MLB free agency is here!

Similar to how last winter was defined by the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, this offseason will revolve around another generational superstar: Juan Soto. The 26-year-old slugger is coming off a career year with the New York Yankees, having also helped the Bronx Bombers get back to the World Series for the first time in 15 years. Now, he’s likely to sign a huge deal that figures to span the next decade-plus. 

But where? The chatter has already begun during this week’s GM meetings. Soto is not the only big fish on the open market, of course. There are plenty of other top-tier free agents, including ace pitchers Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles and Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves as well as New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.

RELATED: 2025 MLB free-agent signing tracker, trades | 2025 MLB free-agent rankings, team fits: Juan Soto leads top 30

And as Soto himself knows, after being dealt to New York from the San Diego Padres last offseason, there could always be landscape-shifting trades made this offseason.

Follow along below for the latest news and rumors!

Nov. 7

Mets set to meet with Juan Soto

The Mets are set to make their first move for the top player on the free-agent market, scheduling a meeting with Soto in Southern California sometime next week, the New York Post reported. Mets owner Steve Cohen will be a part of the meeting, which will also include Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, according to the report.  

After Soto spent a season with the Yankees, the Mets have been commonly speculated as the top threat to steal the superstar from their crosstown rival. Mets owner Steve Cohen has shown a willingness to spend since he became the team’s owner in 2020, having one of the league’s highest payrolls over the last few years.

“Several” owners of other teams are also planning to meet with Soto as November progresses and ahead of the Winter Meetings in December, the New York Post added in its report. 

A pair of early suitors emerge for Teoscar Hernández

The Red Sox and Orioles are among the teams that have shown interest in the All-Star outfielder at this week’s General Manager Meetings, MLB Network reported. 

Hernández is one of the top right-handed hitters on the open market this offseason after having a strong season with the Dodgers. He .272 with 33 homers and a .870 OPS, adding three more homers in the offseason en route to Los Angeles’ World Series win. He also became a fan-favorite in Los Angeles — “Re-sign Teo” chants from fans could be heard at the Dodgers’ trophy celebration, and both Mookie Betts and Dave Roberts have spoken publicly about Hernández’s value to the team last season.

Both the Red Sox and Orioles are in need of right-handed hitting help for 2025. Boston’s lineup was lefty dominant in 2023 and its best right-handed hitter from last season, Tyler O’Neill, is a free agent. The Red Sox also expressed interest in Hernández last offseason before he signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers. The Orioles, meanwhile, might lose outfielder Anthony Santander in free agency as Baltimore attempts to maximize its core of young players and reach a third straight postseason.

Which teams are in on Soto?

The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Blue Jays and Red Sox are expected to be the main contenders for the prized free agent, according to the New York Post. The Post added that the Rays are a long-shot suitor. While Tampa Bay traditionally hasn’t been a big-spending team, the team reportedly made Freddie Freeman the largest offer when the All-Star first baseman was a free agent in 2022. 

As free agency is just getting underway, the Yankees and Mets are the two clear betting favorites to land Soto. 

Mookie Betts to play in the infield in 2025

The Dodgers plan to return to the experiment of playing Betts in the infield. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters at the General Manager Meetings that Betts will play either second base or shortstop in 2025.

“For Mookie, winning is always No. 1,” Gomes said. “So I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s like, ‘Hey, this is the best thing. I’ll play wherever.’ I think catching is probably out of the realm of possibility, although I’m sure he would be good at that as well.

“But yeah, I think it’s a lot of conversations with him as well. I know the toll on the body is less in the infield for him. So you can make arguments on both sides of it. But the beauty of Mookie is [he’s] the most selfless superstar we’ve ever been around. And that permeates through the team.”

Betts played shortstop at the start of the 2024 season before suffering a hand injury in June. When he returned from the injured list, Betts moved back to playing right field on a full-time basis.

With Betts moving to the infield, the Dodgers have some flexibility to make moves in the outfield this offseason. Left fielder Teoscar Hernández became a free agent following his All-Star season. The Dodgers have also been rumored to be one of the top suitors for right fielder Juan Soto. 

As for the middle infield, the Dodgers will have a surplus with Betts back in the mix, as Tommy Edman, Miguel Rojas and Gavin Lux are all under contract for the 2025 season. 

Nov. 6

Agent: Soto will go through ‘thorough process’ in free agency

Soto’s agent Scott Boras said at MLB’s General Manager Meetings Wednesday that the 26-year-old slugger will not rush his free agency process this winter.

“Due to the volume of interest and Juan’s desire to hear [from teams], I can’t put a timeframe on it, but it’s going to be a very thorough process for him,” Boras said, via ESPN. “He wants to meet people personally. He wants to talk with them. He wants to hear from them.”

Boras gave a pun-filled, 48-minute assessment of the market at the meetings on Wednesday, calling Soto “the Mona Lisa of the museum.” Boras said only a handful of players have matched Soto’s accomplishments at age 26, mentioning Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Ted Williams, and boasted “he has literally 15 years more of his prime to offer.”

One of Soto’s few current peers in the sport is Shohei Ohtani, but Boras brushed off most comparisons between his client and the two-way superstar whose Los Angeles Dodgers just beat a Soto-led New York Yankees team in the World Series. Except for a few key ones — Boras did make sure to highlight that Soto is three years younger than Ohtani was when he signed his historic deferral-heavy 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers last December at 29 years old.

“I don’t think Ohtani has much to do with Juan Soto, at all,” Boras said. ‘It’s not something we discuss or consider. Juan Soto is — he’s in an age category that separates him from all.”

