Mega Thread 2024-2025 MLB Hot Stove

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The voting for the Hall of Fame has just been announced. Three players have been elected to the Hall of Fame for 2025, namely, Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner, joining Dave Parker and Dick Allen (who were elected by the Classic Baseball Era committee).

Ichiro fell one vote short of being a unanimous election to the Hall of Fame. Both Ichiro and Sabathia were elected in their first year of eligibility. Billy Wagner was elected in his tenth and final year of eligibility.

Ichiro is the first Japanese-born player to be elected to the Hall of Fame.

Whoever that was should have his or her voting credentials taken away. Ichiro was so obviously a HOF selection this year that it was stupid for anyone not to vote for him.

 

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The Athletics announced that former player Dave Stewart has been hired as a special asssistant to player development for the 2025 season. The exact nature of his new role with the Athletics is yet to be formally announced. Stewart pitched in the majors between 1978 and 1995, and made 212 starts for the Oakland Athletics between 1987 and 1992, with a combined ERA of 3.56. Stewart won World Series MVP while with the Athletics as they defeated the Giants in the 1989 World Series. An earthquake that interrupted one of the games that was being staged at Candlestick Park allowed Stewart to start both games 1 and 3. He threw a complete game shutout in game one, and then went seven innings in game three, giving up three earned runs with the Athletics claiming the victory before going on to sweep the Giants in four.

Stewart won a second World Series (along with Rickey Henderson) with the Blue Jays in 1993. He came back to Oakland in 1995, playing his last season with the Athletics.

Stewart served as an assistant to GM Sandy Alderson in 1996, and spent time in front office and coaching roles with a number of clubs, including the Padres, Blue Jays and Brewers. He was named the GM of the Diamondbacks and held that role from September 2014-October 2016. He had been part of the group that was trying to get an expansion franchise in Nashville Tennessee, but it emerged that he was no longer part of that group.

 

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The Cleveland Guardians announced that they have signed RHP Paul Sewald to a one-year contract with a mutual option for the 2026 season. Sewald is reportedly guaranteed $7 million on the deal, which will be paid out as a $1 million signing bonus, a $5 million salary for 2025 and a $1 million buyout on a $10 million option. Sewald also has incentives based on the number of appearances pitched in 2025. He will earn $100,000 for each of 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 relief appearances.

The Guardians designated RHP Pedro Avila for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster. The Guardians also signed RHP Riley Pint to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training.

 

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The Toronto Blue Jays are in agreement with catcher Christian Bethancourt and LHP Richard Lovelady on minor league contracts with invitationt to Spring Training. Bethancourt has previously played with the Athletics, Rays, Miami and Cubs. He has a career .229/.259/.367 slashline in the majors and will join the Blue Jays as depth behind starter Alejandro Kirk.

Lovelady split time between the Cubs and Rays in 2024. He pitched 28 2/3 innings for the Rays with a 3.77 ERA, a 16.8% strikeout rate, a 7.6% walk rate and a 53.5% groundball rate. The Rays designated Lovelady for assignment to create roster space for outfielder Jake Mangum, whom the Rays wished to protect from the Rule 5 draft. Lovelady was non-tendered, making him an immediate free agent.

 

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The Chicago Cubs are interested in Astros RHP Ryan Pressly, as well as a number of veteran free agents, including Kenley Jansen, David Robertson, Phil Maton, Ryne Stanek and Brooks Raley (all but Raley are right handed pitchers). The Cubs missed out on signing LHP Tanner Scott, who chose an offer from the Dodgers over the Cubs, while the Cubs have also been linked to Carlos Estevez.

Pressly has a no-trade clause in his contract, but the Astros might be interested in convincing him to waive that clause to move to the Cubs, as they are currently projected to be $3 million over the first luxury tax threshold. Pressly has a salary of $14 million this season, so trading him would put the Astros back under the threshold and give them an opportunity to sign an oufielder, such as Jurickson Profar, to replace Kyle Tucker.

