Author: Passion MLB

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MLB in brief: Kazuma Okamoto in the Blue Jays’ sights | Pete Alonso doesn’t get what he wants

Kazuma Okamoto in the Blue Jays’ sights

He can play multiple positions defensively speaking.

What does the future hold for Spencer Jones?

Good question.

Pete Alonso doesn’t get what he wants

That’s the opinion of one American executive, who believes the hitter will have to settle for fewer years in his next contract.

Was Cody Ponce too expensive for the Astros?

That’s the rumor.

Eury Perez, untouchable

He’s the only one in Miami’s rotation.

The Luis Severino case

He won’t be traded just to save money.

Reinforcement in Seattle

Reliever Jose Ferrer arrives in Seattle. The Nationals have notably received catcher Harry Ford, a big prospect.

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Dodgers: Dave Roberts says he is in favor of a salary cap

The issue of a potential salary cap in baseball is the talk of the town.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that Major League Baseball owners will be serious about pushing for a salary cap—and a floor—for players.

Owners are businessmen, and they’ve seen what the salary cap has done to the value of NHL teams. They want the same kind of increase in baseball, especially if it means giving away fewer crazy big contracts.

If this passes, it will completely change the dynamic of the sport.

On this subject, it’s really interesting to note that Dave Roberts, who possibly didn’t speak out on the subject without making sure to reflect his organization’s values, says he’s in favor of a salary cap – and a floor, to make the other teams spend.

That’s no small thing, coming from a guy who knows he works for a club that spends a lot (much to the chagrin of many) and wanted to “ruin baseball” by winning the 2025 World Series.

I don’t know what the Dodgers should do with the payroll. After all, the club posted a $415M payroll in 2025 and paid over $100M in luxury tax this year.

But I know that with a cap or not, L.A. would remain an attractive destination. And Roberts probably knows that.

Listening to Roberts talk, and seeing the Yankees and Red Sox put salary caps on themselves, you’d think that a number of big-name owners might be in favor of a cap, too . If that’s the case, it could play into the collective agreement negotiations.

I wonder what Steve Cohen’s Mets think of all this?

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No, Zac Gallen has not (yet) signed with the Cubs

In the last few minutes, you may have seen news that starter Zac Gallen had signed a contract with the Cubs. And you weren’t dreaming, it’s actually been circulating.

Bob Nightengale reported the whole thing, claiming that the two sides were close to finalizing a multi-year deal that would pay Gallen $22 million a year.

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Well, you can forget about all that, because within minutes, Nightengale retracted his statement.

In fact, he mentioned that the Cubs hope to reach an agreement with Gallen on the basis of this contract.

But in reality, there are other teams still in the race. It’s not over yet.

And Jeff Passan, who obviously caught wind of it all, confirmed that rumors of an imminent deal between Gallen and the Cubs were nothing but hot air.

According to Passan, Gallen doesn’t have a deal and he’s not about to finalize one. That’s got to be clear.

Obviously, one might think that Nightengale, who has a rather extensive history of misreporting, misunderstood what was relayed to him. This led to his premeditated post, then to his update.

And, by the same token, to Passan’s post.

That said, it should be remembered that the Cubs are indeed in the running to sign a starting pitcher. The club, which isn’t likely to bring Kyle Tucker back in 2026, has some money to spend, and a guy like Gallen is a more sensible spend for the Cubs.

We’re talking about a pitcher who had a tough 2025, but still has some great seasons behind him. If a team is confident that 2025 was just a blip, they could sniff out a bargain.

So we’ll see if Gallen eventually ends up signing with the Cubs, but as of today, that’s not the case. Maybe things will unblock at the winter meetings over the next few days.

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When Freddie Freeman agrees to be teased by Blue Jays fans

For many people, the Los Angeles Dodgers are an easy club to hate. We’re talking about an organization that puts a lot of money on the table to attract good players to town.

With three championship rings since 2020, including two since last year, let’s just say the plan is working well.

But even so, there’s one player there who’s hard to dislike: Freddie Freeman. The first baseman, who’s been in town for four years, is a veteran who has the respect of quite a few people.

And once again, he’s shown why.

In a video posted by Ryan Reynolds (who raises money every year for sick kids in Toronto) on social networks, we see that it was the Dodgers veteran who agreed, this year, to help him raise money for kids.

And the video concept is truly original.

In the big picture, we see Freeman, who recently won his third World Series title by beating the Toronto Blue Jays, showing up to visit sick kids.

But because he prevented the Blue Jays from winning a few weeks ago, the kids (wearing Toronto ball team colors) refuse to talk to him.

They tell him he’s a loser, that he’s shameless to show his face and that he’s ruined everything. And when he tells the nurse that he loves the work she does, she starts singing “Let’s Go Blue Jays” with the kids.

