MLB Trade Rumors and Free Agent News for 2025-2026

We keep track of all the latest free agent and trade rumors.

Kyle Tucker made his decision. The pitcher is joining the Dodgers on a four-year, $240 million contract, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The team has not yet confirmed. The Blue Jays and Mets were the other two reported finalists for Tucker, who was widely considered the top free agent available this offseason.

With Tucker off the board, the market for outfielder Cody Bellinger could be intense, considering all three clubs pursuing Tucker have also been linked to Bellinger. The Giants are another possible destination if Bellinger doesn’t re-sign with the Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers have been trying to bring Bellinger back, but the length of the deal could be a sticking point in contract negotiations. The Yankees have reportedly offered a five-year contract worth around $155 million, but Bellinger is said to want a seven-year deal.

The Mets in particular would be highly motivated to pursue Bellinger. They have a clear need on the field, and missing Tucker further increases the pressure they were already under to make a big splash following the departures of several longtime players. They also need to deal with their circulation; free agent Framber Valdez and trade target Freddy Peralta are possibilities.

Tucker’s deal with the Dodgers could result in the Blue Jays moving back with their longtime shortstop, Bo Bichette, who is also unsigned. Toronto’s chances of re-signing Bichette appeared to be fading as the club recently acquired Tucker after acquiring third baseman Kazuma Okamoto. But now that Tucker is no longer an option, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Blue Jays pivot to an aggressive Bichette.

Much of the talk surrounding the Red Sox recently has been about their pursuit of an infielder and how they will respond to the loss of Alex Bregman, who signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Cubs. On Wednesday, however, they made a dramatic move to further bolster their rotation, acquiring Ranger Suárez to a five-year, $130 million deal in free agency (per source).

With Suárez joining holdovers Garrett Crochet and Bryan Bello and fellow newcomers Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo on the Boston staff, the Red Sox could have the game’s best rotation.

And they have a lot of starting pitching to offer in an infielder trade. A team source suggested to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic (subscription required) that the Red Sox will still explore free agent bats in addition to the trade market. They have been linked to Bo Bichette and Eugenio Suárez, but their deal with the Rangers Suárez makes a trade the most likely route, according to McCaffrey.

Having Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval to provide veteran depth could allow Boston to dangle Payton Tolle (MLB Pipeline’s No. 28 overall prospect) or Connelly Early (Red Sox’s No. 4 prospect) as trade bait. Bello, who signed a six-year extension with Boston through March 2024, is another trade candidate. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported in December that Boston had been “quietly” shopping him.

Although the D-backs released Boston target Ketel Marte on the trade market, McCaffrey suggests that the Red Sox could try to renew negotiations with Arizona, offering Tolle or Early and Jarren Duran or Ceddanne Rafaela.

Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan and Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes are among other options the Red Sox could consider. The Phillies could make third baseman Alec Bohm available if they sign Bichette. However, it’s doubtful the Red Sox will trade Tolle or Early for any of those veterans.

One of the best starters out there is off the board, with the Red Sox and free agent lefty Ranger Suárez reaching an agreement on Wednesday.

That leaves Framber Valdez as the last pitcher left from the clearly defined quintet that sits atop the offseason, with Dylan Cease (Blue Jays), Michael King (Padres) and Tatsuya Imai (Astros) also in that group along with Valdez and Suárez. Valdez has often been linked to the Mets and Orioles.

Meanwhile, Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta continues to be seen as an attractive trade target, given his recent performance and the minimum salary for 2026 ($8 million), which will be his last year before free agency. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman linked the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Giants and Braves to Peralta on Wednesday.

Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Lucas Giolito are among the other notable options left in free agency.

After signing Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle to bolster their rotation early in the offseason, the Giants have shifted their attention to the infield.

According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, San Francisco is “pursuing hard” the second baseman and has been involved in trade talks with the Cubs for Nico Hoerner and the Cardinals for Brendan Donovan.

Second base is a clear area of ​​need for the Giants, who are thought to have the third-worst production from second base in the Majors. Right now, Casey Schmitt — who owns a 101 OPS+ and posted a -4 Outs Above Average last season — is slated to get the bulk of the playing time. More >

The Phillies and Bo Bichette met almost Monday.

