1. The Imai countdown continues:
The booking window for right-handed NPB Tatsuya Imai closes tomorrow at 4pm CT. With just over 30 hours to go before the deadline for Imai to sign a contract, the rumor mill has remained relatively quiet regarding Imai’s market. While early connections were made between the right-hander and the Mets, Yankees, Cubs, Phillies and Orioles, it’s been almost a month since many of those rumors started percolating with minimal updates from there. Imai reportedly began meeting in-person with teams earlier this week, and while no new rumors have emerged as a result of those meetings, the right-hander is currently in the final stages of his decision-making process. Where will the 27-year-old right-hander land? MLBTR’s Anthony Franco looked at the best fits for Imai in a post for Front Office subscribers yesterday.
2. A’s continue expansion talks:
The A’s inked slugger Tyler Soderstrom to a seven-year extension last week, which was first reported on Christmas Day. The 24-year-old Soderstrom was a first-round pick of the A’s in 2020 and is coming off a breakout season in which he slashed .276/.346/.474 with 60 extra base hits (including 25 home runs) in 158 games while playing mostly left field for the club. Söderstrom agrees Laurens Butler And Brent Rooker among the players who have already signed long-term extensions with the A’s, but reports indicate they are not done yet. Expansion talks are reportedly underway with other players, and while it’s unclear whether these deals will get done or who exactly the team is pursuing a long-term deal with, the idea is to sign Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtzor Shea Langeliers to a long-term contract is certainly exciting for fans of the team. Will more deals be made?
3. Giants bring in Mahle:
It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the Giants so far, but yesterday they made a key addition to their rotation when they signed a right-hander Tyler Mahle to a one-year contract. Mahle’s signing has not yet been made official and his salary has not been revealed at this time, but the move will significantly strengthen the team’s rotation heading into 2026. Justin Verlander returned to free agency after a year in San Francisco, leaving little certainty in the Giants’ rotation Logan Webb And Robbie Ray. Mahle, together with his peers, should help provide some of that certainty Adriaan Huiserwho signed a two-year contract just two weeks ago.
With Houser and Mahle now in the fold, it seems likely that the Giants are done with rotation additions at this point and will simply fill the fifth spot in their rotation with internal options like Landen Roupp And Hayden birdsong. Can they next focus on tackling the lineup? The club has reportedly expressed interest in Cody Bellinger during his free agency, while a Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and Cardinals utility man Brendan Donovan have both caught the club’s attention on the trade market.
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