It’s a great staging idea. And Reynolds says he picked up Freeman before the start of the baseball season to “defend” himself for choosing a Dodgers player.

Freeman was born and raised in the U.S., but his parents are Canadians. He represents Canada at international competitions as a tribute to his mother, who passed away when he was just 10.

He considered signing for Toronto four years ago, when he was a free agent and the Atlanta Braves let him go. But in the end, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to return to his hometown, where he grew up.

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The Blue Jays remove Yariel Rodriguez from their 40-man roster

Did we tell you the Blue Jays were going to be aggressive this winter?

After signing Shane Bieber (it was up to the player on the heels of his opt-out, but still), Dylan Cease, and Cody Ponce, the club has absolutely no intention of stopping.

Reliever Yariel Rodriguez was removed from the club’s 40-man roster (suggesting that something is eventually coming up to clear a spot on this December Saturday) this afternoon.

Francys Romero said it first, and Sportsnet reporters (Shi Davidi and Ben Nicholson-Smith) confirmed it, as did the club.

Rodriguez signed a free agent contract two years ago (a la Cody Ponce): he wasn’t in the Majors, but signed a pretty hefty contract nonetheless.

The difference? In 2023, Rodriguez didn’t pitch at all… and Ponce was the MVP in Korea in 2025. So the Blue Jays can hope for the best for the new kid on the block.

Rodriguez still has to earn at least $17.3M over three years… and despite everything, the Blue Jays did it this way. It just goes to show that the club will do anything (especially money) to win.

Now, more than ever, we must expect reinforcements in the bullpen. This was already to be expected, but here’s another clue.

Note that the Blue Jays (who no doubt tried to trade him, just as they are doing with Jose Berrios right now) put Rodriguez up for waivers and nobody claimed him. Rodriguez remains in the organization and will be at camp.

But if he wants his place in the Majors, he’ll have to earn it – both through his performances and in the 40- and 26-player rosters. So it won’t be easy.

If not, he’ll pitch in the minors in 2026 at a high price, which could have the effect of sending him a good message about his performance. Note that he could still be part of a transaction in the meantime (with a good salary holdback), of course.

In 2024, Rodriguez was in the rotation. By the start of the 2025 season, he had found his place in the bullpen. But by the end of the 2025 season (and playoffs), he had lost his way. That was the end of the road for the man the club refused to use in the World Series.

So the Blue Jays are very serious about getting better, which pleases the club’s fans. A good reliever to pitch in the last three innings of a game (along with Jeff Hoffman, Yimi Garcia, and Louis Varland) is to be expected.

Don’t forget that the winter meetings get underway on Monday. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

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MLB in brief: No other starting pitcher in Boston? | The Twins want to keep their stars

No other starting pitcher in Boston?

That’s the rumor. But who will be the club’s #2 pitcher? Sonny Gray?

Twins want to keep their stars

They want to be competitive in 2026. I’ll finish laughing and get back to you.

Phillies interested in Cody Bellinger

No surprises here.

Mets don’t want to give Edwin Diaz five years

That’s what the pitcher wants.

Framber Valdez introduces himself

He has prepared a personality presentation for teams interested in his services.

Several clubs want Zac Gallen

Where will he go?

Ron Washington’s impact in San Francisco

He can help Rafael Devers adjust to first base.

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Rumor mill: Tarik Skubal at the heart of discussions

Tigers discuss Tarik Skubal

In recent weeks, all the signs were that the Tigers were keeping the door open to potentially trade Tarik Skubal… but that the club wasn’t too keen to negotiate.

But it seems that’s not exactly the case.

According to information from Buster Olney, who tweeted on the subject, the Tigers are continuing to talk to several teams in order to take the pulse of the market for the best pitcher in the world.

It’s the right thing to do under the circumstances… but the club should focus on signing him.

The Mets want… everyone

Yesterday, we talked about the Mets’ interest in Joe Ryan. That’s not exactly surprising, considering the fact that the New York club clearly needs reinforcements on the mound.

But established pitchers like Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez are also in the club’s sights. The same goes for Tatsuya Imai and Michael King, whose resumes don’t measure up to the other two in MLB.

Obviously, Edwin Diaz is still in play.

But don’t overlook Kyle Schwarber, who the Mets are reportedly trying to steal from the Phillies. This will no doubt be negotiated at next week’s Winter Meetings.

Paul Goldschmidt back in Arizona?

At this point in his career, Paul Goldschmidt isn’t necessarily a starter anymore. But he can still give a team a helping hand in a limited role.

And a return to Arizona, to the Diamondbacks, could be in the cards.

Robert Suarez on the Dodgers?

