The 2024 MLB offseason is well underway with a few trades made and top free agents like Max Fried, Willy Adames and Juan Soto coming off the board. However, there are plenty of top MLB free agents still available and with the Winter Meetings in the rearview mirror, more signings and trades are imminent. Amid all the MLB rumors and buzz from around the league, here are 10 moves we’d love to see this week.
Related: 2025 MLB Draft order, picks by round
New York Yankees sign Alex Bregman
Losing out on Juan Soto will probably be the best thing that happened to the New York Yankees this offseason. They’ve already added Devin Williams and Max Fried, strengthening their rotation and bullpen significantly. Now it’s time to help out the Yankees lineup. Not only would Alex Bregman provide Gold Glove-caliber defense at third base, but he can also provide a .800-plus OPS to a team that finished 22nd in OPS (.665) from its third basemen last season.
Related: Highest paid MLB players 2025
Boston Red Sox sign Jack Flaherty
Corbin Burnes ($200-plus million) is likely out of the Boston Red Sox price range. Likewise, a trade for All-Star pitcher Luis Castillo would cost several top Red Sox prospects and that’s much harder to justify after making the Garrett Crochet trade. Jack Flaherty is the cost-effective alternative. He’ll likely have to settle for a shorter multi-year deal because multiple teams have some durability concerns with him. That can work in Boston’s favor in terms of financial flexibility long-term and they can still land a starter who posted a 3.17 ERA with a 29.9 percent strikeout rate and a .222 batting average allowed in 162 innings pitched last season.
Related: Boston Red Sox rumors reveal two SP team is expected to pursue
New York Mets trade for Luis Castillo
The New York Mets could certainly dip into free agency to try and land a high-end starting pitcher, but the Juan Soto contract doesn’t make that a cost-effective option. Instead, the best path to upgrading this rotation would be a Luis Castillo trade. The 32-year-old would likely waive his no-trade clause to join a team with World Series aspirations. New York would get an All-Star for the front of its rotation and Castillo is only owed $72.45 million over the next three years ($24.15 million AAV).
Related: Best baseball players of all time
San Diego Padres sign Roki Sasaki
There have been a lot of MLB rumors this winter about the San Diego Padres wanting to shed payroll, hence the likes of Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease and Xander Bogaerts being shopped around the league. However, San Diego also wants to remain competitive. Because of MLB’s signing restrictions for international free agents under the age of 25, Roki Sasaki is only going to land a standard contract like the one Shohei Ohtani signed when he first came to the majors. San Diego will have to pay a few million for the rights to land Sasaki, but they offer the smaller media market he wants and he gives them a potential front-line starter for the next five-plus years.
Related: MLB executive, inside raise concerns about San Diego Padres’ future
Baltimore Orioles swing a Dylan Cease trade
The Baltimore Orioles want to re-sign Corbin Burnes after trading top prospects for him last MLB offseason, but the ace’s asking price ($200-plus million) makes a reunion highly unlikely. So, after signing Japanese starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sagano to a one-year deal, Baltimore also lands its ace to replace Burnes in a similar move to what it did last winter. The Orioles farm system is still deep enough to acquire Dylan Cease, whose asking price should be slightly lowered because he’s a one-year rental. If all goes well, Cease could be just as good as Burnes for a fraction of the financial cost.
Related: Baltimore Orioles rumors identify 2 SP targets to replace Corbin Burnes
Teoscar Hernandez returns to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Teoscar Hernandez has made it pretty clear he wants to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025. He delivered All-Star production and added tremendous depth to the Dodgers lineup, playing an integral role in their World Series title. Just as critical for Los Angeles, he fit in perfectly to the clubhouse. Re-signing Hernandez might cost $25 million per season, but this is an instance where both the talent and clubhouse fit warrant the cost for an organization that is determined to become a dynasty.
San Francisco Giants strike deal with Corbin Burnes
Buster Posey made his intentions clear already with the San Francisco Giants at the start of the MLB offseason. The team overspent on shortstop Willy Adames, but this lineup desperately needed that bat in the middle of the order. If you’re going to be that aggressive, you also have to replace the void atop the Giants rotation created by Blake Snell’s departure. Corbin Burnes’ peaks might not be as high as Snell’s, but he’s a better long-term bet for durability. If San Francisco wants to be taken seriously as a playoff contender in a big market, now is the time to spend.
Toronto Blue Jays add Anthony Santander to lineup
It’s been a relatively quiet MLB offseason for the Toronto Blue Jays. They added Yimi Garcia to the bullpen and strengthened their infield with Andres Gimenez, but that’s not remotely enough coming off a disappointing season. Amplifying the need to make a big move, talks on a contract extension with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. aren’t going well. Anthony Santander provides a lot more pop to the Blue Jays lineup and signing him to a multi-year deal won’t be so expensive that it would become an impediment to re-signing Guerrero Jr.
Houston Astros trade for Nolan Arenado
It’s become pretty evident that the Houston Astros aren’t bringing Alex Bregman back. That’s a reflection on ownership’s efforts to reduce payroll, but this still needs to be a competitive ballclub in a division that is gift-wrapped for whoever wants it. Nolan Arenado (1.6fWAR) was nearly as good as Bregman (2.0 fWAR) in the second half of last season and he’s only owed $52 million total in the final three years of his contract. If the Astros want the most cost-effective solution, it’s Arenado.
Washington Nationals make a splash with Pete Alonso signing
Pete Alonso has a few suitors, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the All-Star first baseman won’t find the big contract he’s looking for from a contender. So, he has the option of significantly reducing his asking price or taking a bigger contract with a young team that needs a veteran. The Washington Nationals are the perfect option. The Patrick Corbin contract is officially off the books and that just leaves the money owed to the retired Stephen Strasburg ($26.5 million annually through 2029) as the biggest salary on the Nationals payroll. If Alonso wants the biggest deal, this is the best fit for both sides.
Also Read: NFL power rankings