Are the champs looking at this free-agent backstop?

We’re keeping track of all the latest free agent and trade rumors.

Nov. 13: Astros consider catching upgrade

According to a report from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the reigning world champions are interested in three-time All-Star Willson Contreras. The Astros have struggled to get offensive production out of its catchers in recent seasons and made an effort to address the issue at the 2022 Deadline, making a run at Contreras before ultimately pivoting to acquire Christian Vázquez, who hit .250/.278/.308 with one home run in 35 games in Houston.

Contreras, who remained with the Cubs through the end of the season, hit .243/.349/.466 with 22 home runs and 55 RBIs in 2022.

Houston was also linked to Contreras in a recent report from MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi, who also mentioned the Cardinals and Tigers as likely Contreras suitors.

Contreras is expected to decline the one-year, $19.65 million qualifying offer he received from the Cubs, which would tie him to Draft-pick compensation.

As a revenue-sharing payee, the Tigers would only forfeit their third-highest selection in the 2023 Draft if they were to sign a QO free agent. The Astros and Cardinals would both need to surrender their second-highest Draft pick and $500,000 from their international bonus pools.

Nov. 13: Mariners in on Yoshida

Though Masataka Yoshida’s posting agreement with NPB’s Orix Buffaloes has yet to be finalized, the Mariners have already done their homework on the potential free agent outfielder, MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reports.

While Seattle’s outfield does boast All-Star and probable AL Rookie of the Year OF Julio Rodríguez, the corners underperformed in 2022, with addition Jesse Winker posting the worst single-season fWAR of his career (0.4) and Mitch Haniger, now a free agent, limited to just 57 games by a high ankle sprain.

Nov. 13: Royals remain interested in reunion with Greinke (report)

The Royals remain interested in a reunion with free-agent right-hander Zack Greinke, and the feeling seems to be mutual, reports MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. 

The 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner came back for his second stint with Kansas City prior to last season, signing a one-year, $13 million contract. 

Although he posted the lowest K/9 (4.8) of his career, Greinke remained effective in 2022, posting a 3.68 ERA (111 ERA+) over 26 starts and providing a veteran presence on an otherwise young team.

The 39-year-old told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers in October that he had not yet made a decision on whether he would return for 2023 or retire.

Nov. 13: Rays engaged in trade talks with multiple teams

The Rays are engaged in advanced trade negotiations ahead of Tuesday’s deadline to add players to 40-man rosters (thus protecting them from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft), according to MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi.

Morosi notes that the Mets, Cubs and Reds have been in touch with the Rays about their available pitchers. The Angels have also shown interest.

Morosi previously reported that the Rays were discussing pitchers Ryan Yarbrough, Yonny Chirinos and Shawn Armstring, among others, in trades. Tampa Bay already traded first baseman Ji-Man Choi to the Pirates on Thursday. Yarbrough, Chirinos and Armstrong are all controllable through 2024.

Nov. 12: Giants, Angels among the teams trying to woo Senga

Add the Giants and the Angels to the rapidly expanding group of clubs that are in on Japanese RHP Kodai Senga. MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported the Angels’ interest in Senga on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Giants are making their desires readily apparent as they have displayed an image of Senga on the Oracle Park scoreboard.

Those teams join the Mariners, Blue Jays, Rangers, Cubs, Padres and others who have reported interest in Senga, who will turn 30 in January. He produced a 2.59 ERA over more than 1,000 innings pitched across 11 seasons for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.

Armed with a 101-mph fastball and a nasty splitter, Senga has struck out 1,252 batters during his time in Japan, good enough for a 10.3 K/9 rate. He is considered, understandably, as one of the top options on the pitching market this winter.

Nov. 12: Phillies have ‘real interest’ in Bogaerts (report)

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies are “believed to have real interest” in free-agent shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Shortstop is one of Philadelphia’s top needs this offseason, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski knows Bogaerts well from his four years filling the same role with the Red Sox. More >

Nov. 12: Cubs eyeing free agent shortstops, outfield help

The Cubs are doing their due diligence on several of the best infielders on offer this winter, per MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Chicago has reportedly already been in contact with representatives for Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson.

Nico Hoerner played well at shortstop last year for the Cubs, recording 13 Outs Above Average, the second-most among all players at that position. But the 25-year-old has also expressed a willingness to move to second base if the club lands one of those big-name players.