We know that one of the Dodgers’ (few) weaknesses is in the bullpen. That’s why I’m not surprised to see that Robert Suarez, who has done well in San Diego recently, is in the rumor mill there.

Whether he’s interested remains to be seen.

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After Johan Oviedo, the Pirates want to trade another pitcher

Just last night (Thursday), we learned that the Pittsburgh Pirates had sent their starting pitcher Johan Oviedo to the Boston Red Sox in a transaction involving five players.

The Boston outfit also acquired reliever Tyler Samaniego and catcher Adonys Guzman, paying top-100 prospect Jhostynxon Garcia and right-handed pitcher Jesus Travieso in return.

But the Pirates’ work isn’t done. In fact, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Pittsburgh would be open to trading any of its starting pitchers, with the exception of National League Cy Young Trophy winner Paul Skenes.

Yet even after trading Oviedo, the Pirates are open to trading another starting pitcher except Paul Skenes, according to team sources. The return would have to be a hitter who would go directly into their line-up.

It’s understandable that the Pennsylvania representatives want to seek reinforcement on the offensive side of the ball, as they’ve been one of the worst batting teams this season, posting the worst power percentage (.350), while hitting the fewest long balls (117), scoring the fewest runs (583) and producing the fewest runs (561).

Conversely, the Pirates finished among MLB’s top clubs on the mound with the seventh-lowest earned run average (3.76) and the most shutouts (19).

As mentioned above, Skenes won’t be moving from Pittsburgh, at least for the time being. Instead, Mitch Keller is the pitcher most likely to be traded, earning $16.9 million next season, the Pirates’ highest salary. He still has around $56 million to receive, on the strength of a five-year, $77 million extension he signed in 2024.

Pittsburgh also has four young guns who excelled last season: Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows, Bubba Chandler and Hunter Barco.

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Kyle Tucker’s visit to Dunedin: will we relive the Shohei Ohtani scenario in Toronto?

As recently as Wednesday, Kyle Tucker visited the Toronto Blue Jays’ practice facility in Dunedin, Florida. The star outfielder met with team officials in their state-of-the-art facilities.

While all this sounds positive for the Blue Jays, the visit is reminiscent of December 2023, when Shohei Ohtani made a similar visit, albeit secretly.

This had taken place on Monday, December 4, with Blue Jays executives going to great lengths to conceal the Nippon’s presence in Florida. General Manager Ross Atkins had even held a Zoom call from an undisclosed location instead of attending the winter meetings, while Ohtani’s agent had mysteriously disappeared from Nashville.

The secrecy lasted exactly three days, just before the chaos, with reports emerging on Friday that the Japanese was on a plane to Toronto for a second meeting. None of this was true, as Ohtani was sipping apple juice in his living room in Southern California.

Will Jays fans relive the nightmare of 2023?

The difference between 2023 and 2025 lies in transparency. Tucker’s visit leaked immediately and looks like standard recruiting protocol rather than desperation on the part of the Blue Jays.

But, until proven otherwise, the parallel will remain of showcasing the team’s facilities, creating the market and ultimately watching the player sign elsewhere.

And once again, if such a scenario occurs, it won’t be for lack of trying. The Blue Jays will spend what it takes to build a winning roster, having built a club that aspired to greatness, even pushing the Los Angeles Dodgers to the limit for the World Series title.

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Alex Bregman: the Cubs are (still) interested this winter

Last winter, Alex Bregman signed very late in the off-season. The third baseman couldn’t find an offer to his liking, so he accepted a short-term contract with the Red Sox, giving himself exit options.

And after a fine season in 2025 (despite a long absence due to injury), he exercised his exit option. So he’s as free as a bird right now.

So where will Bregman end up this time? The Red Sox may be interested in bringing him back, but they won’t be alone.

And among the clubs to keep an eye on, there’s one that’s starting to make some noise: the Chicago Cubs.

Sahadev Sharma reports for The Athletic.

We know that the Cubs, who seem ready to let Kyle Tucker leave on the free-agent market, will have some money to spend. And Bregman, in effect, is likely to sign a smaller contract than Tucker.

And for the Cubs, who have depth in terms of outfielders, Bregman fits the team’s needs better.

The club is banking on Matt Shaw, a promising young player, at third cushion right now. But in light of the fact that he didn’t have a huge 2025 campaign, he’s not exactly untouchable if the club can convince Bregman, who could replace Tucker to some extent offensively, to come to Chicago.

Last year, the Cubs were also interested in Bregman. The club was prepared to give him a four-year, $115 million pact, and Jed Hoyer had targeted him as an important player in his plan.

In the end, Bregman chose Boston… but this winter, the Cubs will have the opportunity to convince Bregman again. Let’s see if this time, it will be the right one.

PMLB
  • Where will Luis Arraez go this winter?

  • What’s next for Pittsburgh?

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