1. The Athletics lock up Soderstrom
In a rare major piece of news on Christmas Day, the A’s have agreed to a seven-year, $86 million extension with left fielder Tyler Soderstrom. Between his increasingly strong numbers at the plate and successful transition to left field, Soderstrom cemented his place as a building block for an athletics team approaching their next era in Las Vegas. Soderstrom’s extension highlights a busy week for the A’s, which also includes the Jeff McNeil trade and the Mark Leiter Jr. signed. The next step could be adding starting pitching, as the A’s still have a lot to do to address a rotation that was a weak link in 2025.
2. The deadline for posting Imai is approaching
January 2 at 4:00 PM CT marks the end of the 45-day post period for Tatsuya Imaias the right-hander will spend the 2026 season with the Seibu Lions if he cannot ink a deal with a major league team in the coming week. Teams like the Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, Orioles, Giants and Mets have been linked to the Imai market, although especially in the case of the latter two clubs, it remains to be seen whether the Giants or Mets are willing to commit to a starting pitcher long-term. MLB Trade Rumors projected a six-year, $150 million interest rate for Imai as he makes the jump from Japan to North American baseball, and given the number of larger market teams reportedly interested, it appears Imai could land a substantial payday. The January 2 deadline creates some urgency for Imai’s suitors, and his situation could be resolved before other free agent starters (i.e. Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Zac Gallen) come off the board.
3. A busy end to 2025?
The last week of the year is usually relatively quiet in terms of transactions, as many front office executives consider the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day to be something of an unofficial break. Of course, as we just saw with the Soderstrom deal, the hot stove can suddenly heat up at any time, so you never know when a big expansion, trade or signing is just around the corner. For example, a big free agent who has been weighing offers over the holidays may be ready to make a decision now that Christmas is over. In addition to Imai’s post period, Kazuma OkamotoThe posting deadline also comes on January 4, so that’s another Japanese star whose arrival in the MLB could be determined on short notice.
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