MLB Rumors from the GM Meetings: Soto's warning, Arenado trade, Cubs priority

The MLB GM Meetings are officially underway in Las Vegas, thus starting an endless cycle of MLB rumors to carry us through the offseason. While there isn't a Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto-sized white whale to headline the 2026 free agent class, plenty of impact players are due to test the open market — with high-profile trade candidates, such as Tarik Skubal, Ketel Marte and Fernando Tatis Jr. — all front of mind, too.

This figures to be a highly consequential offseason as several of MLB's foremost contenders sift through consequential free agents and desperate roster needs. Whether you're a Los Angeles Dodgers fan pining for a stalwart closer or a Boston Red Sox fan hoping for that second ace to cushion Garrett Crochet, there's ample reason to put up your antenna and monitor the rumblings coming out of GM Meetings.

FanSided's own Robert Murray is live on the ground, bringing you all the latest intel. In the meantime, let's look beyond the FanSided bubble to see what's percolating in league circles, from the Chicago Cubs' newest offseason priority, to Nolan Arenado trade buzz and an unexpected Juan Soto mandate from the New York Mets front office.

Here is what's happening.

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Cubs' pitching need takes center stage after declining Shōta Imanaga option

The Cubs and Shōta Imanaga are set to part ways after both sides declined a $15.5 million mutual option. Speaking from the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, Chicago president Jed Hoyer refused to close the door on an Imanaga reunion — but it's not hard to read between the lines.

"I don’t want to close that door completely, but ultimately we didn’t think the club option was the right value, he didn’t think the player option was the right value and that happens," Hoyer said.

It's hard to see Chicago and Imanaga finding common ground if the 32-year-old ace wants more money and the Cubs want to spend less. Like, it's that simple. Imanaga should command a significant market after two solid seasons on the North Side, but Chicago's trepidation is understandable after a bumpy 2025, which ended with Imanaga getting shellacked in the playoffs.

Imanaga's profile — heavily reliant on locating his off-speed pitches and short on high-velo, punchout stuff — should age well enough, but if the Cubs want to move on, fair enough. This was already a team in dire need of starting pitching, though. Imanaga was their second-best pitcher all of last season and Matthew Boyd didn't exactly thrive in October either. Justin Steele's impending return will help, but the Cubs need to scour the market for a replacement. Ideally an upgrade. Letting Imanaga walk only bodes well if Chicago can improve his spot in the rotation.

Chaim Bloom 'feels it's best' to find a new home for Nolan Arenado

The St. Louis Cardinals bent over backward to try and find a trade partner for Nolan Arenado last offseason. Just when it seemed like a deal was on the table with the Houston Astros, Arenado walked back on his own wishlist and invoked his no-trade clause. He still wields that leverage over the organization, but with St. Louis setting its sights on the future, Arenado ought to prefer a more competitive environment in 2026.

New GM Chaim Bloom appears committed to finally ending St. Louis' strained marriage to Arenado this winter.

"We feel it’s best to find a different fit," he said from GM Meetings, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Arenado is still an impactful player, in large part due to his exceptional defense at the hot corner (3 outs above average in 2025). But the bat is beginning to reach the point of no return, as Arenado finished the campaign with a .666 OPS and 87 OPS+. He's 34 years old, which means his elite defense will eventually decline, too. The Cards are running out of time to field anything of value — and Arenado is running out of time to contribute to a winner on an everyday basis.

Mets star Juan Soto to 'work on improving defense' this offseason

All was kumbaya when Juan Soto inked a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets last offseason, making him the highest-paid athlete in major American sports history. It was the defining achievement of Steve Cohen's tenure as owner and a feather in the cap of former small-market GM David Stearns.

Then the Mets missed the postseason, and the cracks began to show. Nobody in Queens should be panicking at this point. That offense is a tank and Soto will finish third in NL MVP voting after he hit .263 with an impressive .921 OPS and 43 home runs. Only 27 years old, Soto is still one of the most well-rounded hitters in MLB, with a lengthy prime window ahead of him.

But there is one downside to Soto as a franchise cornerstone. He's a rapidly declining defender in right field. Soto handed the Mets -12 outs above average last season, in MLB's bottom percentile. That's tied with Nick Castellanos, which is not the company you want your best player to keep.

Soto, again, in 27. He's a major athlete, but all the muscle and precise, fluid motion at the plate does not translate to the outfield. In order to maximize their historic investment, the Mets need to stave off an inevitable move to DH for as long as possible. That's why Stearns and the Mets expect Soto to work hard to improve his defense this winter. It's his No. 1 focus, from the sound of it.

Soto is never going to provide positive value as a defender, but the Mets need him to be less bad. If he's only bottom-20th percentile, rather than the absolute worst defender in MLB at his position, that would help a lot for the purposes of lineup optimization. Top prospect Carson Benge will get a shot at cracking the Opening Day roster in spring training, so the pressure is on. If Soto does not improve, the Mets will need to bite the bullet sooner than anybody wants to and relegate Soto to DH-only status.

Paying $765 million for 14 years of DH services sounds less than ideal.