MLB Insider: Max Fried, Shane Bieber and what I'm hearing before the Winter Meetings

MLB teams and agents will gather at the Winter Meetings in Dallas, TX starting on Monday. Once Juan Soto makes his decision, all hell is expected to break loose.

The teams that miss on Soto will turn to other free-agent options such as Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander, Jurickson Profar and Tyler O’Neill.

The starting pitching market is flush with high-end options such as Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, Nathan Eovaldi and Jack Flaherty, among others.

The catching market, with Kyle Higashioka and Danny Jansen off the board, remains active with Gary Sanchez as the top remaining option.

Here’s what I’m hearing going into the Winter Meetings.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Red Sox made serious push for Shane Bieber

Before Shane Bieber re-signed with the Cleveland Guardians, the Boston Red Sox were “aggressive” and made a “serious push” to sign the right-hander, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Bieber, 30 in May, turned down more money with other teams to return to Cleveland, sources say. In his deal with the Guardians, he will earn $10 million in 2025 with a $16 million player option for 2026 that includes a $4 million buyout.

Yankees among "multiple" teams to meet with Max Fried

The New York Yankees were one of “multiple” teams to meet with free-agent pitcher Max Fried on Zoom this week, according to a source familiar with the situation.

Fried, 31 in January, is coming off a season in which he posted a 3.25 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 174.1 innings. In his eight-year career, he posted a 3.07 ERA and 863 strikeouts, and established himself as one of the best left-handed pitchers in baseball.

Danny Jansen turned down more lucrative deals before signing with Rays

Free-agent catcher Danny Jansen and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed to a one-year, $8.5 million contract that includes a mutual option for a second season, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Jansen, 29, had multi-year offers and more money on the table, but bet on himself coming off a down season, and viewed Tampa as the best opportunity for consistent playing time. In 92 games with the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox last season, Jansen hit .205/.309/.349 with nine home runs and 24 RBI.

Teams in the catching market include the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays, among others, sources say.

Could the Blue Jays make a splash?

The Toronto Blue Jays, in the opinion of one agent, are “poised to do something really big and stupid” this offseason.

At the trade deadline, the Blue Jays never expressed a willingness to move either Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Bo Bichette, and were adamant about competing in 2025. The Blue Jays are involved in the bidding for Juan Soto and have expressed interest in other free-agent outfielders, sources say.

They also recently met in-person with right-hander Corbin Burnes, according to MLB Network, and have also been linked in reports to left-hander Max Fried, outfielder Antony Santander and infielders Willy Adames and Alex Bregman.

Kyle Hart drawing interest from 16 teams

An under-the-radar free-agent pitcher to monitor is left-hander Kyle Hart, who has drawn interest from 16 teams this offseason, according to a source.

Hart, 32, posted a 2.69 ERA in 157 innings with the NC Dinos in the KBO in 2024. In the KBO, he ranked first in strikeouts (182) and WHIP (1.03) while ranking second in ERA. FanGraphs projected Hart, their No. 48 free agent this offseason, to receive a three-year, $48 million contract.