Yimi Garcia returns to the fold, but there's no guarantee he finds the same form from his early 2025 days. The Jays are also banking on Mason Fluharty and Braydon Fisher avoiding a sophomore slump and Brendon Little finding his early 2025 form, while the club appears to be leaning towards Jeff Hoffman as their closer after an up-and-down 2025 campaign.
The Angels agreed to re-sign third baseman Yoan Moncada to a one-year deal last week, but that deal still has yet to be made official. It's unclear what's caused the delay, as other clubs with agreements signed at a similar time have officially announced those deals. Regardless, an announcement figures to happen in the near future given that spring training is just around the corner.
Yesterday, the Giants officially announced their signing of right-hander Tyler Mahle. One more piece of the puzzle has to be put into place before Mahle's deal can become official, however: creating a 40-man roster spot for the righty. San Francisco's roster is currently at capacity, which means one player will need to be removed in order to make room for Mahle.
Indeed, according to SPORT, Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka has entered Barcelona's orbit. The German midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and has no intention of renewing with the Bavarian giants. And, at the request of manager Hansi Flick, Barça are monitoring his situation. Moreover, the midfielder himself would prioritise signing for the Blaugrana in order to reunite with his former coach, with whom he enjoys a very good personal relationship.
With Christmas in the rear view mirror and start of a new week here, it could make sense for some more free agents to find new homes in the coming days. While still in the midst of the holiday season, recent years have shown activity can still be fast and furious. Perhaps the Braves can end 2025 and enter 2026 with their off-season basically complete if they can find a move for a starting pitcher they like this week.
That's a sensible target, given the current setup. García should have right field spoken for with Brandon Marsh in left. The Phils want to give Justin Crawford a chance to take over the center field job. Both Marsh and Crawford are lefties. Marsh has notable career splits, with a .213/.278/.303 line and 61 wRC+ against southpaws in his career. Crawford actually fared slightly better against lefties in the minors this year but in a tiny sample of just 91 plate appearances against southpaws.
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 Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss...
A wave of top center backs is approaching the end of their current deals, and the timing could trigger a scramble across Europe's biggest clubs. With several high-profile defenders free to negotiate from January ahead of contracts expiring in June 2026, teams like Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Barcelona are watching closely. Among them is Andreas Christensen, whose situation at Barcelona mirrors a broader trend.
Look, the Braves are nothing if not loyal... for the most part. One thing they've loved to do in recent years? Bring back old friends for a last, or even not-so-last, hurrah. Off the top of my head, I can think of getting Jorge Soler and Luke Jackson back at the 2024 Trade Deadline, the seemingly never-ending saga of Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall came back multiple times, and even someone like Jesse Chavez seemingly had his presence on the team written in the stars.
Everyone loves a bargain and the potential pool of free agents whose current deals are set to expire at the end of the 2025/26 campaign will be constantly assessed in the coming months. Once January comes around, any players in the final months of their contracts will be able to talk to overseas teams and there are a number of big-name players for whom the clock is ticking.
