The MLB offseason has gotten off to a roaring start, and we've only just reached the month of December. Impactful players like Taylor Ward, Brandon Nimmo and Sonny Gray have already been traded, and arguably the best free agent pitcher, Dylan Cease, is off the board as well.
With Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror and the Winter Meetings coming up in less than a week, MLB rumors are circling at a rapid pace. The latest rumors cover three potential American League contenders.
Astros fielding trade interest in Jake Meyers
Kyle Tucker headlines this offseason's free agency class, but beyond him, the outfield market is rather thin. Cody Bellinger is coming off a great year, but he's been inconsistent. Since Trent Grisham accepted the qualifying offer, the third-best free agent outfielder is probably Harrison Bader. Sure, Bader is an excellent defender and is coming off a strong offensive year, but Bader as the third-best option is rather uninspiring. This is why teams have resorted to the trade market, with guys like Ward and Nimmo having already been dealt. Houston Astros center fielder Jake Meyers could be next, according to Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo of The Athletic ($).
"Few quality center fielders are available in either free agency or trade, triggering interest in players who might be pried loose from other clubs. The Houston Astros’ Jake Meyers, coming off a modest offensive breakout last season, is one such player," Rosenthal and Woo wrote.
Given Bellinger's defensive decline in center field this past season, Bader is probably the best option available at that position. Again, no disrespect to him, but the drop off from him to Meyers isn't very steep. Meyers might even be more intriguing for several reasons.
First, Meyers is a 29-year-old under cheap club control through 2027. Bader, on the other hand, is a 31-year-old likely to be far more expensive than Meyers for the next couple of years. Second, Meyers is a Gold Glove-caliber defender coming off his best offensive season. A 107 wRC+ might not be eye-popping in the grand scheme of things, but that kind of offensive output combined with elite defense at a premium position is valuable. Despite being limited to just 103 games in 2025, Meyers ranked 14th among primary center fielders with 2.4 fWAR. Had he played a full season, who knows where he would've ended up?
The Astros shouldn't rush to trade Meyers, but he could fetch a more valuable return than fans might realize, given his defensive prowess and the lack of better options. If he can help net a controllable starter or a potent left-handed hitter, it'd be hard to pass on trading Meyers. It'll be interesting to see if he stays or goes.
Blue Jays are nowhere near done after signing Dylan Cease
The Toronto Blue Jays made it to Game 7 of the World Series, gave Dylan Cease $210 million, and are not even close to done this offseason. According to Rosenthal and Woo, the Jays are looking to beef up the back end of their bullpen, with Pete Fairbanks as a target.
“With Ryan Helsley off the market, Pete Fairbanks might be the next closer to sign. The Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins are among the teams interested in him, according to industry sources briefed on his market,” Rosenthal and Woo wrote.
The Blue Jays were a great team in 2025, obviously, but their bullpen was a clear Achilles heel from start to finish. Signing Fairbanks, a reliever who ranks fourth in the American League with 75 saves since the start of the 2023 campaign and has a sub-3.00 ERA in that span, would make the ‘pen much better.
No, Fairbanks isn’t in the same tier as guys like Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez and Devin Williams, but he’d also come at a cheaper cost, leaving the door open for the Jays to add a big bat like Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette in addition.
They already signed arguably the best starting pitcher available. Following that with Fairbanks and a star hitter would make a Jays team that was just two outs shy of a World Series title this past season, that much scarier.
Red Sox are crying poor at the worst time
The Boston Red Sox made the postseason for the first time since 2021, but their Wild Card Series exit showed that this team still has a lot to do before they're truly in the World Series conversation. Another big offseason could have Boston entrenched among the league's best teams. Unfortunately, it sounds as if the Red Sox are cheaping out at the worst possible time, according to Sean McAdam of MassLive.
"According to industry sources familiar with the organization’s thinking, the Red Sox are OK going over the first CBT threshold — set at $244 million for 2026 — which would translate to them absorbing a modest financial loss. But with anything beyond that, there’s a reluctance to incur bigger deficits," McAdam wrote.
For a second straight year, the Red Sox have reportedly expressed a willingness to pass the first luxury tax threshold, but not by much. The Red Sox's payroll is already at around $223 million per FanGraphs, making them roughly $21 million shy of their self-imposed budget. This is a problem.
The Red Sox entered this offseason with glaring needs in their rotation and lineup. The Sonny Gray trade improves their rotation, but is he really their No. 2 starter? If so, that's not great. As for their lineup, the Red Sox are in dire need of some more power. Having only around $21 million to spend gives them the budget for one big bopper, not two. This means that only one of Alex Bregman, Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso can realistically come to Boston.
Of course, this isn't set in stone. If the Red Sox are able to shed some salary (maybe they can find a Masataka Yoshida taker), perhaps the Red Sox will be able to sign two big bats. There's always the hope that ownership will just decide to be comfortable spending a bit more as well.
You can argue that the Red Sox shouldn’t have to spend well beyond the first Luxury Tax threshold to be true contenders, but it’s also hard to envision the Red Sox taking the next step without major roster improvements. It’s hard to make those improvements without a willingness to spend more money. This Red Sox team can be really good, but a reluctance to spend like the big market giant that they are severely impacts their upside.