The uncertain 2026-27 Major League Baseball offseason is fully underway. The ongoing CBA negotiations and the near certainty of an owner-implemented lockout on Dec. 2 loom over all, and it may indeed mean a flurry of trades and free agent signings leading up to that date. That was certainly the case leading up to the last lockout of 2021-22.
Thanks to that prospect of a hastened pace, offseason rumors are already flowing. Speaking of which, we’ll be here each day to round up what’s out there. You can find Monday’s supply just below.
GM meetings could spark trades and signings
The expectation remains that we’ll see some level of activity on the trade and free agency fronts before the lockout begins in early December. As noted above, that was indeed the case leading up to the last lockout, and this time around, the prospect of drastic changes in the next CBA may have big-spending teams looking to fortify their rosters before those changes are implemented. Speaking of which, MLB Network reports that we could see some notable transactions go down at the upcoming General Managers Meetings, which take place from Nov. 10-12 in Las Vegas.
During a standard offseason, not much beyond behind-the-scenes groundwork goes down during the GM Meetings, and the real moves start happening at the December Winter Meetings. However, unless the lockout is resolved quickly – highly unlikely – then there probably won’t be a Winter Meetings this offseason. That means the GM Meetings could be more active than usual.
Cubs not expected to be strong Skubal bidders
Free agent ace and, until later this week, reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal is the prize of the offseason. The 29-year-old lefty is a fit for any of MLB‘s 30 teams, but heretofore the most serious bidders have been expected to be the Los Angeles Dodgers (who acquired Skubal from the Detroit Tigers leading up to last season’s trade deadline), the New York Mets, and the Chicago Cubs. Now, though, perhaps you can reduce that number of serious bidders to two. While Chicago very much needs rotation help for 2027 and beyond, the Athletic reports that the Cubs “are expected to stay on the sidelines” when the Skubal bidding gets serious. That, no doubt, will come as a disappointment to Cubs fans who are still waiting for the Ricketts to invest in the payroll at levels befitting a big-market contender.
Cardinals interested in Romero reunion
The Cardinals traded away veteran lefty reliever JoJo Romero, along with starter and fellow free agent Dustin May, to the Milwaukee Brewers leading up to the trade deadline. Now, St. Louis may be interested in bringing Romero back on a free agent contract, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Romero, 30, is coming off a 2026 season in which he pitched to a 3.36 ERA with a 3.00 K/BB ratio in 55 appearances. In the postseason with Milwaukee, Romero had a 1.13 ERA with 11 strikeouts and one walk in eight innings. He previously spent parts of five seasons with the Cardinals.
Phillies considering Ha-Seong Kim as shortstop backup plan
Do the Philadelphia Phillies need a new shortstop? That’s one of the principal questions of their offseason. Although incumbent Trea Turner is signed through 2033, his defense at the crucial position of shortstop has degraded into “unplayable” territory, and that has the Phils considering fallback options should Turner need to be moved off the position. One option is free agent 31-year-old Ha-Seong Kim, NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. Kim, 32, spent last season on a one-year deal with the division-rival Atlanta Braves. He’s been a primary shortstop for five of his six MLB seasons, and while he’s certainly not among the very best at the position, he does profile as a major defensive upgrade over Turner. As for the bat, Kim for his career has an OPS+ of 93, and he’s capable of stealing a base on occasion. He was, however, an offensive sinkhole for 51 games in 2026. Turner, meantime, may be looking at a switch to the outfield starting next season as the Phillies attempt to keep their contending window open.