The North Siders are also looking to upgrade their outfield, and three-time Gold Glover Kevin Kiermaier is among the available players on their radar, sources told NBC Sports Chicago’s Gordon Wittenmyer.

The Rays declined Kiermaier’s club option earlier this week, making him a free agent. Although he has been one of the best defensive outfielders in MLB for an extended stretch, Kiermaier recorded career lows in Defensive Runs Saved (two) and Outs Above Average (one) this past season. Preparing to enter his age-33 season, Kiermaier also had an 89 OPS+ this year.

Nov. 11: The latest on Judge and the Yankees

Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said in a recent interview that he has had multiple conversations with Aaron Judge since the end of the season and termed them as “very positive.” More >

Nov. 11: Mets considering reunion with Conforto (report)

The Mets have already made one huge move this offseason, agreeing to terms with closer Edwin Díaz on a record-setting five-year contract.

With that out of the way, the Mets can turn their attention to the other free agents who were on their roster. One in particular is center fielder Brandon Nimmo, whom the Mets are still aiming to re-sign. However, if they can’t bring Nimmo back, Mets general manager Billy Eppler has already said the team could shift right fielder Starling Marte back over to center. So who could fill that vacated corner spot? One possibility is former Met Michael Conforto. More >

Nov. 11: A ‘really intriguing’ destination for JV

The Astros figure to make a push to re-sign Justin Verlander again, but the AL Cy Young Award favorite figures to have plenty of suitors. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi identified one particular AL West foe who “are a really intriguing landing spot for JV.” More >

Nov. 10: The latest on Bogaerts-Red Sox talks

The Red Sox are holding out hope of re-signing shortstop Xander Bogaerts, but the two sides haven’t made much progress in negotiations, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. More >

Nov. 10: How much will it take to sign Swanson?

The Braves reportedly made an in-season offer to free-agent shortstop Dansby Swanson “in the $100 million ballpark,” per MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. That figure didn’t get the job done, and Heyman reported Thursday that a “common guess” heard during this week’s General Managers Meetings was significantly larger. More >

Nov. 10: Rangers have reached out to deGrom, Rodón, Senga

After reeling in free-agent infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien for a combined $500 million after the 2021 season, the Rangers are expected to be one of the most aggressive teams on the free-agent market again this offseason.

Their top area of focus this time? The starting rotation.

After a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand earlier this week that the Rangers are “very big on the high-impact starters,” MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi reported that Texas has made contact with the representatives for Jacob deGrom, Carlos Rodón and Kodai Senga.

With 67-year-old Bruce Bochy returning to MLB after a three-year hiatus to manage the Rangers, Texas is clearly in win-now mode, but the club has a lot of work to do after going 68-94 in 2022. Signing an ace to pair with Jon Gray and trade acquisition Jake Odorizzi would be a good start, especially with Martín Pérez, their best pitcher in 2022, potentially departing as a free agent.

Nov. 10: Phillies a likely destination for Trea Turner

The core of the Phillies club that made a surprising run to the World Series in 2022 was largely built through free agency, with Philadelphia signing Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos to big-money deals.

Philadelphia may be preparing to make another big free-agent splurge this offseason. According to MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi, a lot of people at the General Managers Meetings think Philly is the most likely landing spot for Trea Turner. More >

Nov. 10: Mariners have interest in Nimmo

The Mariners have starting center fielder Julio Rodríguez signed through at least 2029, but that’s not stopping the club from pursuing the top center fielder on the free-agent market, Brandon Nimmo.

According to MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi, the Mariners have expressed formal interest in Nimmo, who spent the past seven seasons with the Mets and would give Seattle the left-handed bat and on-base-percentage boost it desires.

Nimmo, whose home state of Wyoming is a short flight from Seattle, could slot in as the M’s starting right fielder, replacing free agent Mitch Haniger. Or, the Mariners could put Nimmo in left field and make Jesse Winker their full-time DH, leaving the door open for Haniger’s return.

Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told Morosi this week that the club is looking to add one and possibly two outfielders this offseason.

Nov. 10: Dodgers’ shortstop options

When the Dodgers lost Corey Seager to the Rangers in free agency last offseason, they were able to replace him with another All-Star in Trea Turner. But with Turner now a free agent, Los Angeles doesn’t have that same luxury this time.

