AL East

As the 2025 season draws nearer, the trade market for St. Louis Cardinals star third baseman Nolan Arenado has reportedly dwindled to just one team.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic: "Multiple league sources indicate the [Boston] Red Sox represent Arenado's last chance to get dealt before the 2025 season."

Woo added that the Red Sox are also in pursuit of free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, and that will determine how aggressively they pursue Arenado.

"If Boston misses on Bregman, it could pivot to trading for Arenado. However, that move likely would be contingent on moving Rafael Devers to first base (though Arenado is willing to switch positions, he remains the stronger third baseman of the two) and possibly trading Triston Casas," she wrote. "It is unclear if that is a scenario the Red Sox would consider. It is also unclear if Boston would be willing to take on most of Arenado's salary."

Arenado, 33, appeared in 152 games in 2024 and hit .272 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI.

The 10-time Gold Glove winner and eight-time All-Star is still seeking his first career World Series title, and he will likely have to leave a Cardinals team that has missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons in order to achieve that goal.

The Red Sox haven't made the postseason in the last three years, so they're hoping to improve their roster in a big way this offseason. Boston already bolstered its pitching staff by acquiring starter Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox and signing free-agent starters Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval.

The Red Sox need to turn their attention to their lineup, and acquiring Arenado would be a strong move to add a reliable veteran who can still produce consistently.

The Toronto Blue Jays have struggled to land a big-name free agent despite their aggressive pursuits, but they're reportedly turning their attention to a veteran slugger.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Blue Jays "have shown the strongest interest" in free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. However, it was pointed out that the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers are also in pursuit of the two-time All-Star.

Nightengale noted that the Houston Astros offered Bregman a six-year, $156 million deal in hopes of retaining him but moved on once talks stalled. The two-time World Series champion "is drawing plenty of interest, but just not at the $200 million price range," Nightengale stated.

The Blue Jays have deep pockets that could meet Bregman's demands, as Nightengale pointed out that they offered more than $700 million to star outfielder Juan Soto before he signed with the New York Mets.

However, Toronto is far from a lock to land Bregman, as Nightengale questioned, "How much more do they have to pay him than the next highest bidder with their high tax rates and distance from his home in Phoenix?"

The Blue Jays are hoping to bounce back from a 74-88 finish to the 2024 season, so they will need to add some talent if they hope to keep pace in the competitive AL East.

The New York Yankees have been one of the most active teams this winter, and it sounds like they're not done making moves.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Yankees are "actively trying to deal starter Marcus Stroman and clear his $18 million salary."

Stroman signed a two-year, $37 million contract with the Yankees last offseason that included a conditional player option for the 2026 season. The Long Island native was back in his home state after spending three years with the New York Mets from 2019 to 2021.

In his first year in Pinstripes, Stroman appeared in 30 games with 29 starts and went 9-10 with a 4.31 ERA, a 1.47 WHIP and 113 strikeouts in 154.2 innings pitched. It was his highest ERA since 2018 when he posted a career-worst 5.54 ERA as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Stroman's struggles toward the end of the 2024 regular season caused him to be left off the Yankees' 26-man roster for the ALDS. While he was added back to the roster for the ALCS, he didn't make a postseason appearance before New York went on to lose to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series in five games.

After losing star free-agent outfielder Juan Soto to the Mets, the Yankees pivoted by trading for closer Devin Williams and outfielder Cody Bellinger and signing starting pitcher Max Fried and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Nightengale noted that the Yankees "now are seeking a left-handed reliever and an infielder" and "have had talks with" free-agent lefty relief pitcher Andrew Chafin and infielder Brendan Rodgers.

Trading away Stroman could be the next step for the Yankees as they continue to reshape their roster in hopes of making another World Series run in 2025.

Missing out on Gavin Lux doesn't necessarily mean the New York Yankees will pursue Luis Arráez as their next starting second baseman.

The Yankees currently don't see the San Diego Padres infielder "as a fit," according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

Hearing at least for now Luis Arraez is not seen as a fit for Yankees

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 6, 2025

MLB Network's Jon Morosi provided more background on where things stand between the Yankees and Padres:

.@jonmorosi says that a Luis Arraez trade to the Yankees is a "possibility" but that sides are not close right now. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/EgOb2fSnB2

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 7, 2025

The Yankees previously reached out to both the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Padres about potential trades for Lux and Arráez, respectively, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The Dodgers instead traded Lux to the Cincinnati Reds, Passan reported on Monday.

The Yankees are seeking a replacement for Gleyber Torres, who left the club after three seasons as the team's primary second baseman in order to sign with the Detroit Tigers in free agency.

That made the Yankees a potential fit for Arráez, who could be on the trade block this winter. The San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee reported in December that the Padres had discussed trading him in order to free up payroll.