The Cubs and Astros have already done business this off-season, with the Cubs acquiring OF Kyle Tucker from the Astros in exchange for infielder Isaac Paredes, RHP Hayden Wesneski and top prospect Cam Smith. Presumably the parties did discuss a trade involving Ryan Pressly at that stage, but it clearly did not go ahead.

The Cubs would likely need to pay a premium to sign the likes of Jansen or Robertson as free agents, given their body of work. This would mark a change in approach by the Cubs under Jed Hoyer. As noted previously, the largest guarantee the Cubs have given to a reliever was $9 million to RHP Hector Neris last off-season. Jansen or Robertson would likely require a higher guaranteed salary than what they paid to Neris. Of course, Robertson has previously pitched for the Cubs, having played at Wrigley Field in 2022 but at that stage, he was looking to reestablish himself after having undergone Tommy John surgery. Given that the Athletics and Orioles each signed Jose LeClerc and Andrew Kittredge for $10 million guaranteed salaries for 2025, Robertson may well be looking for more.

What we’re hearing about the Cubs: Bullpen, Dansby Swanson, Pete Crow-Armstrong and more

Where can the Cubs go for bullpen help? Can Swanson bounce back from surgery? Where will Crow-Armstrong hit in the lineup?

www.nytimes.com

 

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The Atlanta Braves are in agreement with OF Jurickson Profar on a three year, $42 million contract, according to multiple reports. Profar will make $12 million in 2025, then will be paid $15 million in 2026 and 2027. The Braves have a full 40-man roster so will need to make a move once the deal is official.

The Padres signed Profar to a one year, $1 million contract last off-season after he had had a terrible 2023. Profar played 158 games and had 668 plate appearances for the season. He hit a career-high 24 homeruns and slashed .280/.380/.459, good enough for a 139 wRC+ that was clearly his best career. That put him in the top 15 among qualified hitters last year.

Profar has experience playing all positions other than catcher, but is just about a full-time left-fielder (though not a particularly good one) with 18 innings at first base in 2024 the only innings he's played in a position other than left field. Profar was graded -8 by Defensive Runs Saved and -6 by Outs Above Average. However, due to his success at the plate and 10 stolen bases, he earned 4.3 fWAR for 2024.

 

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According to multiple reports, the Toronto Blue Jays and first baseman Pete Alonso are "advancing" their discussions on a possible contract for Alonso to join the Blue Jays. However, nothing is done yet and it is not certain that a deal will come together.

Alonso has hit 226 homeruns over the last six seasons, which is second among all MLB hitters behind Aaron Judge over that timeframe. However, Alonso's profile as a hitter leaves a bit to be desired, it would appear. He has a walk rate just less than 10%, doesn't have much speed on the basepaths and his defence has not been kind, with a +2 Defensive Runs Saved but -24 from Outs Above Average. Further, his bat seems to be slipping, as he hit .261/.349/.535 in his career through to the end of 2022 for a wRC+ of 137, but only .229/.324/.480 for 121 wRC+ over the last two seasons.

 

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It appears that the Houston Astros and the Chicago Cubs have a tentative deal in place for the Cubs to acquire RHP Ryan Pressly from Houston, but it is contingent on Pressly waiving his no-trade clause, and as of just now, Pressly has reportedly not agreed to waive his no-trade provision.





The news emerges after it came out that the Astros have not closed the door on a reunion with third baseman Alex Bregman. The Astros are currently over the luxury tax threshold, and trading Pressly to the Cubs would allow the Astros to get beneath the threshold, possibly to take a run at signing Bregman after he knocked back a six-year, $156 million contract from the Astros at the start of the off-season.

According to one report, the Astros could move Isaac Paredes to second base and put Jose Altuve in left field, so that Bregman could fit in the infield at third base. The Astros have been looking to strengthen their outfield without much success this off-season, and this could be a method for them to achieve their desire. However, reports suggest that Bregman is currently considering two serious offers from other teams and the Astros are not convinced that they could get Bregman to pivot back to the Astros.

