We are a week into the new year and the MLB offseason continues to move in slow motion. After the initial flurry around the Winter Meetings, which saw Kyle Schwarber re-sign in Philadelphia and Pete Alonso land in Baltimore, there has been precious little movement at the top of the market. All the biggest names — Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, Framber Valdez — could be weeks away from putting pen to paper.
That said, there is still plenty of smoke billowing in the rumor mill, which means things could heat up at a moment’s notice. You can never really know at this time of year. Let’s dive into all the latest buzz from around MLB:
Red Sox are still in the Ketel Marte market
The Boston Red Sox are “trying hard” to re-sign Alex Bregman, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. But that does not mean other options aren’t on the table, with free agent shortstop Bo Bichette and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte both explicitly listed as potential alternatives.
This feels like a notable tidbit, both because it means the Diamondbacks remain open to trading Marte and because it means Boston did not exit the Marte sweepstakes after trading for Willson Contreras.
It has been a busy offseason on the trade front for Red Sox GM Craig Breslow. He has spun a ton of assets into Sonny Gray, Johan Oviedo and Contreras, addressing multiple areas of need on the roster. Marte would put a much larger dent in the Boston farm system, as the three-time All-Star is still under contract through 2030 at an exceedingly affordable rate.
There’s a case in favor of signing either Bregman or Bichette, but both will command longer contracts with much higher salaries. In the other hand, Boston wouldn’t need to sacrifice top prospect capital to sign a free agent. Names like Payton Tolle, Connelly Early and Kristian Campbell start to enter the conversation with Marte.
Marte is, without much doubt, the “best” option in a vacuum. He hit .283 with an .893 OPS and 145 OPS+ last season, thwacking 28 home runs. He’s a plus defender at second base. Bregman is showing more signs of aging than Marte, despite being similar ages, while Bichette’s youth is offset by subpar defensive contributions.
If Boston can stack Marte and Contreras behind Roman Anthony, with Gray, Oviedo and Garrett Crochet headlining a revamped rotation, it becomes much harder to write off the Red Sox as a genuine World Series contender.
Cubs join Cody Bellinger bidding as Yankees dawdle
Cody Bellinger remains the No. 1 target of the New York Yankees, and he’d like to re-sign by all accounts. But a fissure exists in negotiations and GM Brian Cashman “hasn’t closed the gap quite enough to shut off other possibilities,” per Heyman. That opens the door to other suitors on Bellinger’s side, with the Chicago Cubs among those expressing interest.
Chicago dealt Bellinger to the Yankees last offseason to clear the path for Kyle Tucker, who is now a free agent himself. Receiving assets for Bellinger, spinning it into a year of Tucker, and then re-signing Bellinger to a long-term deal would qualify as a nice bit of business for Cubs president Jed Hoyer. There is certainly pressure on Chicago to replace Tucker after all it sacrificed to get him. Bellinger’s production wasn’t too far removed from Tucker’s in 2025, and he was healthier. The 30-year-old, a former MVP and two-time All-Star, posted an .813 OPS and 125 OPS+ while supplying excellent defense all over the outfield.
Bellinger is a bit more flexible than Tucker in that he can play all three outfield positions and even spend time at first base as needed. Chicago has less of a need at first following the Tyler Austin signing, but Bellinger can step right into Tucker’s old stomping grounds in right field, with the versatility to move around based on different matchups or rest schedules.
While he could command six or seven years on his next contract, Bellinger’s price tag should fall well short of Tucker’s, with the latter expected to receive north of $400 million in some circles. Bellinger isn’t without his shortcomings, and his hitting profile is not as glowingly positive as it once was. But in terms of accomplishments and well-roundedness, it’d be hard for the Cubs to do better. It helps that Bellinger knows the clubhouse and the city, giving Chicago a potential leg up.
Phillies expected to meet with Bo Bichette in coming days
The Philadelphia Phillies have largely slow-played the offseason after re-signing Kyle Schwarber and adding Brad Keller to the bullpen. Many expected their next move to be re-signing JT Realmuto, essentially running it back with the same core. That said, recent developments point to a potential alternative path — one centered on free agent infielder Bo Bichette.
“Bichette is expected to meet with Phillies officials on a video conference call in the coming days,” writes Matt Gelb of The Athletic. “The club’s interest in Bichette is legitimate, and if it results in a deal, it would likely require the team to move on from roster mainstays J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm.”
He notes that signing Bichette, whose rumored asking price is $300 million, would all but guarantee that Realmuto and third baseman Alec Bohm are not on the roster next season. And for most Phillies fans, that is a-okay.
Realmuto is still one of the better catchers in MLB, and his clutch heroics over the years have endeared him to Phillies fans. He was a below-average hitter in 2025, however, and the defensive metrics behind home plate are beginning to waver. Bohm was an All-Star in 2024, but his irritating inconsistency and complete lack of home run power makes him a volatile contributor.
Putting Bichette at third base or second base (with Bryson Stott at the opposite spot) and finding a replacement-level successor to Realmuto is, without a doubt, the best path forward. Rafael Marchán might deserve a shot at full-time backstop duties; trade targets, like Ryan Jeffers, could also pop up on Philadelphia’s radar.
It’s hard to overstate just how perfect the fit is. Philadelphia desperately needs a right-handed bat to clean up behind Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Moreover, the Phillies could really use a bit less volatility from their stars. Bichette’s swing is pure. He’s one of the savviest hitters in the game and he’d produce consistent results in the heart of the Phillies lineup.
If Phillies president Dave Dombrowski can pull this off, there will be loud celebration in the streets of Philadelphia.