The 27-year-old is expected to earn around $13.7 million in his final season of arbitration before hitting free agency in 2026, per Spotrac.

After leading the NL with both a .314 batting average average and a career-high 200 hits during a 2024 campaign split between the Miami Marlins and Padres, Arráez could add offense to the Yankees' batting lineup following the departure of Juan Soto.

Arráez is also a left-handed hitter, making him a theoretical match for Yankee Stadium. He hit 28 home runs last year, but he would have recorded 38 in the Bronx, according to Baseball Savant.

The issue with Arráez's fit might stem instead from his work on defense. He recorded a .969 fielding percentage in 2024 while leading MLB in errors for a second straight season.

As Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported in November, Dodgers coaches and scouts told players ahead of the World Series the Yankees valued "talent over fundamentals" on the field.

If Yankees general manager Brian Cashman wanted to address that criticism this offseason, he could decide to prioritize finding reliable defense over offensive standouts.

The Tampa Bay Rays are now hoping to get Tropicana Field repaired in time for the start of the 2026 MLB season after it suffered significant damage due to Hurricane Milton.

Per Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times, Rays president Matt Silverman said in a Dec. 30 letter to St. Petersburg City Administrator Rob Gerdes they "support and expect" the city to repair the stadium based on their current use agreement because of the logistical and revenue challenges that would come with playing only a partial season at the Trop.

"It is therefore critical that the rebuild start in earnest as soon as possible, that a realistic completion schedule be developed quickly and that the City diligently pursue the reconstruction as required by the Use Agreement," Silverman wrote in the letter.

The Rays and St. Petersburg city council have been at odds about using public funding to repair the stadium.

After initially voting on Nov. 21 to approve more than $23 million in funds for Tropicana Field, the city council reversed its decision that same day.

Rays co-president Brian Auld told the council members the decision puts the future of Tropicana Field and their new stadium plans in doubt.

"I can't say I'm confident about anything," Auld said.

The Rays have plans for a new $1.3 billion stadium in the Gas Plant District they wanted to be ready by 2028, with the St. Petersburg city council and Pinellas county commission voting to approve a combined total of $600 million in funding, but the team has asked for further negotiations due to what they say are "substantially" increased construction costs due to delays by the county that will make it unlikely to open before 2029.

Wright noted that Silverman's letter doesn't contain any mention of following through with their deal to build a new stadium, with a March 31 deadline to for the Rays and their development partner to meet "certain benchmarks" or the deal will automatically terminate.

If Tropicana Field is repaired, the Rays are obligated to play three more seasons at the stadium.

Hurricane Milton ripped off the roof and damaged parts of the interior at Tropicana Field when it made its way through Mexico and parts of the southeastern United States in early October.

Roof is gone at Tropicana Field #milton #rays

Video by: Nick Friedman@mysuncoast @WESH pic.twitter.com/VME6Um351J

— Nick Burch (@PageWebber) October 10, 2024

The Rays are going to play home games during the 2025 season at George Steinbrenner Field, where the New York Yankees hold spring training. It's also the home of the Tampa Tarpons, the Yankees' A-ball affiliate.

Having already added Max Fried, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to their roster, the next move for the New York Yankees going into the 2025 season will likely be finding a starting second baseman.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Yankees have had discussions with the San Diego Padres about Luis Arráez and made an inquiry to the Los Angeles Dodgers about Gavin Lux to fill that second base void.

Gleyber Torres, who had been the primary second baseman in New York for the past seven seasons, left to sign a one-year, $15 million deal with the Detroit Tigers in free agency.

Arráez has popped up in trade rumors throughout the offseason. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Dec. 12 that the Padres were discussing deals involving the three-time All-Star, as well as other unnamed players, to create some payroll flexibility that would allow them to patch up weak spots on the roster.

The 2025 season is the last of Arráez's current contract, and he will earn $13.7 million. He has won three straight batting titles and hit .314/.346/.392 in 150 games between the Padres and Miami Marlins last year.

Lux could be the odd man out in the Dodgers' infield mix after the team agreed to a deal with Hyeseong Kim on Friday. ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported Kim's deal is for $12.5 million over three years.

Kim does have positional versatility, having won the KBO Golden Glove Award as a shortstop in 2021 and as a second baseman in each of the past three seasons.

Lux has two years of team control remaining before he can become a free agent following the 2026 season. He is projected to earn $2.8 million this season. The 27-year-old is coming off a down year in 2024 with a .251/.320/.383 slash line in 139 games.

Yankees second basemen hit a collective .257/.330/.377 with 16 homers and 67 RBI last season.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has expressed that the Boston Red Sox would be his "preferred destination" if they show interest in acquiring him, according to Mass Live's Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam.

Arenado holds a full no-trade clause, according to industry sources, per Cotillo and McAdam. He has previously exercised this clause, blocking a trade to the Houston Astros in late December.