 

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It appears from reports that the Astros' offer of six years, $156 million to Alex Bregman is still on the table, while pressure from within the Astros clubhouse has contributed to the front office reopening discussions with Bregman recently. It is not known whether the Astros are prepared to increase their offer, or if they are hoping that Bregman will lower his demands now that he is not signed with Spring Training only just around the corner.

Astros re-engage in talks with longtime third baseman Alex Bregman: Sources

Houston is also shopping reliever Ryan Pressly, who has a no-trade clause.

www.nytimes.com

 

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It appears that several teams have interest in acquiring RHP Dylan Cease from the Padres. According to reports from The Athletic, the Twins have discussed trade scenarios involving catcher Christian Vazquez but also acquiring Cease. It is not clear whether there would be a one-for-one swap between the two teams, given that Vazquez is arguably overpaid at $10 million for a glove-first, part-time catcher, while Cease has been one of the best starting pitchers in recent seasons and is owed $13.75 million for 2025.

The Padres might be forced to trade Cease because they are projected for a $208 million payroll in 2025, almost $40 million higher than their 2024 payroll. It appears that AJ Preller is required to cut payroll to get close to their 2024 Opening Day payroll and doesn't have many options to clear the salary away. Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, Fernando Tatis Jr and Joe Musgrove all have no-trade provisions in their contract, while Jake Cronenworth has a provision barring trades to eight clubs but is on such an expensive contract that he can hardly be traded. Reliever Robert Suarez has three years on his contract but the opt-out/player option after the 2025 season complicates trade talks.

That leaves the Padres looking at trading one or both of Luis Arraez and Dylan Cease before they hit free agency. However, Arraez's contact-oriented approach to hitting and his lack of value on defence suppresses his value on the trade market.

The Twins also don't have a lot of financial flexibility but would certainly need the help to their rotation that would come from acquiring Dylan Cease.

Twins-Padres trade talks have focused on Christian Vázquez: Sources

The Twins would like to reallocate resources and they could find a willing trade partner in San Diego.

www.nytimes.com

 

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It appears that the Cubs have succeeded in persuading RHP Ryan Pressly to drop his no-trade clause and he is now set to be traded from the Astros to the Cubs. In exchange for Pressly and $5.5 million, the Astros will acquire RHP Juan Bello from the Cubs. Pressly will sign a new contract with the Cubs that will include a new no-trade provision, plus an assignment bonus to cover the increase in tax he'll be required to pay in moving from Texas to Illinois. The trade will become official once the standard medical reviews have been completed.

This will be the second time that the Astros have traded a veteran piece to the Cubs, with Pressly joining OF Kyle Tucker at Wrigley Field. Apparently the Cubs beat out the Tigers and Blue Jays to secure Pressly, presumably with the likelihood that Pressly will be the new closer for the Cubs securing the opportunity (Pressly was previously the closer for the Astros until they signed Josh Hader last off-season, which pushed Pressly into a set-up role with the Astros). According to reports, the Cubs' promise to use Pressly as their first choice closer helped convince him to waive his no-trade clause.

Pressly joins Eli Morgan and Caleb Thielbar as new relievers in the Cubs bullpen, and marks a change in approach from Jed Hoyer, who missed out on signing Tanner Scott (who went to the Dodgers). Unlike other options that the Cubs were considering (such as free agent Carlos Estevez), Pressly will be a free agent next off-season. According to reports, the Cubs may not be done in reinforcing their bullpen.

In exchange for acquiring Pressly, the Cubs traded Ryan Bello. He turns 21 in April and the Cubs signed him in the 2022 signing period. He played for the Cubs' A-ball affiliate, Myrtle Beach, in 2024, pitching 89 2/3 innings with a 3.21 ERA, 25.1% strikeout rate and a 7.7% walk rate. He was not ranked among the Cubs' top 30 prospects in 2024 by MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, but Baseball America noted his four-pitch arsenal and his growing ability to strike out batters. According to Baseball America, Bello "fits the Astros' organizational philosophy of developing pitchers with three or more secondaries to play off of their fastball". Bello reportedly has a low-90s fastball with a low-80s slider, a mid-80s changeup and a mid-70s curveball.

