MLB Rumors: Phillies out on Soto, Cardinals trade candidate, Orioles sell high?

For four MLB teams, the quest to capture a World Series title continues. For everyone else, however, it's already Hot Stove season, and attention has shifted to what moves each GM needs to make to get their team back to October. With a free-agent class headlined by stars like Juan Soto and Blake Snell plus several intriguing trade candidates, the landscape of the league could look awfully different by the time next spring rolls around. Here are the latest rumors from around baseball, featuring one team tapping out of the Soto sweepstakes, another targeting a frontline arm and a third that could potentially shop a promising young infielder.

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MLB Rumors: Dave Dombrowski seemingly rules out potential Phillies run at Juan Soto

Philadelphia Phillies fans hoped that Dave Dombrowski would have some answers for what went wrong during the NLDS loss to the New York Mets and what the offseason plan would be to ensure that next year would end differently. What they got instead, however, was a splash of cold water: Despite the Phillies' lineup going quiet against New York, Dombrowski told fans not to expect a major addition over the winter.

"Well, I don't think we need to add more star players," Dombrowski said. "We have about as many stars as anybody in baseball ... (Team owner) John (Middleton) is very accommodating and giving, but you're also in a position where you're working with a payroll and trying to make things work for you going to the future. Would you be open to it? Yes. But I think you have to be careful because sometimes it's not only the star players, but also sometimes the supporting cast. We had eight All-Stars, right? That's more than anybody in baseball. So I don't necessarily think the answer is always the star player."

It's certainly true that a lineup full of starry names wasn't enough to save the Phillies this October. But that's hardly an excuse not to continue adding talent; if anything, the way this season ended should be even more motivation, especially considering that guys like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber aren't getting any younger.

MLB Rumors: Will Cardinals target Mariners ace Logan Gilbert?

Fixing the starting rotation is high on John Mozeliak's to-do list this winter, and one potential solution could come from the West Coast. Per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, the Mariners have had "little discussion about a long-term deal" with righty Logan Gilbert, who's about to enter arbitration for the first time after leading the Majors in innings pitched and WHIP in 2024. Seattle is long on pitching but short on impact bats, so they could opt to flip Gilbert rather than hand him what figures to be a pricey extension.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, need all the rotation help they can get, especially with a whopping five starters (Miles Mikolas, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Erick Fedde and Steven Matz) hitting free agency this winter. There's not a whole lot behind Sonny Gray right now, and while Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Max Fried will all be on the market, the competition for those three will be fierce. St. Louis has been linked to Gilbert before, and has the sort of outfield depth that could get a deal done.

MLB Rumors: Jordan Westburg trade could potentially solve the Orioles' infield logjam

Another year, another offseason wondering how the Baltimore Orioles are going to sort out their glut of young position player talent. One suggested trade offers a solution: Sell high on 25-year-old infielder Jordan Westburg. Yes, he's coming off an All-Star season, but that just means his market will be more robust, and Camden Yards is where righty hitters go to die. Westburg's plate discipline still leaves something to be desired, and Baltimore could use him to fill holes elsewhere (first base, maybe?) while slotting Coby Mayo into his spot on the roster.