MLB Rumors roundup: Freddy Peralta, Lucas Giolito, and Yankees' pitching staff headline Tuesday's updates

As the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated their third World Series in six years with a championship parade on Monday afternoon, the league’s other 29 teams continued their early offseason work. Numerous All-Stars, including New York Mets teammates Edwin Díaz and Pete Alonso, have opted out of their contracts, and the Atlanta Braves named bench coach Walt Weiss their manager following Brian Snitker’s recent retirement. 

It’ll likely still be a bit before the sport’s marquee free agents pick their next home, and we’re not expecting any massive trades in the coming days. Still, there’s plenty of news, especially regarding pitching staffs. We may not have an answer on where Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal will pitch next year, but we do know that two playoff teams may officially need to replace members of their starting rotation.

And, of course, we learned the eight members on this year’s Era Committee Hall of Fame ballot. Don’t be surprised if baseball fans’ attention diverts from predicting their team’s 2026 lineups to wondering if Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens will finally earn enshrinement in Cooperstown next summer.

Here’s the latest news around baseball as of Tuesday morning.

Freddy Peralta might not be the only Brewers pitcher on a new team in 2026

Unsurprisingly, the Brewers picked up Peralta’s $8.1 million option after his impressive 2025 season. The 29-year-old Peralta set career-bests in wins (17), ERA (2.70), and bWAR (5.5) for the NL Central-winning Brewers. Peralta also notched 204 strikeouts, his third consecutive season with at least 200 punchouts, and he lowered his home runs per nine innings from 1.3 to 1.1. Now, the question becomes if or when the Brewers will trade Peralta, who can become a free agent next year.

Elsewhere in the Brewers’ rotation, two-time All-Star Brandon Woodruff declined his part of a $20 million mutual option. Woodruff, who turns 33 next February, went 7-2 with a 3.20 ERA and an impressive 83-14 K-BB ratio in 64 2/3 innings. However, injuries have limited him to only 23 starts since 2023, and he missed the postseason with a lat injury.

If Woodruff is willing to settle for a contract in the one-year and $15 million range, he makes perfect sense for contenders like the Mets and Blue Jays, especially if Max Scherzer departs the latter club. 

Could Lucas Giolito return to the Boston Red Sox after opting out?

Sticking with veteran starters declining their part of a mutual option, Boston’s Lucas Giolito is headed to free agency. After missing all of 2024 following elbow surgery, Giolito rebounded to go 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA over 145 innings. He doesn’t rack up strikeouts like he once did — Giolito’s 7.5 strikeouts per nine marked his fewest as a full-time starter since 2018 — but the 2019 All-Star is a solid, back-of-the-rotation presence.

Although the Red Sox can make Giolito a $22 million qualifying offer, that’ll likely be too pricey. We’ll see whether the two sides can work out a new, cheaper 2026 deal or if Giolito will find a new home. Could Giolito, who is originally from Santa Monica, Calif., potentially go back to the Golden State and replace Clayton Kershaw in the Dodgers’ rotation? Such a move makes plenty of sense to us, and even more so if the Dodgers consider making Roki Sasaki their full-time closer. 

The Yankees might have a familiar face in their bullpen next spring

Much of the early talk surrounding the Yankees’ offseason understandably involves former NL MVP Cody Bellinger and center fielder Trent Grisham. However, don’t forget about Tim Hill, the veteran lefty reliever who recorded a 3.09 ERA in 67 innings. In an offseason preview published on Monday, NJ.com’s Pete Caldera predicted that the Yankees will make the “easy call” and pick up Hill’s $3 million club option.

Hill turns 36 in February, and he provided the Yankees with 1.1 bWAR in 70 games. To his credit, Hill’s 2.1 walk per nine rate was considerably below his career 2.8 BB/9, and he improved his hits per nine from 10.3 to 7.8, his lowest since 2021. Aaron Boone clearly trusts Hill, and we don’t expect that to change when the 2026 season begins. 

Other news on the Yankees’ pitching front: Gerrit Cole, who underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year, shared a video of himself pitching in the Yankee Stadium bullpen. The Yankees have not confirmed if they expect Cole, the 2023 AL Cy Young winner, to begin next season on the active roster.

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