 

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World champion with the Dodgers, RHP Jack Flaherty, appeared on a podcast over the weekend to discuss his free agency. With pitchers and catchers set to report to Spring Training in about a fortnight, Flaherty is still without a club as his time in free agency lingers.

Flaherty admitted that while a number of teams have maintained contact with him through the off-season, nobody has been prepared to make him a formal offer at this stage. Flaherty blamed this on a level of complacency among some teams that are prepared to make the playoffs but not necessarily reach the World Series.

It was reported earlier in January that Flaherty is open to short-term offers. The Detroit Tigers, the Chicago Cubs, the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays have all been linked with Flaherty at some point during the off-season (Flaherty has previously pitched for the Tigers and Orioles). Flaherty publicly wanted to re-sign with the Dodgers at the start of the off-season, but the Dodgers would not appear to have room to fit Flaherty on their roster, having signed LHP Blake Snell and RHP Roki Sasaki to join their rotation.

Flaherty said on his podcast appearance that he wanted to stay in Detroit and that he loved it there. He thought the combination of himself and LHP Tarik Skubal was "incredible" and that "it would be fun to go back there".

The Tigers have been reportedly talking to Flaherty and to free agent third baseman Alex Bregman. It appears that Bregman is the Tigers' first priority, though discussions with him appear to be at a "standstill". If Bregman decides to sign elsewhere, it would seem that the Tigers would then be free to pivot towards re-signing Flaherty, thus reuniting Flaherty and Skubal as the one-two punch at the top of the rotation.

 

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Alex Bregman has a big advocate to bring him back to Houston in the form of Jose Altuve, who spoke with reporters at the Astros' FanFest event last week. According to reports, Altuve said that the Astros need to bring back Bregman: "He's a big part of this team. You know how negotiations go. He's a free agent, so he gets the chance to pick the best offer. But as a teammate, I want him back and hopefully we can make something happen for him".

The Astros have had an offer on the table for Bregman but appeared to have moved on from him after they acquired Isaac Paredes from the Cubs as part of the return for OF Kyle Tucker and signed Christian Walker to play first base. The Astros also had had discussions and a deal in place with St Louis to acquire Nolan Arenado until that collapsed when Arenado refused to waive his no-trade clause.

Bregman reportedly has a number of offers on the table but does not appear close to signing a new contract because clubs seem to be viewing Bregman as a short term addition while Bregman wants the security of a long-term deal. This impasse has led the Astros to reengage with Bregman, though it still appears that the chance of Bregman going back to Houston still seems to be low. If Bregman were to re-sign with the Astros, then Bregman would take back third base from Paredes, and that would leave him potentially without a position as Walker would play first base and Yordan Alvarez would be the regular designated hitter. That left the Astros to consider moving Jose Altuve to left field so that Paredes could play second base. Altuve is open to this, saying to reporters: "I want to win and he's going to be a guy that's going to make this team better. We have a better chance to win a championship with him. That's my answer: I'm willing to do whatever for him to stay".

Altuve also had poor fielding grades at second base last season, being ranked the worst defensive second baseman according to Defensive Runs Saved and the second worst according to Outs Above Average.

Jose Altuve open to position change if Astros pull off ‘long shot’ and retain Alex Bregman

Moving Altuve to left field is at least under consideration if Houston retains Bregman.

www.nytimes.com

 

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The Texas Rangers have signed RHP Jesse Chavez and OF Cody Thomas to minor league deals, with invitations to Spring Training. Chavez made his MLB debut back in 2008 and has appeared in every season since then, playing for nine different clubs (including the Texas Rangers). The Rangers drafted Chavez back in 2002, but traded him to the Pirates before he reached the big leagues. He signed as a free agent with Texas in 2018, but was traded to the Cubs. After hitting free agency at the end of the 2018 season, he signed with the Rangers on a two-year deal.

