With MLB’s Winter Meetings in the rearview mirror, the free-agent market has slowly begun to churn in the week since.
Notable names such as Jorge Polanco, Tyler Rogers, Ha-Seong Kim and Luke Weaver have all found new homes since the baseball world left Orlando, Fla., but some of the top free agents remain available as we head into late December.
While it’s anyone’s guess who could be the next major shoe to drop, Alex Bregman has been creating some buzz in recent days amid the emergence of a “darkhorse” suitor for his services.
Nightengale reported that Arizona “would certainly have the financial flexibility” to pursue Bregman if it deals star second baseman Ketel Marte.
Entering the off-season, Boston was presumed to be the most logical landing spot for Bregman after his .821-OPS, 18-homer season with the club. However, the Red Sox have been linked to a number of different players this winter — including Marte — which could prompt Bregman to consider all of his options.
Bregman, of course, is just one notable member of what has been a slow-moving off-season. But with the recent uptick in activity, perhaps the players at the top of the market are set to start coming off the board. So, as we wait for the next major signing, here are some of the latest rumours from across baseball.
Mariners ‘in the mix’ for Donovan, Marte
Speaking of Ketel Marte, the Diamondbacks all-star and St. Louis Cardinals utilityman Brendan Donovan continue to be the leading candidates to fill the hole in the Seattle Mariners’ infield.
Rosenthal added that Donovan’s positional versatility would perhaps make him a better fit for a Seattle team set to graduate a number of prospects to the big leagues.
The 28-year-old has played every position at the MLB level, except for centre-field, pitcher and catcher, and has delivered an OPS between .773 and .787 in each of his four seasons in St. Louis.
Despite being older, Marte comes with more years of team control, thanks to a seven-year extension he inked with Arizona earlier this year. He also has a higher offensive ceiling, carrying the ninth-highest OPS in baseball over the past three seasons.
What it would cost to land the 32-year-old’s services remains to be seen, but it would figure to command a steeper price than a Donovan trade would.
Interest in Red Sox’s Duran ‘heating up’
With a crowded outfield that includes Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Masataka Yoshida, the Red Sox may look to deal from a position of strength to address their pitching or add an infield bat.
Who would be most likely to move from that group?
Duran, 29, finished eighth in MVP voting in 2024 before taking a step back in 2025. But he was still a productive player for Boston, slashing .256/.332/.442 with 16 homers, 41 doubles, 13 triples and 24 stolen bases.
Earlier in the off-season, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel wrote that the Red Sox were “valuing Duran more like the seven-win player of 2024 than his four-win version in 2025” in trade talks. With Duran not set to hit free agency until after the 2028 season, Boston can afford to wait for the right return.
As far as which teams could be motivated to swing a trade, Passan reported Friday that the Kansas City Royals have discussed Duran, even after adding outfielders Lane Thomas and Isaac Collins. Passan also noted that, while not connected to their interest in Duran, the Royals have inquired about Washington Nationals young stars MacKenzie Gore and CJ Abrams.
Where things stand ahead of Murakami’s deadline
Unlike free agents who spent 2025 plying their trade with MLB clubs, international free agents face firm signing deadlines under the posting system.
The first of those deadlines will arrive on Dec. 22 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT for star Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand offered insight on what we do know about Murakami’s free agency on Wednesday. Feinsand wrote that “most teams view him as a first baseman despite the fact that he played roughly three-fourths of his games for the Yakult Swallows at third.”
Murakami has long been one of Nippon Professional Baseball’s brightest stars, breaking the single-season home run record for Japanese-born players with 56 blasts in 2022, and averaging 35 dingers per year since 2019.
Feinsand added that teams believe his power will translate to MLB, but are concerned by his massive strikeout rates, which have sat just below 30 per cent in each of the past three seasons.
• After losing Edwin DÃaz and Pete Alonso to free agency, the New York Mets have informed teams that infielders Jeff McNeil and Mark Vientos are available in trades, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo.
• With the Philadelphia Phillies landing Adolis GarcÃa, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said they are going to give top prospect Justin Crawford “an opportunity” to win their centre-field job, per The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber.
• As the New York Yankees look to upgrade their roster this off-season, MLB.com’s Brayn Hoch wrote Monday that they are “open-minded” towards potentially trading all-star second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. before he hits free agency next winter.