1. What’s next for the Red Sox?
The Red Sox have already made some of the biggest moves of the season by acquiring starting pitcher Son Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras in two separate trades with the Cardinals. However, they are the only AL team that has not yet signed a free agent to a Major League contract, and there is no reason to believe that Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has finished making moves. According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globethe Red Sox are still in the market for many of the best available infielders, namely free agents Bo Bichette And Alex Bregman and trade candidates Kettle Marte, Isaac ParedesAnd Brendan Donovan. Speier previously linked to the Red Sox Eugenio Suarez also. Boston has also been linked to some notable free agent relievers, including Seranthony Dominguez, Eva PhilipsAnd Chris Martin (before re-signing with the Rangers).
Furthermore, it remains more than possible that Breslow could act by his Major League roster. This team has a surplus of young, controllable outfielders Jarren Duran‘s name is the one that has come up the most in trade rumors. What’s more, Triston Casas And Masataka Yoshida have less playing time now that Contreras is in the crease. Breslow recently told reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com) that these types of logjams ‘tend to work out’, but one way these things can resolve themselves is through a transaction or two.
2. Free agent contracts to be completed:
Ryan O’Hearn and the Pirates last week agreed to the largest free agent contract for a position player in franchise history: a two-year, $29 million guarantee. However, the team hasn’t formalized the signing yet, meaning O’Hearn isn’t technically a Pirate yet. Now that Christmas is over, fans can expect an announcement from the Pirates any day now, although the club will have to clear a spot on its 40-man roster before things become official with O’Hearn.
In addition to O’Hearn, Paul Blackbrand And Amed Rosario are also waiting for the announcement of their new contracts. Both players agreed to re-team with the Yankees this winter on one-year deals; Rosario will earn $2.5 million in 2026, while Blackburn’s deal comes with a $2 million guarantee. Unlike the Pirates, the Yankees have several open spaces on their 40-man roster. They should also be quite familiar with Blackburn and Rosario’s medical records, as both players finished the 2025 season in the Bronx, so it’s not entirely clear what’s holding up the formal announcement of either contract.
3. Mets trade coming?
Francys Romero from Beisbol FR recently wrote about top international prospect Wandy Asigen, who was originally in a deal with the Yankees but will now sign a contract worth approximately $3.8 million with the Mets instead. Romero suggests that the Mets could look to trade for more international bonus pool space before the next signing period begins to facilitate the signing of the 16-year-old shortstop. International bonus pool money can be traded in $250,000 increments, and the Mets’ initial pool for the upcoming signing period was set at $5.44 million last April (per Baseball America). The 2026 international signing period begins on January 15. So if the Mets plan to make a trade to increase their bonus pool, it will likely come together sometime in the next two weeks.
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