The Dodgers could try to re-sign Turner, but given the 29-year-old’s reported preference for the East Coast, this might be the most likely option for L.A. More >

Nov. 10: Red Sox, Angels among teams with interest in Anderson

When Tyler Anderson signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the Dodgers in March, it marked the left-hander’s third straight one-year contract (each with a different team) in free agency. Anderson could receive far more free-agent attention after a breakout 2022 campaign in which he went 15-5 with a 2.57 ERA over 178 2/3 innings for Los Angeles.

The Red Sox and Angels are among the teams showing early interest in the 32-year-old, according to MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi.

Boston could have Chris Sale and James Paxton back from injuries in 2023, but the club is in desperate need of durable arms with Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha and Rich Hill all entering free agency. The Angels have more stability on their starting staff than the Red Sox do, with Shohei Ohtani, Patrick Sandoval and Reid Detmers presumably filling three of the spots in the Halos’ six-man rotation, but there’s a lot of uncertainty after that.

Of course, the qualifying offer could potentially complicate Anderson’s market. The southpaw would have Draft-pick compensation tied to him if he receives a one-year, $19.65 million QO from the Dodgers and declines it.

As a team that exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax threshold in 2022, the Red Sox would need to forfeit their second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2023 Draft, as well as $1 million from their international bonus pool, to sign a QO free agent. For the Angels, it would be their second-highest selection in the 2023 Draft as well as $500,000 from their international bonus pool.

Nov. 9: Yankees ‘listening and engaging’ on multiple trade inquires

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that the team has been “listening and engaging” on multiple trade possibilities during this week’s GM Meetings. He added that clubs have inquired about the Yankees’ abundance of infielders. More >

Nov. 9: Giants ready to meet any player’s asking price

San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi basically confirmed that notion Wednesday.

Speaking at the General Managers Meetings, Zaidi said there is “no explicit ceiling” on the Giants’ budget this winter and that no player will be beyond their financial reach.

“I don’t think from a financial standpoint there’s nobody that would be out of our capability to kind of meet what we expect the contract demands will be,” Zaidi said. “Then it’ll just be a question of whether there’s mutual interest and how we put together the best possible team.”

Although Zaidi didn’t mention California native Aaron Judge by name, the allusion is evident. It’s been widely speculated that the Giants would make a run at Judge, and MLB Network insider Jon Heyman noted in the New York Post this week that the Yankees view San Francisco as their top competition for the superstar slugger.

After winning 107 games in 2021, the Giants fell to 81-81 and missed the postseason in 2022. The club has a number of holes to fill with lefty ace Carlos Rodón, outfielder Joc Pederson and first baseman Brandon Belt all hitting free agency.

To land Judge, the Giants may need to double the largest contract in franchise history — Buster Posey’s $167 million deal signed in 2013.

The Giants have shown a willingness in the recent past to add big money to the payroll. They tried to acquire Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins, and they were also in the mix for Bryce Harper before the outfielder signed a 13-year, $330 million deal with the Phillies.

Nov. 9: M’s, Jays, Padres among teams interested in Japanese star RHP Senga

The Mariners and the Blue Jays expect to be in the running for the 30-year-old starting pitcher. The Padres are interested, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee. The Cubs have been in contact with Senga’s agent, and the right-hander has already been in touch with Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki.

The list of inquiring clubs likely doesn’t stop there for a starter who MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi said is near the top of the 2022 free-agent class.

“There is a belief that he is among the very best starting pitchers out there and available this offseason,” Morosi said Wednesday. “Certainly not maybe at the same level of Jacob deGrom when deGrom is healthy, but he is in that top class.”

Senga recorded a 1.94 ERA across 144 innings in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball this year. He can dial his fastball up past 100 mph and his splitter has been an effective strikeout pitch.

With Shohei Ohtani entering his final season before free agency, there’s been speculation that the Angels could pursue a contract extension with the two-way superstar before Opening Day. However, when asked about whether they’d be open to having extension discussions during Spring Training or in the middle of next season, Ohtani’s agent Nez Balelo did not give any indication that an agreement is likely. From the Los Angeles Times:

“We haven’t really given that a lot of thought because we are just focused on the one year, which we accomplished and that’s what we did,” Balelo said. “So to be honest with you, that’s our main focus.

