You are viewing the chat in desktop mode. Click here to switch to mobile view.
X
MLBTR Chat
powered byJotCast
Mark P
9:22
Doesn't seem likely.  The Twins have no real financial motivation to do so since Ryan is pretty inexpensive over his remaining arb years.  Obviously a rival team could step up with a gigantic offer, but barring such a scenario, Minnesota is probably keeping Ryan since the Twins think they can contend in 2026
MarioSoto
9:22
Are you as disappointed in the Reds as I am this winter?
Mark P
9:22
I haven't been wowed by their moves or anything, but obligatory "it's only late December" caveat
Casas
9:23
I don’t understand why the Red Sox have seemingly given up on Casas. Yes, he’s gotten several season ending injuries the last few years. But, he’s a controllable young player with good power and good upside when healthy. Is Contreras a stopgap for Casas or is Tristan on the trade block?
Mark P
9:24
The Red Sox would surely prefer to move Yoshida over Casas, but Casas (injuries notwithstanding) is a much easier player to trade.  Contreras is under contract through 2027, so he isn't really a stopgap.
Joe Hardy
9:26
Can the Athletics keep Langelier's long term...they're building a nice core and he'd be a nice piece to keep.
Mark P
9:27
Since Langeliers is repped by Scott Boras, an extension seems highly unlikely.  But, Shea is arb-controlled through 2028, so the A's don't really have to worry about his future for some time yet
Bryan
9:27
Arizona is not going to trade Martel. This is fan hype. I repeat Arizona is not going to trade Martel. Do you agree?
Mark P
9:27
I wasn't aware that 80's-90's wrestling star Rick "The Model" Martel even played for the Diamondbacks
Philthy Rotten
9:29
If Realmuto does not re-sign, what would you think the Phillies plan B is?
Mark P
9:29
Victor Caratini stands out as the obvious choice in free agency, but the pickings would be very slim for the Phillies.
Which underlines the importance of Realmuto to the Phils in particular
Musical Chairs
9:30
It seems like there is so much overlap of interest in Tucker / Bichette / Bregman / Bellinger that one signing really impacts the next. Which of those dominoes do you see falling first?
Mark P
9:31
In theory Okamoto might technically be the first domino, just because he has his posting window up on January 4.  But, if Okamoto signs with Pittsburgh or San Diego or some other team that isn't in on the bigger names you mentioned, it won't exactly shake up the market.

If I had to pick one, it might be Bichette back with Toronto.  There's some obvious history there, and the Sox are the only other team really linked to Bo this winter.  And, if the Red Sox are really this reluctant about inking players to longer-term deals, that leaves the Jays as the best fit for Bichette's contract demands
Bendix
9:33
Does Ketel Marte make sense for Marlins? They have what D-Backs need most in pitching.
Mark P
9:34
This would be a fascinating pivot for Miami, but I don't think they're quite there yet in terms of a big-swing trade like this
AstrosFAN
9:35
Issac Paredes for Connelly Early straight up who says no?
Mark P
9:35
Probably Boston
Hits Like Rays
9:36
Is it just me, or do the Rays seem to be targeting strong defense and baserunning instead of power hitting in most of the position players they have acquired in this winter's trades?  Is this a significant trend for them?
Mark P
9:37
This isn't at all a new thing for Tampa.  Defense and baserunning come cheaper than power, but run prevention and stealing runs on the basepaths can play just a big of a role in winning games
Kevin
9:42
When will the Cards deal Brendan?  It is getting old hearing rumors and not trading him. I cannot imagine being his family!
Mark P
9:43
Plenty of players have spoken about the difficulty of constantly being included in trade rumors, whether it's in-season or during the offseason.  For Donovan, this is at least nothing new, since teams have been showing interest in him for years
Ken
9:45
Barring a Kurtz or Wilson extension, is the A's offseason done?
Mark P
9:45
Not by a long shot.  Their rotation still needs work, and Severino is likely being traded
Chet Lemon
9:46
With the Zombro promotion, do you think the Cubs can recreate the success with their veteran bullpen like they did last year? Seems like the Cubs are gambling that they’ll get the same position player production that they got last year. I like Ballesteros and Caissie but I’m not sure they can replace Tucker’s stats/threat in the lineup.
Mark P
9:47
I like all of the Cubs' bullpen moves, actually.  As much as Hoyer takes heat for not spending bigger in the bullpen specifically, he isn't wrong about the year-to-year volatility of relief pitching.  He has stretched his pen budget a bit more than usual, but the end result is a good group of veterans with upside.
Kevin L
9:49
The Yankees have been oddly quiet this offseason. Do you think it’s a result of the big names waiting to sign? Or do you believe they are content with their team as is?
Mark P
9:50
They shouldn't be standing pat with a team that wasn't good enough to get it done in 2025.  I can see the Yankees also taking the approach of seeing if they can wait out the market for some of the bigger-name players, then seeing if they swoop in with a pricey (but relative "bargain") of an offer
Mike Myers
9:50
Is Jonathan India a potential trade target for Boston? Cheaper than Marte…
Mark P
9:51
Cheaper, yeah, and also significantly less productive.  Hard to imagine India is on Boston's radar.
9:52
Time to wrap things up tonight, as this ended up being something of an abbreviated version of the chat.  Thanks to everyone who submitted a question, and we'll roll the dice in seeing if more of a normal-sized chat can take place next weekend.
9:53
If you're interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you're about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today's chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link: 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-12-28-25
Connecting…