The 33-year-old posted 16 home runs and 71 RBI with a .272 batting average last season for the 83-79 Cardinals, who finished second in the NL Central.

John Mozeliak, the Cardinals' president of baseball operations, made it clear that the third baseman, who is under contract for three more seasons, is widely available. The team has been actively trying to trade him throughout the season in an effort to reduce payroll, per Cotillo and McAdam.

"It's expected St. Louis will continue to do everything it can to extract fair value for Arenado before Opening Day in an attempt to get a deal done," Cotillo and McAdam said.

Arenado is not an ideal fit for the Red Sox, who already have star third baseman Rafael Devers. While Devers could theoretically shift to second base, the Red Sox have remained firm on keeping him at third.

"Rafael Devers is our third baseman and we are really excited about that," the Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer told WEEI's Jones and Keefe, per Clutch Points Nathan Yasis. "I think last year, we saw some improvement in terms of the way he was able to move, particularly to his left, which had not been as comfortable for him as to his right. And then toward the middle of the season, after there was a stretch where he almost singlehandedly carried the team for a number of weeks, he had a knee injury, two shoulder injuries," Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow added.

In addition, Breslow has dismissed rumors that the team is shopping first baseman Tristan Casas, effectively shutting down any possibility of Devers moving to first base or making other infield adjustments.

"I'm not totally sure where it comes from," Breslow said in regard to the trade rumors involving Casas on Monday, per Cotillo and McAdam. "We're not shopping Triston. We see him as a guy that can hit in the middle of the lineup for a really long time here in Boston. Obviously, plus power, plus strike zone judgment, the ability to get on base, and it's someone that I don't think we've seen the best of. He obviously missed a number of months during the season. We're really excited for him to be completely healthy. He's had a full healthy offseason."

Despite the seemingly questionable fit, Arenado remains steadfast in his desire to join the nine-time World Series champion Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2025 MLB season.

The Baltimore Orioles are adding to their pitching depth.

The team announced on X that it had signed veteran right-handed starting pitcher Charlie Morton to a one-year contract.

We have agreed to terms with RHP Charlie Morton on a one-year contract for the 2025 season.

Welcome to Birdland, Charlie! pic.twitter.com/QsqvAt3VLf

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) January 3, 2025

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that the deal is worth $15 million.

Morton is entering his 18th MLB season and is a two-time All-Star with 383 career wins and two World Series rings. The 41-year-old went 8-10 with a 4.19 ERA in 165.1 innings in 2024 with the Atlanta Braves and is a reliable back-of-rotation starter.

The Orioles lost ace Corbin Burnes on the free agent market but still have a solid rotation headlined by Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer. The team also signed Tomoyuki Sugano from the NPB this offseason.

The Orioles are coming off back-to-back playoff appearances and went 91-71 in 2024. The team has not been able to win a postseason series since 2014 and will hope Morton's significant playoff experience can help in that department.

Anthony Santander may have to wait a little bit longer to find his future home in free agency.

During Friday's episode of The Baseball Insiders podcast, Robert Murray of FanSided said that he doesn't believe "any deal is close" for Santander even with suitors like the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays.

Murray also reported that their is room for more suitors to join the market for Santander due to no deal being imminent.

Murray reported that the Detroit Tigers have "had dialogue" with Santander but that free agent infielder Alex Bregman is the team's preferred option. He also mentioned the Boston Red Sox as a team that could enter the market but that it has been quiet on their front.

Santander is entering his ninth season in MLB and had a breakout year in 2024. He hit .235/.308/.506 with 44 home runs and 102 RBIs in 155 games for the Baltimore Orioles.

While the 30-year-old can provide a jolt of power to any of his suitors, the aftermath of other signings like Bregman may need to occur before teams are ready to commit to Santander.

Paul Goldschmidt believes the Bronx can bring out the best of his abilities.

The newly-signed New York Yankees first baseman spoke about his new opportunity and said that he believes he "can still play at a high level" after some struggles in 2024.

"I want to play at a high level. … The feeling was like, 'Man, I'm better than this,'" Goldschmidt said, per Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. "That was my feeling last year, but you've got to go out and prove it. If you don't perform, you're not going to be playing, and I think that's the truth in this game and in life and that's something we've all dealt with really our whole lives."

Goldschmidt spent the 2024 season with the St. Louis Cardinals and hit .245/.302/.414 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. While this was solid production, it wasn't up to the 37-year-old's previous standard, which includes seven All-Star selections and an MVP award.

He signed a one-year. $12.5 million deal with the Yankees this offseason and will venture to the American League for the first time in his 14-season career.

Goldschmidt joins a Yankee team that had struggles at the first base position when Anthony Rizzo missed time in 2024. He will provide a solid presence at the position and look to help a Yankees team get back to the World Series in 2025.