Last year, Chavez played for the Braves, pitching 63 1/3 innings in 46 appearances for a 3.13 ERA, a 20.8% strikeout rate and an 80.3% strand rate.

The Rangers need bullpen upgrades, having lost Kirby Yates, David Robertson, Jose Leclerc and Andrew Chafin to free agency, but also needing to stay under the competitive balance tax threshold. The Rangers have signed Chris Martin, Jacob Webb, Shawn Armstrong and Hoby Milner to improve the bullpen, while they acquired Robert Gacia as part of the Nathaniel Lowe trade.

Thomas has previously played for the Athletics, hitting .250/.308/.333 in 2022-2023, but became a free agent heading into last season. He played in Japan for the season, going hitless in 18 at-bats in the NPB and hitting .263/.335/.324 in 79 games in the Japan minors.

 

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The Baltimore Orioles have signed OF Dylan Carlson to a one-year contract. He'll make $975,000 with a $25,000 bonus for receiving 200 plate appearances. The Orioles designated infielder Jacob Amaya for assignment to create the roster space for Carlson, who made his debut with the Cardinals before being traded to the Rays last season.

 

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As noted last week, the Padres have been in discussions over a potential trade of RHP Dylan Cease. It now appears that other teams are talking to the Padres about the possibility of a trade of RHP Michael King. Both Cease and King are entering their last season of arbitration control, and the Padres are working under a self-imposed salary cap.

Why Steve Cohen’s ‘brutally honest’ comments on Alonso negotiations were so unusual, plus more MLB notes

Plus more on how the Astros could defensively accommodate Alex Bregman's return, Paul Skenes' next steps and other offseason info.

www.nytimes.com

 

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The Padres are in agreement with catcher Elias Diaz on a one-year, $3.5 million contract with a mutual option for 2026. The Padres have vacancies on their 40-man roster so will not need to make moves once the deal is made official.

Diaz won an All-Star Game MVP in 2023 when with the Rockies, but his career nosedived last year and he was displaced by Jacob Stallings at the Rockies. He ended up being released by Colorado and signing a minor league deal with the Padres at the end of August. He became the backup to Kyle Higashioka after the Padres sent Luis Campusano to the minor leagues and hit .190/.292/.429 in 24 plate appearances in the regular season for the Padres. He received one plate appearance in the postseason for the Padres as Higashioka took the bulk of the work in the Padres' postseason run.

Both Higashioka and Diaz became free agents at the end of the season, with Higashioka later signing with the Rangers. Campusano remains on the roster but he played at a sub-replacement level last season with poor work both at and behind the plate.

 

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The Chicago Cubs have officially signed veteran utility man Jon Berti and have designated infielder Luis Vazquez for assignment. Vazquez was a 17th round pick out of Puerto Rico by the Cubs and made his MLB debut with Chicago last year, appearing in 11 games and going 1-for-12 in 14 plate appearances. He hit .263/.347/.432 in Triple-A in 2024. Vazquez has accumulated plenty of experience at shortstop in the minor leagues, putting up 4,929 innings of work at that position, compared to 268 innings at second base, 186 at third base, two innings in right field and one inning at first base. He was the 16th ranked prospect in the Chicago Cubs system last year.

The Cubs signed Berti to a one year, $2 million contract with another $1.3 million available in incentives, according to reports. Berti has played second base, third base and shortstop in his career, and is known as a speedy, contact oriented hitter, having stolen 41 bases in 46 attempts back in 2022 and hitting .268/.334/.373 in the 2022-2023 seasons with the Marlins.

Berti was acquired by the Yankees from the Marlins before the start of last season and struggled to stay healthy while in the Bronx, hitting the IL for groin and calf problems that kept him out of the action for a significant period of time. Berti played on 25 games for the Yankees in the regular season and four times in the post-season.

Berti falls just short of putting up six years of service time in the majors, but with five years accumulated under his belt, he cannot be sent to the minors without his consent, so he will be on the Chicago Cubs' active roster (most likely in a bench role).

 

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The Boston Red Sox are in agreement with infielder Abraham Toro on a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Toro will be paid $1 million if he makes the Red Sox major league roster.

