With MLB now in the offseason, some of the league’s top players are hitting free agency, and trade rumors are swirling. A few major trades have already shaken things up, and more are on the horizon. Let’s break down the trades and signings that have happened so far, and take a look at where the biggest free agents might be headed.
Signings that have already happened: In November. 17 the Seattle Mariners re-signed first baseman Josh Naylor to a five-year deal. Naylor had an interesting 2025 season as he started out the year in Arizona with the Diamondbacks, but during the trade deadline in the middle of the season, he signed a small deal with the Mariners as the Diamondbacks were basically out of playoff contention and the Mariners had a chance to make a run. But after the year ended, Naylor became a free agent and could be signed by anybody. He then signed the five-year deal with Seattle and will be spending a lot more time there. The next day, on Nov. 18, the Angels and Orioles made a surprising trade that sent star outfielder Taylor Ward to the Orioles in exchange for starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels. This was surprising because even though Taylor Ward had a good 2025 season, Rodriguez is one of the top rising starting pitchers in all of MLB, even though he missed all of the 2025 season due to an arm injury. Taylor Ward is a free agent at the end of the season, which likely means that he will leave the Orioles after 2026, but Rodriguez is not, and he signed a four-year deal with the Angels and will be there for a few years. But the biggest trade/signing so far happened on Nov. 23, as the Texas Rangers traded all-star and gold glove-winning second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets in exchange for star outfielder Brandon Nimmo in a shocking deal. This was shocking because Brandon Nimmo was drafted by the Mets and had been with the Mets for nine good years, but Semien signed with the Rangers in the 2022 offseason and had a rough year in 2025 compared to his past seasons. It was very odd to see the Mets trade a player that they have had for nine years in exchange for a struggling Semien. And on Nov. 25, the Toronto Blue Jays signed star starting pitcher Dylan Cease to a 7-year $210 million contract, which is the biggest signing that has happened this offseason so far. The Orioles’ president of baseball operations, Mike Elias, had this to say about the Taylor Ward trade: “The trade represented something of a long-term goal for the front office. Ward is somebody that we’ve been chasing for at least a couple of years, just because of the profile, the big right-handed power.”
Kyle Tucker: In the 2024 offseason, Tucker signed a one-year deal with the Chicago Cubs after spending his whole career with the Houston Astros. Tucker is arguably the best free agent in baseball right now, as he had a good 2025 season in right field. But the Los Angeles Dodgers have had an eye on Tucker all offseason and are predicted to sign him to a deal worth over $100 million, as the Dodgers are the richest team in baseball right now. Tucker has also drawn interest from the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles.
Kyle Schwarber: Kyle Schwarber also makes a case for being the best free agent this offseason, as he hit 56 home runs in 2025. Schwarber is mainly a Designated Hitter, but he has also played in the outfield and at first base in his career. But there haven’t been any teams this offseason that have been predicted to sign him, but the teams that have been in the talks are the Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers. Kyle Schwarber had this to say about the rumors of him going to the Pittsburgh Pirates: “I grew up going to games here. I grew up sitting in the bleachers and watching a lot of games, and I think the kid would be excited, right? But also being in the profession and knowing a little bit more of the ins and outs, you always have to listen and keep different options open.”
Alex Bregman: Alex Bregman had a solid year in 2025 with the Boston Red Sox at third base as he hit 18 home runs in a shortened season due to injury. But he was not expected to become a free agent as he signed a three-year deal with Boston in the 2024 off-season. But the deal included an opt-out after the first year of his contract, which meant that he could become a free agent if he wanted to. Surprisingly, he chose to become a free agent, but some rumors say this is because he wants a better contract with the Red Sox, as he enjoyed his time in Boston and loves the team. However, he is also rumored to be signing elsewhere, and the Red Sox are already looking for replacements for him.
Pete Alonso: Pete Alonso is one of the best power hitters in baseball, as he had an amazing 2025 season with the New York Mets by hitting 38 home runs, and is one of the best first basemen in baseball. He was a free agent in the 2024 off-season, but nobody seemed to want him, so the Mets re-signed him to a one-year deal. But this offseason, it looks like Alonso will officially be leaving the Mets for the first time, as the Boston Red Sox have had their eyes on Alonso the entire offseason and are predicted to sign him to a large deal.
But it’s not just MLB teams that have free agents; the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), which is the professional baseball league in Japan, has posted many star players to MLB teams. But the main focus is on Munetaka Murakami as he is an infielder with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the team posted the slugger to the MLB in November. 7. Murakami is predicted to sign with many teams as he is one of the top sluggers in Japan. Recently, Murakami was spotted eating dinner with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is a huge pitching star on the Los Angeles Dodgers. This is big news because over the past few years, the Dodgers have signed a lot of players from Asia, like Yamamoto in 2023. But the Dodgers have said that they might pass on Murakami, and there is no telling who will sign him. Other NPB stars have been posted to MLB teams this offseason, including: Starting Pitcher Tatsuya Imai, Infielder Kazuma Okamoto, Pitcher Kona Takahashi and Pitcher Hiroto Saiki.
This being said, there is a lot to look out for this offseason because there are so many other players that weren’t named who are free agents. So if you are a big MLB fan, make sure to watch MLB shows because rumors are spreading like wildfires, and there is a chance that your favorite team could sign a big deal with a player.
