New York Yankees

New York Yankees

Leaning toward the trade market rather than free agency is due to a desire to create some roster flexibility that the current group lacks. None of Carlos Estevez, Matt Strahm, John Schreiber, or Bailey Falter can be optioned to Triple-A. Lucas Erceg has a full slate of options but isn't going to be sent down, given his status as one of the team's top bullpen arms. Daniel Lynch IV and offseason signee are the only relievers who could plausibly be optioned right now.

The Yankees signed right-hander Adam Kloffenstein and catcher Payton Henry to minor league contracts in December, according to the club's official transactions page. 7 News Boston's Ari Alexander writes that Kloffenstein's deal includes an invitation to New York's big league spring camp. Kloffenstein's MLB resume consists of one perfect inning of relief work for the Cardinals in their 6-5 win over the Giants on June 20, 2024.

With just one major league offer on the table, Takahashi could be headed back to Nippon Professional Baseball, reports Mark Feinsand and Brian Murphy of MLB.com. Imai landed a contract on the final day of his posting window, so there's certainly still time for Takahashi to find a desirable deal. Feinsand and Murphy didn't provide additional details about the lone offer in front of Takahashi, but their report suggests it might not be enough to coax the righty stateside.

1953 - The Milwaukee Braves acquire second baseman Danny O'Connell from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for third baseman Sid Gordon, outfielder Sam Jethroe, pitcher Max Surkont and four minor league pitchers. PIttsburgh also receives $100,000. 1926 - National League MVP Bob O'Farrell is named to replace Rogers Hornsby as Cardinals manager. Reports suggest that the job was first offered to Bill Killefer who turned it down out of loyalty to Hornsby. 1956 - The New York City Board of Estimate votes $25,000 for a survey regarding the Brooklyn Dodgers' proposal for a new stadium in downtown Brooklyn.

The competitive balance tax (CBT) threshold continued its growth for the 2025 MLB season with a new high of $241 million, but the Dodgers far surpassed it with a payroll of $417.3 million. The Dodgers were hit with additional surcharges as a result of going over the luxury tax threshold for at least three straight seasons and their total over the CBT threshold.

Blackburn landed with the Yankees after getting released by the Mets in August. He made eight appearances with the club, recording a 5.28 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning. Blackburn had been a starter for the majority of his career, but worked strictly as a reliever with the Yankees. The now 32-year-old had a miserable debut with the team, allowing seven earned runs in 3 1/3 innings to begin his time in the Bronx.

Bruihl joined the Blue Jays as a minor league free agent in March. He put together 42 solid innings at Triple-A, earning a promotion to the big-league club. The 28-year-old lefty made 15 appearances with Toronto, recording a 5.27 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. Bruihl punched out 27.7% of the hitters he faced, though it came with a 10.8% walk rate.

Romero is projected to earn $4.4MM in 2026, which is his final season of arbitration control before free agency. With the Cardinals in rebuild mode, Romero is a logical trade candidate, and moving him now rather than at the trade deadline allows St. Louis to both land a larger return and avoid the risk of an in-season injury to the 29-year-old southpaw.

The draws of Lombard is that he is the son of a coach and former big leaguer, who has a mature, advanced game. He has in the past shown a good feel for hitting, but also has potentially plus power and plus or better speed. Defensively he is a prospect who looks like he will stick at shortstop and be a quality defender there.

The former MLB GM has elite closer Edwin Diaz staying in New York, but not with the Mets but joining the Yankees on a five-year, $88 million deal that could potentially be worth $100 million when all is said and done. If that indeed comes to fruition, that would be detrimental news to the Blue Jays in their search for significant bullpen help in the free agent market this offseason.

"We remain so passionate about this business, but our leases are up," co-owner Elise Rosenberg told Strong.

I hope the week has been going well for everybody so far.

The New England Patriots were one of the most fortunate teams over the last 25 years, as they didn't have to undergo head coaching searches every few years, having the greatest of all time under the helm of Bill Belichick. As we know, he helped lead the franchise to six Super Bowl titles in two decades alongside quarterback Tom Brady, making most other teams in the league jealous of the consistency they had in the front office and the success they achieved because of it.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes received a record $3,436,343 from this year's pre-arbitration bonus pool, raising his two-year total to $5,588,400 under the initiative to direct more money to top younger players. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez was second at $2,678,437, followed by Houston Astros pitcher Hunter Brown at $2,206,538, Seattle pitcher Bryan Woo at $1,540,676 and Arizona outfielder Corbin Carroll at $1,341,674, according to figures compiled by Major League Baseball

One way they may attempt to do that? Go and get a guy who is being compared to Yesavage. The player drawing those comparisons is none other than free agent Japanese pitching sensation Tatsuya Imai, who will be playing in MLB for the first time in his career in 2026. The 27-year-old right hander has recently been compared to Yesavage by ESPN's Kiley McDaniel for what he brings to the table.

If there's a correlation between spending the most money and winning a championship, I still think it's a weak correlation. Sample size of data, not very big. But they earned every bit of it. I mean, they struggled with injuries throughout the season. But they got healthy at the right time. The rotation got healthy, and when that rotation is healthy, they're tough to beat.

De La Cruz showed promise early in his career with Miami, hitting .269/.318/.430 with 18 homers, 27 doubles and a pair of triples in his first 574 plate appearances from 2021-22. He popped 19 homers in 2023, but poor glovework and an OBP barely north of .300 made him a roughly replacement-level player. De La Cruz had a better start in '24, connecting on 18 long balls through his first 454 turns at the plate.

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don't use Spotify or Apple for podcasts. This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and Anthony of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss...

Berra debuted in 1946 but played only seven games that season. He wore No. 38 and No. 35 during his debut season and 35 in 1947, while Bill Dickey, who won eight World Series titles as a Yankees catcher, wore No. 8. Dickey retired as a player following the 1946 season and Aaron Robinson, a 1947 All-Star, inherited No. 8 before Berra. The Yankees retired No. 8 in 1972 to honor both Dickey and Berra.