Toro was a highly regarded prospect in the Astros system who ended up playing 95 games for Houston and Seattle in 2021. The Astros traded Toro to Seattle during that season to acquire LHP Kendall Graveman from the Mariners.

After an encouraging 2021, he took a significant step back in 2022, hitting just .185/.239/.324 in 352 plate appearances with the Mariners and was traded by the Mariners to the Brewers in exchange for Jesse Winker and Kolten Wong (a lose-lose trade for both teams). Toro hit well in the minors but only received 21 plate appearances in the majors for Milwaukee in 2023. The Brewers traded Toro to the Athletics last off-season. He started the 2024 season well but his output declined as the season wore on and he finished the season with a .240/.293/.350 slashline in 364 plate appearances before the Athletics waived him.

Toro will likely figure as a useful depth piece for the Red Sox with the hope that his time in hitter-unfriendly parks like T-Mobile Park and the Rickey Henderson Field at the Coliseum do not reflect his potential with the bat.

 

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The Miami Marlins have claimed RHP Connor Gillispie off waivers from the Atlanta Braves and have waived catcher Jhonny Pereda to make room for Gillispie on the roster. Gillispie made his MLB debut for the Guardians in 2024, pitching eight innings in three appearances, with two earned runs, eight strikeouts and five walks. The Guardians non-tendered him after the season and the Braves signed him to a split deal, but designated him for assignment when they signed Jurickson Profar last week. Pereda made his MLB debut for the Marlins in 2024, picking up 40 plate appearances in total for a .231/.250/.231 slashline.

 

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The Toronto Blue Jays are signing RHP Adam Kloffenstein to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. The Blue Jays drafted Kloffenstein in the third round of the 2018 draft and he wound up being traded to the Cardinals in 2023. He was added to the Cardinals' 40 man roster in November 2023 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft and he made his MLB debut with St Louis last year, though he only pitched one inning. The Cardinals non-tendered Kloffenstein in November 2024.

 

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The Cincinnati Reds have signed OF Austin Hays to a one-year, $5 million contract with up to $1 million in incentives available. The deal is pending the completion of a physical. Hays will likely settle in to a platoon role as he works his way back from a terrible 2024 with the Orioles. Hays spent most of the season recovering from injuries, including a hamstring strain, a calf strain and a kidney infection.

Austin Hays agrees to one-year deal with Reds: Source

The 29-year-old outfielder had a .699 OPS in 85 games for the Orioles and Phillies in 2024.

www.nytimes.com

 

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The Cubs have formally announced their acquisition of RHP Ryan Pressly from the Astros. To make room for their new closer, the Cubs have designated RHP Matt Festa for assignment.

 

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are in agreement with 2B/3B/OF Adam Frazier on a one-year, $1.525 million contract.

The Pirates drafted Frazier in the 2013 draft and he made the All-Star team as a Pirate back in 2021, after he hit .324/.388/.448 in the first half of the 2021 season. The Pirates traded Frazier to the Padres at the 2021 deadline, in exchange for OF Jack Suwinski, utility man Tucupita Marcano, and RHP Michell Miliano.

Frazier struggled with the Padres with a .267/.327/.335 slashline after the trade, which was ranked 87 wRC+. The Padres flipped Frazier to the Mariners at the end of the 2021 season, and he subsequently played for the Orioles and Royals, putting up a .236/.301/.336 batting line across 1,562 plate appearances. This included a slashline of .202/.282/.294 in 294 plate appearances for the Royals last season, with a career-worst 20.1% strikeout rate.

 

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The Pirates have re-signed LHP Ryan Borucki to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training. Borucki will make $1.15 million base salary (with incentives available) if he makes the major league roster. Borucki will play his third consecutive season with the Pirates in 2025 after he was signed to a minor league deal prior to the start of the 2023 season by Pittsburgh. Borucki pitched well for Pittsburgh in 2023, but was limited to just 11 innings of work in 2024 after he struggled with a triceps issue that cost him five months of the season.