The calendar has flipped and we're less than two months away from spring training. Yet, the likes of Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, Framber Valdez, Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger, and many others available in MLB free agency remain unsigned. The market has moved slower than expected for some big names for the second consecutive offseason, and that's not to mention all of the trade candidates who could still be available as well. Luckily, with us arriving in 2026, it does appear that the market is heating up a bit more as we're getting a steady flow of juicy MLB rumors.
Particularly with Bregman, Bichette and Valdez, there is some intriguing buzz regarding where things stand, and also what that might mean as we move forward in the offseason.
Red Sox stance with Alex Bregman a mystery with conflicting rumors
It's hard to look at the Boston Red Sox and Alex Bregman this offseason and not be reminded of what happened a year ago. The fit was painfully obvious, but there were holdups with Scott Boras about the length of the contract and AAV. Ultimately, a deal got done, and many fans in Boston have been holding out hope that could be the case again this offseason. As of right now, however, the signals aren't quite clear.
On one hand, MLB.com insider Mark Feinsand reported on New Year's Day that, while the Red Sox are still a possibility for Bregman, it's been the Arizona Diamnodbacks and Toronto Blue Jays who have been "the two most aggressive clubs in the hunt for Bregman". The interest from both the D'Backs and the Jays isn't something new being reported, but the fact that they're the most aggressive teams according to Feinsand's sources isn't positive for Boston and their hope of a reunion.
But while fans were still taking the time to digest that and what it could mean for the Red Sox, a seemingly conflicting report came from ESPN's Buster Olney. During an appearance on the 1st Up podcast, Olney quite plainly stated that he believes Bregman ends up back in Boston, also adding that his understanding is that the Red Sox have "an aggressive offer" on the table with the free agent third baseman.
There's a lot to unpack with that, especially because it's two reports within 24 hours of one another that seemingly go against each rumor.
In reality, though, my read on this is a bit pessimistic for the Red Sox because of Boras. The simple truth is that Boston hasn't been rumored to be as heavily in pursuit of Bregman as we expected this offseason, and there have been rumblings that their offer or interest isn't on the level of teams like Arizona and Toronto to this point. As such, Olney's report could very well be a leverage play to try and push the other suitors.
That's not to say the Red Sox aren't still a realistic option for Bregman. Again, it was just last offseason when Boston swooped in at the 11th hour to make a deal happen. But these recent reports, when you peel back the layers, don't appear to be in Boston's favor.
Yankees, Cubs and Dodgers all mulling over Bo Bichette
Perhaps one of the biggest shocks of free agency is what's been perceived as the lack of buzz around Bo Bichette. Once again, we've known that the Red Sox have expressed interest in their former division rival, and the Blue Jays have kept the door open for potentially bringing back their shortstop on a new contract. Outside of that, though, any suitors have been more speculative than anything concrete — or at least that was the case.
Insider Jon Heyman reported this week for the New York Post that three new teams have "checked in" on Bichette in free agency: the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.
The Cubs might be the most interesting inclusion in that considering that Dansby Swanson is currently at shortstop and, as of now, Nico Hoerner is manning second base. At the same time, there have been some recent rumors suggesting that Hoerner could be a trade candidate this offseason, which feels a bit juicier when throwing in the possibility of Bichette coming to Chicago. With the loss of Tucker imminent, adding Bichette could be a splash that the Cubs direly need for their lineup as well.
As for the Yankees and Dodgers, the fit is a bit more natural, specifically at shortstop. New York isn't married to Jose Caballero at short, obviously, and has also reportedly explored the possibility of a Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade at second base as well. With LA, there's the possibility of moving Mookie Betts back to the outfield primarily to open up shortstop.
Much like with Bregman, there's a chance that this could be a leverage play from agents to try and push teams like Boston and Toronto to buckle down. At the same time, there is a fit with each of these clubs that could make some sense, especially since we've seen none of them make meaningful upgrades to their respective lineups this season.
Mets have a David Stearns hang-up with Framber Valdez pursuit
The New York Mets didn't get Dylan Cease. They also didn't get Tatsuya Imai. And we could keep listing starting pitchers who have been available this offseason, but the simplest way to say it is that a Mets rotation that desperately needed to be addressed by free agency or trade hasn't budged to this point. So it's not remotely surprising that arguably the top arm on the market, Framber Valdez, has often been connected to the Mets.
That connection is still present, especially with Mark Feinsand noting for MLB.com that New York general manager David Stearns was the assistant GM in Houston when they scouted and eventually signed Valdez. However, the insider also poured a bit of cold water on the possibility by addressing the way Stearns operates and how that doesn't necessarily align with Valdez.
"One potential sticking point: Stearns has historically shied away from signing starters to long-term deals, making a trade for a controllable arm – Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, perhaps? – a more realistic option."
It's certainly something we've seen from Stearns thus far in his time with the Mets, and the trade market remains rich with guys like Freddy Peralta, Mackenzie Gore and others potentially to be had (I'm not calling Tarik Skubal a realistic option until I see it). Meanwhile, despite some character concerns, Valdez still seems likely to get a long-term pact with an obviously high AAV.
The Mets obviously have the financial backing from Steve Cohen to pay whatever price, but Stearns operates far too methodically for them to just throw out deals willy-nilly like that. Valdez is a fascinating test case in that regard, and could tell us quite a bit about what to expect from New York in future offseason.
But for now, it feels fair to say that the Mets are still in play for Valdez. However, it might not be the likeliest outcome for Stearns to address New York's pitching need.