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The Los Angeles Angels and third baseman Anthony Rendon are in talks about buying out the final year of his contract, which could bring a resolution to the failed seven-year, $245 million deal, a source told Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. Rendon missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from hip surgery. If/when the Angels buy out the final year of his deal, Rendon is expected to retire. The 35-year-old veteran is owed $38 million next year. Gonzalez reports that the expectation is that Rendon will defer at least part of that money in 2026, giving the Angels more financial flexibility this offseason. At the time they signed him, the Angels made Rendon the highest-paid third baseman in December of 2019 after he had just won a World Series with the Nationals. The former first-rounder became one of the league's best third basemen in his time with the Nats, but he was a massive bust for the Angels, playing in just a quarter of the team's games over the life of his deal.

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MLB Network's Jon Morosi reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are "actively listening" to trade offers for All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte this offseason. Morosi adds that he thinks there is at least a "50-50 chance" that Marte gets dealt to a new team for the 2026 season and beyond. No trade is imminent, but "multiple teams have checked in." Among the teams that have checked on Marte's availability are the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays. Marte has a limited no-trade clause, but neither the Phillies nor the Blue Jays are on his list. Toronto could decide to pursue Marte if they are prepared to let star shortstop Bo Bichette walk in free agency. If they were to acquire Marte from Arizona, he would play second base, and Andres Gimenez would slide over to the 6. The Phillies currently have Bryson Stott as their starting second baseman, but Marte would be a clear upgrade.

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Houston Astros All-Star left-handed closer Josh Hader (shoulder) said on Monday that his left shoulder feels fully recovered after he finished the 2025 season on the injured list, according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Hader said that he finished his rehab from a shoulder capsule strain several weeks ago and is optimistic about having a normal build-up heading into spring training in February. He threw from a mound "a few times" during his rehab and was "up to just about over 85 mph." The hard-throwing southpaw threw more than an inning in seven of a career-high 71 regular-season appearances in 2024 and had seven such outings in 2025. Hader said he'll remain open to going more than an inning of work going into the third season of his five-year, $95 million deal with Houston. Before his shoulder injury, Hader was his usual dominant self, posting a 2.05 ERA while going 28-for-29 in save chances.

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The Miami Marlins initiated contract-extension talks with right-hander Eury Perez in the spring of this year, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. However, talks failed to progress beyond the initial stages, with the gap between the two sides being around $15 million in guaranteed money. Perez is at two-plus years of service time and will play for around the minimum of $780,000 in 2026 before becoming eligible for salary arbitration. In 19 starts as a rookie in 2023, Perez impressed with a 3.15 ERA and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings. He finished that year on the injured list with inflammation in his right shoulder. The Dominican had Tommy John surgery in 2024 but returned this June and finished with a 4.25 ERA in 95 1/3 innings. The hard-throwing right-hander will be just 22 years old in 2026 and has a rare combination of size, command, and fastball quality.

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Free-agent infielder Jonah Bride and the Texas Rangers agreed to a minor-league contract with an invitation to major-league spring training on Tuesday, a source told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 29-year-old will reunite with new Rangers manager Skip Schumaker, for whom he had his best big-league season in 2024 with the Miami Marlins. Bride, a former 23rd-round pick by the Athletics in 2018 out of South Carolina, hit .276 (64-for-232) with 11 home runs, 39 RBI, and 30 runs scored in 71 games for the Fish in 2024. He hit a strong .281/.423/.453 in 43 games at Triple-A this year, but he struggled with a .435 OSP in 125 plate appearances with Miami and the Minnesota Twins this year. Bride will be auditioning for a roster spot with the Rangers in spring training, but he'll most likely open the 2026 season at Triple-A Round Rock as corner-infield insurance for Texas.

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The Tampa Bay Rays are re-signing outfielder Jake Fraley to a one-year, $3 million deal on Tuesday, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays claimed Fraley off waivers from the Atlanta Braves on Nov. 6 before designating him for assignment last week. The left-handed-hitting outfielder hit a combined .241/.332/.382 with a .714 OPS, six home runs, 23 RBI, 31 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 76 games with the Braves and Cincinnati Reds in 2025. It's highly unlikely that the oft-injured Fraley becomes much more than a platoon outfielder for the Rays in 2026. In his seven big-league seasons, the 30-year-old has a .508 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Fraley's high-water mark came in 2023 with the Reds, when he hit a career-high 15 home runs, drove in 65, and stole 21 bases in 111 games. Fantasy managers in mixed leagues can likely ignore him next year.

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The St. Louis Cardinals are acquiring right-hander Richard Fitts and left-hander Brandon Clarke from the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in exchange for right-hander Sonny Gray and cash, sources told Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Cardinals are sending Boston $20 million to cover Gray's salary of $35 million in 2026. The 25-year-old Fitts will have a good shot at opening next season in St. Louis' starting rotation. In his first two years in the majors with Boston, he went 2-5 with a 3.97 ERA (5.02 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 49:23 K:BB in 15 outings (14 starts) over 65 2/3 innings pitched. Fitts struggled in 11 appearances (10 starts) in 2025, posting a 5.00 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 45 frames. He's under team control through 2031. Clarke, 22, has plenty of upside long term with an electric fastball and a wipeout slider. The young southpaw had a 4.03 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, and 60:27 K:BB in 14 starts in 2025 with Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville.

