After what felt like weeks of no movement, MLB transactions are finally beginning to unfold. Alex Bregman signed with the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, and the Nolan Arenado trade that sent him to the Arizona Diamondbacks broke on Monday. Moves finally transpiring could lead to other moves we've been waiting all offseason for take place.
Some of the league's best free agents and trade candidates remain available for the taking. Now that the market finally seems to be moving, the latest MLB rumors cover some of the best players available in both markets.
Reported Red Sox offer for Alex Bregman shows how cheap they've become
The Boston Red Sox lost out on an Alex Bregman reunion as the Chicago Cubs inked the infielder to a five-year, $175 million deal. Sure, it's a lot of money to commit, but by making this move, the Cubs showed they were serious about winning now. Based on their reported offer, the same can't be said about the Red Sox.
Bregman did make a proposal to Red Sox but Cubs ultimately offered $10M more than Boston, plus a shorter deferral timeline and full no-trade https://t.co/nU9XOTYAHL
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 13, 2026
Not only were the Red Sox outbid by $10 million, but Boston also refused to match Chicago's deferral timeline and perhaps more alarmingly, refused to commit to a full no-trade clause. Bregman presumably wanted to re-sign with the Red Sox after a positive experience both on and off the field, but the Cubs' offer was better everywhere you turn. That's unacceptable for a Red Sox team that wants people to believe they were serious about re-signing Bregman.
From Bregman's perspective, why wouldn't he join a contender offering him more money, which he'd receive sooner and with full no-trade protection? I don't blame him at all for wanting the no-trade clause in particular, after the Red Sox have traded homegrown superstars like Mookie Betts and Rafael Devers in recent memory.
Missing out on Bregman is bad enough on the surface, but the fallout only makes the Red Sox look worse. They now have a massive hole in their infield, and a frustrated fan base to win back. Whether it's by signing Bo Bichette or making a big blockbuster trade, the Red Sox have work to do. The worst part about this is it's impossible to trust Breslow and Co. to get this done after what just transpired.
Giants looking to make infield splash
The San Francisco Giants have shied away from making a splash this offseason, but if they're able to pull off what ESPN's Jeff Passan is reporting, that will change.
The San Francisco Giants are aggressively pursuing a second baseman and have been engaged with Chicago on Nico Hoerner and St. Louis on Brendan Donovan, sources tell ESPN. An infield of Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, Donovan or Hoerner and Rafael Devers would be among MLB's best.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 13, 2026
Passan notes that the Giants are aggressively pursuing second basemen with Nico Hoerner and Brendan Donovan among their top targets. Acquiring one of these second basemen might not put the Giants in the World Series conversation, but the playoffs feel very possible. I mean, look at this lineup.
Player | Position |
|---|---|
1. Brendan Donovan | 2B |
2. Willy Adames | SS |
3. Rafael Devers | 1B |
4. Matt Chapman | 3B |
5. Bryce Eldridge | DH |
6. Heliot Ramos | LF |
7. Jung Hoo Lee | CF |
8. Patrick Bailey | C |
9. Luis Matos | RF |
Sure, the Giants could use an upgrade in their outfield, and their bullpen could use a lot of work, but it's hard not to be bullish about the look of this lineup, whether it's Donovan or Hoerner, both of whom are excellent contact-oriented second basemen, hitting at the top. Adding a sparkplug like Donovan or Hoerner to hit in front of big power bats like Willy Adames and Rafael Devers who should be settled into San Francisco and a rookie like Bryce Eldridge oozing with potential can lead to great results.
I wonder whether the Giants have the willingness to part with the resources necessary to acquire Donovan, or whether the Cubs would trade Hoerner after signing Bregman, but this wasn't reported by Passan by accident. The Giants are serious, and if they're able to pull this off, getting to the postseason for the first time since 2021 would feel like a very realistic possibility.
Why Phillies should be seen as Bo Bichette favorites
It was reported by Jon Heyman of the NY Post that Bo Bichette met with the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday, and the meeting went well. Sure, it's unreasonable to expect anyone to say otherwise in any circumstance, but given what we know, there are plenty of reasons to label the Phillies as the favorites to sign him.
Bichette/Phillies meeting is said to have gone very well fwiw. Bichette admires “first class” organization. Other pluses: roster, park, Mattinglys link, spring proximity to home. Would Phils need to deal Bohm, do lesser C than JT? Other Bo suitors: Jays, Red Sox, NYY, LAD, more https://t.co/B4mhk4KUZO
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 13, 2026
Heyman listed them in his tweet above. The team is good, they have money to spend, they play spring training close to where Bichette lives, and he's very close with new Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly. The Phillies check virtually every single box, especially with Bichette willing to move off of shortstop.
The money has to be right, and that's presumably the final obstacle the two sides will have to clear. But if the Phillies offer Bichette a deal to his liking, every other box is checked to make the idea of him signing with Philadelphia more than realistic. Adding Bichette to a lineup featuring Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper could get the Phillies back in the World Series conversation. He could be the missing piece.
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