Over the next few weeks, we expect to see quite a bit of action in the MLB. The big names on the autonomy market will want to sign their next contract… and more and more, different rumors are circulating about what awaits us this winter.
So let's see what's going on at the moment.
Kyle Schwarber linked to Yankees
One of the names we will be watching closely this winter is that of Kyle Schwarber. The slugger, who has just broken everything in Philadelphia over the last few years, will be a special case in that he is a designated hitter who will be 33 years old at the start of next season.
Typically these guys don't have a huge market…but Schwarber is a special case.
And what's interesting is that in the last few hours, Jesse Rogers (ESPN) linked Schwarber's name to the… New York Yankees.
This would be a contingency plan for the club if Cody Bellinger has to leave.
Obviously, Schwarber would be a fit perfect in the Yankees lineup. We know the lefty likes to pull the ball, and with the tight fence in right at Yankee Stadium, Schwarber could hit homers by the ton.
That said, the fit from Schwarber is more complex to imagine on the defensive level. He's purely a designated hitter, after all…and Giancarlo Stanton already plays that position in the Bronx.
And that's without taking into account the fact that Aaron Judge could very well be brought in shortly.
Schwarber would bring an undeniable offensive impact, but it would be quite a headache defensively. To watch, therefore.
Kyle Tucker should leave Chicago
Last winter, the Cubs made a big move by completing a trade for Kyle Tucker. The outfielder was in his final year before full autonomy in 2025, so he was purely a rental player.
Unless the Cubs offered him a long-term contract…which they didn't.
And according to what is circulating at the moment, we should expect that Tucker will decide to leave Chicago, while the player is looking for a contract worth more than $300 million.
This is what is reported by Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of the ESPN network.
The Cubs, not a small-market team, have developed a habit of letting their big players go on the free agency market rather than signing them. And obviously, the club seems to be on the verge of doing the same thing again with Tucker.
And this, even if a contract of $300 million for a player of this caliber is far from being excessive in today's MLB.
Now, what's interesting is that the Cubs don't even seem to want to spend that money to get their hands on a top reliever. And that risks making another team happy, that…
Dodgers want big relievers
Ahead of the 2025 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have invested in the bullpen. The club took out the checkbook for Tanner Scott, and it also got its hands on Kirby Yates.
However, the big weakness of the champions this year was in the enclosure. We saw it clearly in the playoffs: apart from Roki Sasaki (who is a starter), Dave Roberts had no real reliable reliever.
Scott wasn't even on the roster that played in the World Series. That says a lot.
But obviously, the Dodgers want to try again: according to Alden Gonzalez, we should expect the club to be very aggressive in getting their hands on a big reliever.
One wonders if Edwin Diaz, for example, will be in the club's sights. The reliever has decided to exercise his release option, so he could be an option on the table for the Dodgers.
Otherwise, the club could try it with Devin Williams, who finished his season well with the Yankees. Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias, Ryan Helsley and Kenley Jansen (who is reportedly returning to the Dodgers) could also be options to watch.
