MLB Rumors: Alex Bregman offers, Ryan Pressly latest, Max Scherzer suitors

After hitting a bit of a lull in the middle of January, the MLB Hot Stove has come roaring back to life over the past few days. First, Roki Sasaki rocked the baseball world by choosing the Los Angeles Dodgers, and since then, the rumor mill hasn't slowed down. While everyone waits for the staring contest between the New York Mets and Pete Alonso to resolve itself, the other big bat left on the market, Alex Bregman, has a decision to make, as the hometown Houston Astros appear to have reentered the fray.

While the Astros weigh a Bregman reunion, another big name could be on his way out of Houston. Meanwhile, Max Scherzer's market appears to be heating up, with just about every marquee team in the sport circling the future Hall of Famer. Here's everything to know from around the league.

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MLB Rumors: Alex Bregman weighing multiple five-year offers

After languishing on the market for months, it seems as though Bregman and agent Scott Boras might have set their sights just a little lower: According to multiple reports, Bregman has revisited the possibility of staying in Houston, weeks after the two sides appeared to be done for good. It seems as though the six-year, $156 million offer the Astros made their two-time All-Star at the start of the offseason still stands, and while Bregman (and, more importantly, Boras) may have been hoping for something north of $200 million, that doesn't seem very likely with Spring Training less than a month away.

That doesn't mean that a reunion is a done deal, however. It appears that Houston's isn't the only five-year offer that Bregman has to consider, at least according to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 Sports, who writes that the Astros are just one of "at least three teams" to have extended a similar contract so far this winter. It's unlikely that the Chicago Cubs are among them, given Jed Hoyer's financial constraints and the team's commitment to keeping third base open for top prospect Matt Shaw. But both the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox have the means and the motive, as do the Toronto Blue Jays.

MLB Rumors: Ryan Pressly weighing Cubs option, wants to avoid East and West Coasts

If the Astros are going to make a serious run at retaining Bregman without blowing past the luxury tax — something that owner Jim Crane has historically been reluctant to do — they're going to need to find other ways to clear payroll space. One ideal way to do that would be to find a trade partner for reliever Ryan Pressly, who's regressed in each of the past two seasons and is still owed some $14 million in 2025. It appeared that the Astros had done just that on Thursday night, agreeing to terms with the bullpen-needy Cubs ... only for things to stall as Pressly weighs whether or not to waive his full no-trade clause.

Pressly is a Texas native, and he's understandably having some doubts about whether to uproot his family and move so far away from his roots. That doesn't mean that a deal is dead, with The Athletic reporting that the righty simply needs some time to consider his options. According to the New York Post's Jon Heyman, Pressly doesn't want to move to either the East or West coast, which would greatly limit Houston's options in finding a trade. The Detroit Tigers are another possibility, but The Athletic writes that it “may be unlikely” Pressly approves a deal there.

It's clear that the Astros would like to move on, and the Cubs would offer a high-leverage role on a competitive roster not all that far way from home. If Pressly doesn't pull the trigger, though, it could have major ripple effects across the market.

MLB Rumors: Yankees, Mets, Dodgers among teams to attend Max Scherzer workout

It's hard to imagine a future first-ballot Hall of Famer flying under the radar in free agency, but that's been exactly the case with Max Scherzer, coming off a year in which the 40-year-old threw just 43.1 innings amid multiple injuries.

Scherzer was effective when healthy, though, and it seems like the righty is feeling good ahead of the 2025 season. So it's no surprise that, when he threw a bullpen session for teams earlier this week, just about anybody who's anybody came out to watch it.

Those are ... basically eight of the biggest markets in baseball, all of whom are hoping to contend for a World Series title in 2025. Some may be less likely than others (the Yankees are pinching pennies right now, and would the Mets really be up for a reunion?) but the list of interested parties here just goes to show how much respect Scherzer still commands. Even at his advanced age, he still knows how to get outs, and a team with some rotation depth could do enough to shield him over the course of a long season.