MLB Rumors: Cubs running out of time, Rhys Hoskins complication, Realmuto surprise

The Winter Meetings might be done, but the MLB offseason is far from over. Sure, we've seen some of the biggest names available like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Garrett Crochet get moved, but there are still plenty of great players both in free agency and on the trade market available for the taking.

When these players do find their new homes is unclear, but MLB rumors continue to run rampant. With that in mind, here are the latest rumors for you to comb through on this fine Monday morning.

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MLB Rumors: Phillies considering surprising stance with J.T. Realmuto

The Philadelphia Phillies haven't done much outside of the Jordan Romano signing, but made a bit of a controversial decision earlier this offseason by opting to give Garrett Stubbs a one-year deal, avoiding arbitration with the catcher.

Yes, Stubbs has been an excellent clubhouse presence and does a good job managing the running game, but for the most part, he's been one of the worst backup catchers in the game in the last two years. This past season saw him slash .207/.296/.262 with one home run and 11 RBI in 54 games played.

Stubbs not adding much value when he played ultimately hasn't mattered much in the last couple of years because J.T. Realmuto, in addition to being one of the best catchers in the sport, catches more than most. In fact, since Stubbs arrived in Philadelphia in 2022, Realmuto's 361 games caught are the most in all of baseball. Relying on Stubbs just once a week in a day game after a night game doesn't hurt much.

While he's been a staple behind the plate, Realmuto will be 34 years old by Opening Day, has had two knee surgeries in the last five years, and is coming off his worst season in a long time. His .751 OPS this past season was his lowest mark since 2015, his first full MLB season. He even went hitless in Philadelphia's NLDS loss. With that in mind, Phillies manager Rob Thomson is considering limiting Realmuto's workload.

With an extra day off per week, manager Rob Thomson said, “I think his numbers will get better.”

Thomson might be right that Realmuto will be more impactful than he was in 2024 with more rest and that should help him stay healthy as well, but the decision to scale back Realmuto's workload certainly makes it interesting that they elected to bring Stubbs back. They could choose to go with Rafael Marchan as the team's backup instead as he offers more offensive upside, but his injury history is far from stellar.

You can't blame the Phillies for wanting to scale his workload back, but you can blame them for not having a viable backup to make sitting Realmuto an extra day per week hurt a little less.

MLB Rumors: Brewers in tough position with Rhys Hoskins

One of the first additions of the offseason was one that the Milwaukee Brewers had no role in. Rhys Hoskins accepted his player option, ensuring his return to Milwaukee for the 2025 season at $18 million. Hoskins had some fantastic seasons with the Phillies, but how he performed in 2024 certainly wasn't worth the $18 million he's going to make in 2025.

Hoskins slashed .214/.303/.419 with 26 home runs and 82 RBI in 131 games played. Sure, he hit for a lot of power, but that was about it. He walked less than he ever had in a single season (10.3 percent BB rate), struck out more than he ever had (28.8 percent K rate), and had his least productive offensive season overall (.722 OPS). Despite the home runs, Hoskins was a below-average hitter as his 98 OPS+ would indicate, and he was worth -0.2 bWAR — making him below replacement level.

Can Hoskins bounce back? Absolutely, but $18 million is a lot of money for a small-market team like Milwaukee to bet on a bounce-back. With that in mind, the Brewers are "open" to moving Hoskins according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required), but there are some issues that come along with that stance.

First, it's hard to find any team to take on the $18 million salary plus the $4 million buyout Hoskins is owed on a mutual option for 2026 for a player who, by all accounts, was a below-average MLB player in 2024. Second, there are a slew of alternatives for teams to pursue, from Pete Alonso, Christian Walker, Paul Goldschmidt, and Carlos Santana in free agency to Yandy Diaz and Cody Bellinger on the trade market. Both of these factors make it really tough to move Hoskins. Rosenthal outlines what Milwaukee might have to do to get another team to bite.

"To move Hoskins, the Brewers might need to both add cash and attach a prospect," Rosenthal notes.

Just to send Hoskins away, the Brewers might have to eat some of his money and attach a prospect, and that's without getting any semblance of a return. At that point, the Brewers might just be better off keeping him and hoping Hoskins can find a way to look more like the player he was in Philadelphia. Being another year removed from his ACL tear might help.

MLB Rumors: Cubs need to act fast on Cody Bellinger trade

Perhaps no player has been in trade rumors this offseason more than Cody Bellinger, and yet, he still remains with the Chicago Cubs. There was reason to believe that a Bellinger trade would've happened soon after the Cubs acquired Kyle Tucker, another left-handed hitting outfielder, but that hasn't been the case - at least not yet.

The team most connected to Bellinger has been the New York Yankees, and it isn't hard to see why. They just lost Juan Soto, so the need for a left-handed bat is clear. Additionally, Bellinger can play both first base and the outfield — two positions of need for New York. There's one clear hold-up in Bellinger trade talks between the Cubs and Yankees, though.

The Yankees want the Cubs to eat more of the money Bellinger is owed, while the Cubs believe the Yankees should take on most, if not the entire contract. As Jon Heyman of the NY Post notes, it's a matter of who blinks first, if ever.

At this point, it feels as if this all comes down to leverage. If that's the case, the Cubs are running out of time. The Yankees might be prioritizing Bellinger, but as Heyman notes, there are a slew of first basemen both in free agency and on the trade block that the team can pivot to at any given moment. There are also a ton of outfielders for Brian Cashman to consider.

On the flip side, where will the Cubs turn if the Yankees don't end up trading for Bellinger? Do they keep him after dangling him in trades all offseason? Do they realistically find another suitor willing to eat as much of his contract as the Yankees are? The Cubs might want the Yankees to eat more money than they're willing to, but if they continue to wait, the Yankees can pivot and take away perhaps the only interested suitor in acquiring Bellinger.