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Acquiring a catcher is not among the Boston Red Sox's top offseason priorities, but they are showing interest in free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, according to people briefed on the team's talks. The BoSox just acquired veteran starting pitcher Sonny Gray to bolster their rotation behind ace lefty Garrett Crochet, and re-signing third baseman Alex Bregman is another primary goal. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey say that the best guess is still that Realmuto will re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, the team he's been with since 2019. The Phils don't have an internal replacement for the veteran backstop, which makes them motivated to keep him. In Boston, he'd be more of a complementary player as he enters his age-35 season in tandem with Carlos Narvaez. Realmuto is projected to land a three-year, $45 million contract on the open market. He'd be a clear offensive upgrade over Connor Wong, who is currently Boston's No. 2 catcher.

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The Boston Red Sox are acquiring right-hander Sonny Gray and cash from the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday in exchange for left-hander Brandon Clarke and right-hander Richard Fitts, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Cardinals will send $20 million to Boston to cover Gray's salary. Gray's contract will pay him $35 million in 2026, and there is a $30 million mutual option for 2027 that includes a $5 million buyout. The 36-year-old agreed to waive his no-trade clause to head to the American League East. The 13-year MLB veteran spent the last two years in St. Louis, going 27-17 with a 4.07 ERA (3.26 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 404 strikeouts and 77 walks in 60 starts (347 innings). Gray had 200-plus K's in each of the last two years, and his 21.6% K-BB rate was the second-best in the NL in 2025. He doesn't overpower hitters with his fastball, but he has the secondary stuff to remain successful. A move to Fenway Park is a ballpark downgrade.

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The Miami Marlins had contract-extension talks with outfielder Kyle Stowers earlier this offseason, but the two sides were far apart in compensation, and talks have ceased, industry sources told Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. Stowers was the team's lone All-Star in 2025 in what was a breakout season for him. He led the Marlins with a 4.0 fWAR and hit 25 home runs with a .288/.386/.544 slash line and 149 wRC+ before his season ended prematurely in mid-August due to an oblique strain. It's believed that Stowers is seeking a deal around $100 million. The 27-year-old isn't arbitration eligible until 2027 and won't be a free agent until 2030. The Marlins prefer a contract more in line with the eight-year, $50 million deal that Ceddanne Rafaela signed with Boston in April. It's unclear if the Marlins and Stowers will reopen extension talks at some point this winter.

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Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani announced on his Instagram account that he will represent Team Japan again in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Ohtani will suit up for his native Japan again after winning two straight World Series titles with the Dodgers and back-to-back National League MVP awards. Ohtani and Team Japan will be defending their WBC title in 2023, when they beat the USA in the final. The 31-year-old started that game as the designated hitter for Japan before closing out the contest on the mound, striking out then-teammate Mike Trout to end it. The 2026 WBC will begin on March 5 and will take place in four cities: Houston, Miami, Tokyo, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Ohtani has been an All-Star in each of the last five seasons and has now won four MVP awards, two World Series rings, and was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2018.

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The Detroit Tigers are among the teams talking to free-agent right-hander Ryan Helsley about becoming a starter next year, according to people familiar with his market. Helsley has not started since 2019 while at Triple-A Memphis in the St. Louis Cardinals' organization. If the 31-year-old veteran were to return to a starting role, he would need to expand his repertoire, as he threw more than 90% sliders and four-seam fastballs with the Cardinals and New York Mets in 2025. However, he does have a curveball, and he added a cutter in spring training. The market for closers is pretty deep this offseason, so Helsley would expand his possibilities on the open market this winter if he's willing to start. Helsley led the big leagues with 49 saves in 2024, but the two-time All-Star struggled to a 4.50 ERA and 1.54 WHIP this year while saving 21 games with the Cards. He was tipping pitches at times and had a rough 7.20 ERA in 20 innings after joining the Mets.

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The Atlanta Braves agreed to terms on Sunday to re-sign right-hander Joel Payamps on a one-year contract worth $2.25 million for next season, according to the team. Payamps began the 2025 season pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers before he was claimed off waivers by the Braves in late September. The 31-year-old veteran had a career-worst 6.84 ERA (4.54 FIP), 1.52 WHIP, one save, 24 strikeouts, and nine walks in only 26 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in 2025 with both the Brewers and Braves. Payamps should have a role in Atlanta's bullpen on Opening Day, but he won't be much of an option in fantasy baseball leagues as he looks to bounce back in 2026. Through seven big-league seasons, Payamps has a career 3.41 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 10 saves, a 21.9% strikeout rate, and a 7.2% walk rate.