Boras reportedly said Soto was looking for a team with ownership that is open with him and “going to support that they are going win annually.” And no, Soto will not be taking a contract with heavy deferred money like the one Ohtani signed, which could help keep a team from luxury tax implications in its payroll.

“I don’t think that tax considerations are the focal point when you’re talking about a business opportunity where you can make literally billions of dollars by acquiring somebody,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been in contact with Soto, checked in on Alonso

As free agency commenced Monday, Cashman shared that he spoke with Soto following the team’s World Series loss in late October. Cashman added that he’s already been in communication with Soto’s agent, Scott Boras.

RELATED: Juan Soto sweepstakes: Is he Yankees’ to lose? Analyzing 9 potential suitors

Cashman figures to be busy in the coming weeks, as first baseman Anthony Rizzo and second baseman Gleyber Torres are also free agents. With that, Cashman confirmed the Yankees have interest in Pete Alonso, who’s available after starring for the Mets the past six seasons.

“There are a lot of high-quality players in this marketplace, and certainly Pete did an amazing job with the Mets,” Cashman said. “I had a brief conversation with Scott about a lot of his — he has a lot of free agents, which is normal, and Pete’s one of them, so yes.”

As for Torres, the Yankees did not extend him a qualifying offer, and Cashman offered a tepid response on whether the former All-Star could return. 

“I’m not gonna dissect what he’s good at and not as good at,” Cashman said. “Obviously, he’ll have a lot of conversations with a lot of teams that have a need in that area and that might include us, who knows. But appreciate his efforts while he was here.” 

Sasaki more likely to be posted than not, Dodgers ‘heavy favorites’

The 2024-25 MLB free-agent class might add another monumental talent. “Indications” are that Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki will be posted by NPB club the Chiba Lotte Marines, ESPN reported. If he is posted, the Dodgers are “heavily favored” to land the 23-year-old, according to ESPN. MLB on FOX insider Ken Rosenthal also reported that the Dodgers are the “heavy, heavy favorites” to land Sasaki, who was teammates with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The possible sweepstakes for Sasaki won’t be as highly competitive from a spending standpoint as other free agents. Due to posting rules, teams can only use money from their international signing pools to offer him. Sasaki has pitched fewer than six professional seasons, meaning he can earn a maximum of $8 million if he’s posted after Dec. 15. If he’s posted before that date, the most he can receive is roughly $2.5 million, according to ESPN. 

Astros GM Dana Brown: Re-signing Bregman the “biggest priority”

Houston has a few key free agents to mull over, including Alex Bregman, Yusei Kikuchi and Justin Verlander. As Houston looks to retool after an early playoff exit, Brown was pretty blunt on which player the team is coveting this most this offseason. 

“We’d love to have Alex Bregman back,” Brown told reporters at the GM meetings. “It’s our biggest priority.”

The Astros, of course, have allowed a handful of homegrown stars walk in free agency in recent years. But Brown seemed bullish about the club’s chances to retain Bregman.

“Our mindset right now is that he’s not going elsewhere and we want to sign him,” Brown said. “If he ends up going elsewhere, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but I’m going into this offseason with the thought that we’re going to get Bregman back. Hopefully we can do it.”

In an interview with MLB Network, Brown shared that he’s had initial conversations with Kikuchi and Verlander’s agents. He also said he’s “gone back and forth” with outfielder Kyle Tucker’s agent about a possible extension. Tucker is entering the final year of team control.

“We hope to narrow things down and have more conversations,” Brown said. “But we’ve had multiple conversations.”

Bo Bichette not available for trade

With Bo Bichette set to become a free agent after the 2025 season, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins made it clear that the team isn’t willing to move on from the shortstop sooner than it has to. He told MLB Network that any trade calls involving Bichette are “an easy no.”

Bichette is coming off an underwhelming 2024 campaign, slashing .225/.277/.322 with just four homers in 81 games. 

Brent Rooker not available via trade

Athletics general manager David Frost insisted the A’s, who are temporarily relocating to Sacramento beginning next season, will not part with star designated hitter Brent Rooker.

“We’re going to keep [Rooker],” Frost told the New York Post.

Rooker was one of the most sought-after players ahead of the trade deadline in 2024. He finished the season with 39 homers and a 165 OPS+.

Nov. 4

Dodgers in on Soto? Mets not?

The New York Mets have long been seen as the most likely candidate to lure Juan Soto away from a return to the New York Yankees. But the Dodgers, fresh off beating Soto and the Yankees in the World Series, intend to make a bid for Soto “if he’s interested,” the New York Post reported last week. However, the Yankees reportedly believe a Soto-Dodgers union would “never happen” and regard the Mets and Toronto Blue Jays as their biggest threats in keeping the slugger.

Brewers could trade closer Devin Williams

One of the more surprising developments of the opening days of the MLB offseason was when the Milwaukee Brewers declined closer Devin Williams’ $10.5 million team option. Williams is a two-time All-Star who also won National League Rookie of the Year in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but did not make his 2024 season debut until late July due to stress fractures in his back. It’s part of the reason the defending NL Central champion Brewers declined his option, believing the 30-year-old closer will make less in arbitration anyway. 

That not only helps the small-budget Brewers but also makes Williams a more attractive trade candidate, and he’s reportedly expected to be just that. Milwaukee has been aggressive in moving star players in the past. Williams, of course, only ascended to the closer role after the Brewers stunningly dealt Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres at the 2022 trade deadline.

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