“Now that we have that over and behind us, we’re comfortable with the one-year deal and we’re just going to kind of focus on that right now.”

That’s not exactly a shocking answer, considering Ohtani is one year away from being one of the most coveted free agents in baseball history.

Another reason an extension is unlikely? Angels owner Arte Moreno is exploring a sale of the team, and a potential Ohtani megadeal is something in which the next owner presumably will want to have a say.

Angels GM Perry Minasian quickly shut down any trade rumors surrounding Ohtani on Monday, telling reporters that the club would not trade the two-way superstar this offseason.

Ohtani’s name came up in rumors leading up to the Aug. 2 Trade Deadline when the Angels were on their way to a seventh straight losing season. He ultimately stayed with the franchise and later signed a one-year, $30 million deal to avoid arbitration on Oct. 1.

That agreement, however, didn’t change Ohtani’s status with the Angels beyond next year — it was simply to avoid a potential arbitration case later this offseason. He was already under team control for 2023 and he remains set to become a free agent following next season, which means trade rumors will likely heat up again in the summer if the Halos get off to another slow start.

Nov. 9: Cubs reportedly interested in Abreu, Kluber

The Cubs are showing interest in a pair of free-agent veterans — first baseman José Abreu and right-hander Corey Kluber, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score.

Chicago went 74-88 last season and remains in a transition phase after trading Yu Darvish, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and Craig Kimbrel between the end of the 2020 season and the 2021 Trade Deadline, but president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer has indicated that the club has no intention of bottoming out.

Hoyer has often referenced the concept of “intelligent spending” in free agency, which suggests the Cubs are unlikely to pursue high-priced free agents like Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Trea Turner.

The 35-year-old Abreu and 36-year-old Kluber shouldn’t require long-term commitments but could help the Cubs improve in 2023.

Abreu, the 2020 AL MVP, knows Chicago well after spending the past nine seasons with the White Sox. Levine has heard from multiple sources that Abreu’s chances of returning to the White Sox are “almost zero” due to the team’s abundance of first-base and DH-types.

Per Levine, the Cubs have Abreu near the top of their offseason wish list and plan to open up discussions with his representatives soon.

Abreu hit a career-low 15 homers over 157 games in 2022, but he had 40 doubles and recorded a .304 average with an .824 OPS.

Kluber posted a 4.34 ERA (82 ERA+) with 139 strikeouts, 21 walks and a 3.57 FIP over 31 starts for the Rays last season after injuries limited him to 24 starts combined across 2019-21.

Nov. 9: Report: A’s ‘likely’ to trade catcher Murphy

A number of teams will be searching for a new catcher this offseason, either via free agency or a trade. That group includes the Tigers, who have reportedly explored both avenues. The Astros will have discussions on top free agent Willson Contreras. The Guardians have a need behind the plate. The Cardinals are in the same boat following Yadier Molina’s retirement.

Will one of those teams end up landing A’s catcher Sean Murphy? According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal (subscription required), Oakland is “likely” to trade the 2021 Gold Glover. Any interested team would probably have to part with multiple pieces to acquire Murphy, who is entering his first year of arbitration.

The 28-year-old ranked fourth among qualified catchers this season in home runs (18) and OPS (.758). Rated as an above-average defender in each of the past three seasons by the Defensive Runs Saved metric, Murphy also tied for the second-fastest pop time in 2022.

Nov. 8: Are Burnes and Devers potential trade candidates?

Brewers ace Corbin Burnes and Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers are among the most surprising names MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand has heard mentioned as potential trade candidates during the General Managers Meetings.

Burnes is controllable for two more seasons and part of a long list of arbitration-eligible names for the Brewers this offseason. The 28-year-old earned $6.5 million in 2022. While it would be a stunner if Milwaukee traded the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, remember that the club just dealt Josh Hader at the Trade Deadline with the closer nearing his final arbitration year.

The Brewers have shown a knack for developing starting pitchers, with Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Eric Lauer among their biggest successes.

As for Devers, he has one year remaining before free agency. There reportedly has been a sizable gap between the Red Sox and the 26-year-old in their negotiations on a new deal. According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman in late October, Boston raised its offer to at least $200 million, but Devers is seeking at least $300 million.