There are plenty of MLB rumors to dive into in this latest roundup, so let's get started on news and notes surrounding the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and more.
Will Boston Red Sox move Alex Verdugo?
At the just-concluded GM meetings in Scottsdale, new Boston Red Sox GM Craig Breslow didn't hold back in saying that other teams have been reaching out to him to see how available Verdugo could be in a trade. The 27-year-old outfielder is under one more year of team control before becoming a free agent before the 2025 campaign. Verdugo's salary was $6.3 million last season, a solid number for a player who posted 2.6 bWAR while slashing .264/.324/.421 with 13 home runs and 54 RBI in 602 plate appearances.
Entering his first offseason overseeing the Red Sox, it's clear that Breslow is looking for ways to boost the Red Sox back into the postseason on a consistent basis, and that could mean addition by subtraction when it comes to players like Verdugo, who came to Boston in the Mookie Betts deal before the 2020 campaign.
There was rumored to be interest in Verdugo before last season's MLB trade deadline, but the Red Sox held on to him. Could their position change this offseason? It likely depends on if the right deal comes along.
Brian Cashman blunt on New York Yankees' hopes for offseason
It is not too hard to read between the lines to see what Cashman is working toward in the Bronx for his plan to get the Yankees back into the postseason.
With all of that in mind, the map seems pretty laid out for the Yankees, but the question becomes just how aggressive Cashman and New York owners will be in the offseason. After all, Shohei Ohtani is a left-handed bat, but will the Yankees have the surplus to grab him with big contracts belonging to Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole still on the books for the foreseeable future?
The efforts to reinforce the pitching could well be the barometer that eventually shows just how successful this offseason was for the Yankees. Last year's miss on Carlos Rodon along with the Frankie Montas trade being an absolute disaster have put New York behind the eight ball on the mound. Will things get right on the mound this winter in the Bronx?
Aaron Nola to Los Angeles Dodgers?
Of course, the Yankees aren't the only team that has plenty of questions about pitching heading into the winter. That list also includes the Dodgers, who saw their pitching shortcomings help short-circuit their hopes of reaching the World Series in a stunning sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The hope for better pitching in Los Angeles in 2023 would be greatly boosted if the Dodgers could land Aaron Nola this offseason, and that's what Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) is predicting will happen. In his recent article, Bowden writes as part of his prediction, "Aaron Nola signs a five-year, $125 million deal with the Dodgers about 24 hours after they learn that they've lost out on Ohtani."
If you're a Dodgers fan, this is definitely a good news-bad news scenario as Bowden predicts that Ohtani will end up with the Texas Rangers rather than staying in L.A. with either the Angels or Dodgers. If that scenario were to come true, the Dodgers would likely become very aggressive in the free agent market, leading them to land Nola and other key pieces in what they feel needs to happen to actually reach the Fall Classic again.
Nola would certainly fit into L.A.'s recent philosophy of landing the best possible players for their roster. Now it's a matter of how many of these predictions will come true.
Could Andrew McCutchen return to the Pittsburgh Pirates?
That seems to be what the Pirates are pushing for this offseason as MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted that Pittsburgh is "hopeful" McCutchen will be back with the team in 2024. That came from Pirates general manager Ben Cherington, so it seems the feel-good return of the man known as "Cutch" back to the Steel City may be more than just a one-year tale.
The 37-year-old McCutchen was back with the Pirates last season for the first time since being traded away to the San Francisco Giants prior to the 2018 campaign. McCutchen was solid in his return to the black and gold, posting a .256/.378/.397 slash line in 473 plate appearances. However, he was much stronger at the plate in the first half of the season, slashing .268/.383/.425 before the Midsummer Classic.
With Pittsburgh hoping to replicate last season's hot start at the beginning of the season and keep it going much longer in 2024, having a veteran bat and fan favorite back in McCutchen certainly would seem to be a win-win for both sides.
Washington Nationals listening to trade proposals?
There is also this piece of news from Morosi...
While it makes sense that other teams would poke to see if there was any chance of a move, this sounds more like one team exploring a possibility, especially with both players under team control until the 2026 season.