Two sources confirmed the meeting to MLB.com, though the club has yet to comment publicly. The Athletic first reported late last week that the Phillies and Bichette planned to talk.

The Phillies’ interest in Bichette is real. The sources said they believe there is a way to an agreement, but many challenges must be met. More >

The D-backs have completed a trade with the Cardinals for veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado.

St. Louis received 22-year-old right-hander Jack Martinez — an eighth-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Arizona State — in return. More >

The Yankees haven’t closed the door on reuniting with Bellinger just yet. According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Bronx Bombers are continuing to negotiate with the outfielder and have updated their latest offer in an effort to close the gap between the two sides.

As Heyman previously reported, the length of the potential deal is a sticking point in contract negotiations. The Yankees have reportedly offered a five-year contract worth around $155 million, but Bellinger is said to want a seven-year deal.

Heyman noted Monday that the Yankees are considering undrafted free agent shortstop Bo Bichette and are discussing trades for several other stars, including Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr., as backup plans.

After the Cubs reportedly agreed to a five-year contract with third baseman Alex Bregman on Saturday, Hoerner could be the odd man out in the infield. Robert will play in 2026 with a $20 million club option and has another club option for 2027.

If Bellinger doesn’t end up with the Yankees, Heyman mentioned the Dodgers, Giants, Mets, Cubs and Blue Jays as other potential suitors.

The Yankees have moved to strengthen the rotation of projects that will be at risk in the early months of next season, as the club announced on Tuesday that it has acquired left-hander Ryan Weathers from the Marlins in a four-player package.

Miami received outfielder Brendan Jones, linebacker Dillon Lewis, infielder Dylan Jasso and infielder Juan Matheus in the trade.

Jones (No. 15), Lewis (No. 16) and Jasso (No. 23) are all ranked among the Yankees’ top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. More >

One of the four major players remaining in free agency is off the market. Alex Bregman agreed to a five-year, $175 million contract with the Cubs on Saturday. It’s the third-largest deal in Cubs history in terms of total value, and gives Chicago plenty of infield space, with Bregman at third, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, Nico Hoerner at second and Michael Busch at first.

It also leaves the Cubs with plenty of interior space. Matt Shaw, coming off a strong rookie season, was supposed to enter the year at the hot corner, but with Bregman now in town, Shaw could be a versatile player who can play multiple interior positions. Or the Cubs could entertain him or Hoerner, who will be a free agent after the 2026 season. Hoerner’s name has come up in trade rumors all winter, and with Shaw capable of moving to second base if needed, Chicago could test the market for Hoerner and try to get him something before he leaves in free agency.

The 31-year-old Giolito, a high school teammate of Tigers starter Jack Flaherty, had a solid 2025 season for the Red Sox, posting a 3.41 ERA over 145 innings before an elbow injury in September cut short his year. Bassitt, 36, had a 3.96 ERA over 170 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays last year. He has pitched at least 170 innings in each of the past four seasons.

After bolstering their rotation with the additions of Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss, the Astros’ best offseason is over. However, the club still needs to plan its starting squad. The problem? Too many players, not enough spots.

Walker’s salary — he has two years left on his three-year, $60 million deal — and a limited no-trade clause will make the first baseman very difficult to move, so Paredes seems more likely to leave. His name has already come up in trades as the Red Sox are said to be interested in him.

Outfielder Jesús Sánchez is another option for Houston, but doing so would not address the rest of the team’s infield, unless the club is open to the idea of ​​Paredes playing the outfield.

Although they added Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, Jhostynxon García and Jake Mangum this offseason, the Pirates are still hunting for another belt. Kazuma Okamoto was reportedly a top target, but the Japanese outfielder joined the Blue Jays on a four-year deal, becoming the latest free agent to ditch Pittsburgh after Kyle Schwarber, Josh Naylor and Jorge Polanco did the same.

Coming off a 49-homer season, Suárez is a perfect fit for the Pirates, who finished last in MLB with 117 home runs and a .350 slugging percentage in 2025 and had an opening at third base after trading Ke’Bryan Hayes in the summer.