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Free-agent right-hander Phil Maton and the Chicago Cubs agreed to an undisclosed two-year deal with a club option for a third year on Friday, a league source told Will Sammon of The Athletic. Daniel Palencia emerged as Chicago's primary closer by the end of the 2025 season, but Maton will no doubt be in the late-inning mix for the Cubs in 2026. The 32-year-old veteran spent the ninth year of his big-league career in 2025 with the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers, combining for a 2.79 ERA (2.60 FIP), 1.06 WHIP, a career-high five saves, 81 strikeouts, and 23 walks in 61 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in 22 relief appearances. Maton had a strikeout rate over 30% (32.7) for the second time in his career this past season and walked 9.3% of the batters he faced.

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According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the New York Mets are trading outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman Marcus Semien. Nimmo has spent his entire 10-year MLB career in Queens. Last season, the 32-year-old posted a .262/.324/.436 slash line with 25 long balls and 13 stolen bases. This was his third-straight campaign blasting at least 20 home runs and just the second-straight season in which he swiped double-digit bags. Under the hood, Nimmo held a .321 xwOBA with a .255 xBA, which placed him in the 47th and 54th percentiles among qualified hitters. In Texas, fantasy managers should expect Nimmo to see an everyday role in the outfield as the Rangers opted not to tender right fielder Adolis Garcia, who is testing free agency. In New York, Nimmo's departure could open up a spot on the Opening Day roster for budding outfield prospect Carson Benge.

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The Texas Rangers traded second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo on Sunday evening. Semien has spent the past four seasons with the Rangers but is coming off his most disappointing campaign of his 13-year MLB season. In 2025, Semien posted a low .230/.305/.364 line with a .669 OPS, which was even a drop from the modest .699 OPS he held back in 2024. Last summer, the veteran infielder hit just 15 home runs, which was his lowest mark since the 2018 season (excluding the shortened 2020 campaign). While he still placed in the 92nd percentile in Range, he was a below-average hitter according to several metrics, sitting in the 42nd percentile in xwOBA (.318) and the 33rd percentile in xBA (.245). However, Semien should see an everyday role covering the keystone in New York. Despite his disappointing 2025 campaign, he could be primed to bounce back, batting near the top of a lineup that will feature Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor. Josh Smith will likely see most of the opportunities at second base in Texas next summer.

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Right-hander Alek Manoah became a free agent on Friday after the Atlanta Braves did not tender him a contract for the 2026 season, according to the team. Manoah was an All-Star in 2022 with the Toronto Blue Jays and finished third in the American League Cy Young voting that year, but things quickly fell apart for him the following season, and now he's a free agent this winter. The 27-year-old had UCL surgery on his right elbow in June of 2024 and spent most of this year rehabbing. Manoah had a 3.96 ERA and 1.53 WHIP with 35 strikeouts and 23 walks in 10 starts over 38 2/3 innings at four minor-league levels in the Blue Jays organization in 2025 before he was cut in late September. The former first-rounder will likely have to settle for a minor-league deal somewhere as he looks to work his way back to the big leagues.

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The Baltimore Sun reports that the Baltimore Orioles tendered a contract offer to first baseman Ryan Mountcastle for the 2026 season. Mountcastle was a non-tender candidate after hitting just seven home runs in 2025. The 28-year-old is projected to make more than $8 million in salary arbitration in 2026, but it looks like he's going to stick around in Baltimore for at least one more season. The former 36th overall pick in the 2015 draft hit .250/.286/.367 with a career-worst .653 OPS, 35 RBI, and 34 runs scored in 89 games played in his sixth year in the majors this past season. Since clubbing a career-high 33 long balls and driving in 89 RBI in his first full season in 2021, Mountcastle has regressed at the plate, especially in the power department. 2026 will be a make-or-break year for him, and he could be a trade candidate before the regular season even begins.

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Right-handed reliever Felix Bautista and the Baltimore Orioles avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.25 million contract for next season, a source told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Bautista will return to Baltimore for the 2026 campaign, but he's not expected to be available to pitch again until after the All-Star break after he had surgery to fix a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder back in August. The 30-year-old Dominican reliever also missed the entire 2024 season due to injury. The good news is that Bautista looked strong again in 35 appearances out of the O's bullpen in 2025 before his shoulder injury, posting a 2.60 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 19 saves, 50 strikeouts, and 23 walks in 34 2/3 frames. He had a career-high 33 saves in 56 appearances in his All-Star season in 2023.

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Right-hander Clarke Schmidt and the New York Yankees avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $4.5 million deal for the 2026 season, a source told Robert Murray of FanSided. Schmidt probably won't pitch again for the Yankees until the second half of next season after he had an internal-brace procedure on his right elbow in mid-July. The 29-year-old former 16th overall pick in 2017 out of South Carolina was solid in 14 starts for the Yanks before his elbow injury this year, going 4-4 with a 3.32 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 73:30 K:BB over 78 2/3 innings pitched. Schmidt was even better in 2024 before another injury ended his season early, as he posted a career-best 2.85 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 16 starts in pinstripes. In his six MLB seasons, Schmidt has a 3.82 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 23% strikeout rate, and 8.3% walk rate.

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