sign Imanaga (report)

The clock is ticking on Shōta Imanaga’s free agency. The Japanese left-hander has until 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 11 to sign with an MLB team. With a decision possibly coming soon, it sounds like the left-hander has narrowed his list of landing spots down to four teams. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden reports that the Cubs, Angels, Giants and Red Sox are the finalists to sign the 30-year-old southpaw.

On Wednesday, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand included the Yankees and Mets as two other clubs vying for Imanaga. He recorded a 2.96 ERA in more than 1,100 innings over eight years in Nippon Professional Baseball. Per Feinsand, some scouts project Imanaga as a No. 2-3 starter in the big leagues.

Jan. 5: What could be next for Giants, Mariners after 3-player trade?

The San Francisco Giants and Seattle Mariners pulled off a three-player deal Friday that includes a couple of big names. The Giants acquired Robbie Ray, the 2021 American League Cy Young Award winner with the Blue Jays, in return for former All-Star outfielder Mitch Haniger along with right-handed starter Anthony DeSclafani.

The Giants have been hunting for starting pitching help all offseason long, especially in free agency. After missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, San Francisco is believed to be interested in at least two of the big three available hurlers: Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery and Shōta Imanaga. While acquiring Ray should help the Giants in the long run, he is likely to miss the start of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May of last year. So, this move shouldn’t halt their pursuit of one of those aces.

Conversely, this might lessen the chances that the Giants make another trade for a starting pitcher, namely one for the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes. MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi mentioned the Giants as a possible fit for Burnes on Friday morning.

For the Mariners, this could be a deal about freeing up more financial flexibility. Although the 2024 salaries of Ray, Haniger and DeSclafani come close to matching up — especially with the Giants including $6 million in the swap — Ray is owed $73 million through 2026. The Mariners shed a significant amount of payroll earlier this offseason in trading Marco Gonzales, Evan White and Eugenio Suárez. Now with Ray off the books, the Mariners could be poised to add a premier free agent such as Snell, a Seattle native, or third baseman Matt Chapman, who could fill the void left by Suárez.

With DeSclafani providing rotation depth, this trade could also put the Mariners in a better position to deal from their glut of young, controllable starting pitchers.

Jan. 5: Red Sox linked to multiple free-agent sluggers

Although the Red Sox likely see another move to aid their pitching staff as their No. 1 offseason priority — especially in the wake of last week’s Chris Sale trade — the club is also looking to bulk up its offense. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Boston is interested in right-handed sluggers Jorge Soler and Teoscar Hernández.

As Boston’s outfield shuffle continues, per Jen McCaffrey and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required), several teams have also inquired about the availability of Masataka Yoshida, who could be on the move if the Red Sox were to seriously pursue a free-agent outfielder. More >

Jan. 4: Will Yankees land Snell to form Cy Young duo?

After missing out on Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Yankees have turned their attention to some of the other top starters on the free-agent market.

That reportedly includes Blake Snell, and the interest appears to be mutual.

If the Yankees were to sign Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, they would pair him with Gerrit Cole atop the starting rotation — Cole won the AL Cy Young Award last year. That would create perhaps the best one-two punch of any rotation in the Majors. More >

Jan. 4: Rangers viewed as Montgomery’s ‘first choice’

As one of the best starting pitchers left on the free-agent market, Montgomery is appealing to a lot of teams; perhaps at least six clubs are vying for him.

But the left-hander may hold one team in higher regard than the rest: the Texas Rangers. More >

Jan. 4: Santana drawing interest from several teams (reports)

Veteran first baseman Carlos Santana is drawing interest from the Brewers, Pirates and Mariners, all clubs with whom he has played in the past, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman in an article for the New York Post. FanSided’s Robert Murray also reports Milwaukee is interested in bringing back Santana.

Santana will be entering his age-38 season, but he’s proven in recent years that he can still be productive at the plate. In 619 plate appearances for the Pirates and Brewers last season, he posted a .747 OPS with 23 home runs.

Jan. 4: Angels ‘have discussed’ pair of veteran free-agent outfielders (report)

In addition to seeking upgrades for the starting rotation and bullpen, the Angels appear to be in the market for some outfield help. According to FanSided’s Robert Murray, the Halos “have discussed” free-agent outfielders Michael A. Taylor and Adam Duvall. 

Taylor, 32, hit just .220 in 129 games for the Twins last season, but he did have a career-high 21 home runs and is one of the better defensive center fielders in the game.

The 35-year-old Duvall was hurt much of last season with the Red Sox, but when he was in the lineup, he was good — he posted an .834 OPS with 21 homers in 353 plate appearances for Boston in 2023.

Jan. 3: Latest on the SP trade market

A number of top starting pitchers surfaced in trade rumblings earlier this offseason. But to this point, Tyler Glasnow is the only one of those arms who has moved, with the Dodgers acquiring the right-hander and outfielder Manuel Margot from the Rays in December. (We also saw the Red Sox send Chris Sale to the Braves in an unexpected trade.)

ESPN’s Jeff Passan (subscription required) hears that the White Sox are still likely to trade Dylan Cease, even though the number of suitors for the right-hander has decreased. However, the chances of the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes or the Guardians’ Shane Bieber being dealt before Spring Training are dwindling, Passan writes. With both pitchers entering their final seasons before free agency, neither is likely to fetch enough of a return to entice Milwaukee or Cleveland — two clubs looking to contend in 2024 — to move them.

At the same time, another pitcher is starting to draw increased trade interest: the Marlins’ Jesús Luzardo, who is controllable for three more seasons. A former highly touted prospect, Luzardo broke out in 2023, posting a 3.58 ERA with 208 K’s and 55 walks over 178 2/3 innings. Per Passan, new Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix “is in listening mode” on all of the team’s players except 20-year-old righty Eury Pérez.

The Orioles remain a team to watch in the trade market for starting pitchers. According to MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi, Baltimore is speaking with the White Sox about Cease and the Marlins about their collection of arms, including Luzardo and Edward Cabrera (controllable through 2028).

Jan. 3: What do the markets look like for Snell, Montgomery and Imanaga?

According to Feinsand, the Yankees and Angels have been connected to all three, while the Cubs, Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Giants are believed to have interest in at least two apiece.

Imanaga could be the first of the three pitchers to sign, considering his posting window closes on Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. ET. If he doesn’t sign with an MLB team by the deadline, he’ll return to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan (subscription required) heard from multiple executives who said Imanaga is likely to sign a nine-figure deal.

In an appearance on Bleacher Report on Wednesday, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman named the Giants, Red Sox and Cubs as three of the primary suitors for Imanaga.

Heyman also believes the Rangers are still the most likely fit for Montgomery, who helped the club win a World Series title in 2023.

Jan. 3: Dodgers, Rangers among potential fits for Hader

The Dodgers have had a banner offseason, signing Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto and trading for Tyler Glasnow. Can they cap it all off by inking the best closer on the free-agent market as well?

According to MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi, Los Angeles remains interested in Josh Hader. The lefty is reportedly seeking a deal in the range of Edwin Díaz’s five-year, $102 million contract with the Mets, the richest deal ever signed by a reliever.

Morosi also isn’t ruling out the Rangers as a possible landing spot for Hader. The reigning World Series champions have had a quiet offseason, but there’s no denying Texas’ need for an elite closer. More >