MLB rumors: Orioles eying Holmes, Cardinals waving white flag, Phillies set to swing big

The champagne has dried and the confetti has been swept away from the Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series celebration. The early offseason clerical work — contract options, opt-ins, opt-outs, qualifying offers — have all been settled. The main event is finally here: It's Hot Stove season, baby, and it's shaping up to be a historic winter.

All eyes will be on Juan Soto, who might be about to make a run at Shohei Ohtani's historic $700 million megadeal from last offseason. But even beyond Soto, big names abound: Players like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Teoscar Hernandez have hit free agency, while others like Luis Robert Jr., Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and more could be made available via trade. The landscape of the league figures to look a whole lot different by the time next spring rolls around.

FanSided's Robert Murray alongside fellow co-host Adam Weinrib gave some insight on some other free agents, or players who could've been free agents while diving into the latest MLB rumors on the latest episode of the Baseball Insiders podcast.

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.

MLB Rumors: Orioles barking up the wrong tree in search of bullpen help

The Baltimore Orioles have plenty to focus on as they look to improve on a second straight postseason flameout. Foremost on the list: fixing a bullpen that ranked just 23rd in reliever ERA in 2024. Craig Kimbrel was a disaster, and midseason acquisitions Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez weren't much better, leaving Baltimore short on reliable options toward the end of the season.

So it's not surprising to hear the O's linked with the top relievers on the free-agent market. One name in particular, however, is surprising: MLB.com's Mark Feinsand lists Baltimore as one of the top fits for former New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes. Holmes was an AL All-Star in two of the past three years, but he fell apart in the second half of 2024, losing his closer's role to Luke Weaver and throwing up some ugly outings in the postseason.

The Orioles got an up-close look at some of Holmes' 13 blown saves this past season, which you'd think would dissuade them from making a run at the righty. But Holmes' overall track record remains impressive, and there simply aren't a ton of available options who come with his level of experience in high-leverage situations.

MLB Rumors: Cardinals set to 'wave the white flag' at Winter Meetings?

The writing was already on the wall for the St. Louis Cardinals to potentially take a step back in 2025, with Chaim Bloom taking charge of player development and outgoing president John Mozeliak almost immediately throwing cold water on the idea of a big offseason. But it's beginning to look like the fire sale is going to be swifter and more severe than even the most pessimistic fans could've imagined: USA Today's Bob Nightengale writes that the Cardinals are "waving the white flag before the holidays and are open for business, willing to listen to trades on anyone".

Nightengale goes on to name-drop just about every St. Louis name of note, from Nolan Arenado to Sonny Gray to Willson Contreras to Ryan Helsley, implying that most if not all could be playing elsewhere next spring. On the one hand, you can understand the logic here: If the Cardinals don't see a path to meaningful contention in the short-term, getting what they can for aging and expensive veterans makes sense. On the other, however, this feels like a drastic about-face for a team that's been consistently competitive for the better part of two decades now.

MLB Rumors: Do the Phillies have something big in store?

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, we have the Philadelphia Phillies, who sure seem to be eying something big this offseason. First came the whispers that the team could be a dark horse for Soto's services, and now a report has surfaced suggesting that Dave Dombrowski is willing to listen on trades involving some big names like Nick Castellanos, Alec Bohm and Brandon Marsh.

At first blush, dangling three established veterans who played key roles on a playoff team wouldn't seem to be a cause for optimism. But Philly is determined to finally get over the hump and get a ring with Bryce Harper still in his prime, and if they're considering moving off of Castellanos, Bohm and Marsh (and, more importantly, their contracts), it's because they want to use that newfound flexibility to make some major moves. Whether that's landing Soto, making a run at Alex Bregman or something else entirely remains to be seen, but Dombrowski sure seems like a man with something up his sleeve.