MLB Rumour Roundup: What is star Roki Sasaki looking for from top suitors?

In an off-season where hundreds of millions of dollars will be handed out, Roki Sasaki’s addition to the free-agent class means that one of this winter’s top signings won’t be getting a nine-figure contract.

Although it remains to be seen when exactly the 23-year-old Japanese superstar will be posted, his Nippon Professional Baseball league club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, announced Saturday morning that they have begun the process of Sasaki’s move to MLB — setting the stage for a recruitment that should be reminiscent of Shohei Ohtanti’s move stateside in 2017.

Since Sasaki is classified as an amateur international free agent by MLB and will be limited by international amateur bonus spending pools, his off-season negotiations won’t just be about how much potential suitors can offer.

Instead, “Sasaki will likely prioritize stability, lifestyle, comfort and, according to league sources, a team’s track record with player development,” The Athletic‘s Will Sammon wrote Saturday.

While the Los Angeles Dodgers have been long rumoured the favourites to land Sasaki, Sammon also identified the New York Mets as a team in “a decent position” to land the right-hander and the Philadelphia Phillies as a “team worth watching in the sweepstakes.”

With MLB’s General Managers Meetings wrapping up earlier this week and the league’s annual Winter Meetings less than a month away, the off-season hot stove is heating up by the day. Here are some of the rumours you need to know from around baseball.

Crochet trade talks return

After the Chicago White Sox opted to hold onto All-Star Garrett Crochet at the trade deadline, the southpaw could be on the move this off-season.

Last week, White Sox general manager Chris Getz told 670 The Score‘s Bruce Levine what the team is looking to get in return in a potential Crochet deal.

“We are focusing on position player return,” Getz said. “That is our primary focus in any trade talks. The right players have to be there. We can’t force anything. We certainly need to improve our offence. That is very clear.”

After posting a 3.58 ERA with 209 strikeouts over 146 innings for the White Sox and coming with just a $2.9 million projected salary in arbitration for 2025, the 25-year-old is already drawing significant interest on the trade market.

According to The New York Post‘s Jon Heyman and Matt Ehalt, the New York Mets “are one of the teams discussing Crochet.”

MassLive’s Sean McAdam reported Friday that a source told him the Boston Red Sox are “right in the thick of things” and that they “match up well” with what the White Sox are looking for.

Boston currently has six players — all of whom are hitters — in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects, including the first, 10th, 24th and 25th top-rated players.

McAdam later added that the Dodgers, San Diego Padres and Baltimore Orioles are also expected to be a part of the bidding.

At least six teams plan to pursue Walker

This year’s General Managers Meetings were described as “so quiet” by one GM to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, but first baseman Christian Walker emerged as “the hottest name among free agent players not named Juan Soto.”

Walker enters the free-agent market after spending eight seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks, winning three straight Gold Gloves and smashing 146 homers — 95 of which have come since 2022.

According to Nightengale, there are “at least six teams who plan to aggressively pursue Walker,” including the Diamondbacks, Mets, New York Yankees and Washington Nationals.

Nightengale wrote that Walker could “ultimately be involved in a bidding war between the Yankees and Mets, whose 2024 first basemen, Anthony Rizzo and Pete Alonso, are free agents.

The belief is that Walker will come “at less than half the price” of Alonso, which could motivate teams to choose the cheaper option in hopes of using the saved dollars elsewhere.

MLB Trade Rumors projects Alonso to receive a five-year, $125 million contract and Walker to sign a three-year, $60 million pact.

Walker will turn 34 during spring training, which likely limits the length and total value of his contract, but it clearly isn’t limiting the number of teams interested in adding his services.

Free agents Bregman, Adames open to position switch

Alex Bregman just won the American League Gold Glove at third base, and Willy Adames has graded out as an above-average shortstop by outs above average (OAA) since joining the Milwaukee Brewers. However, both are open to a position switch in 2025.

According to The Athletic‘s Sammon and Katie Woo, league sources said that Adames “wants to stay and shortstop but would be willing to play a different position if he gets a strong offer from a team in position to win.”

Adames, 29, could likely move to second or third base, depending on the needs of whichever team he ends up signing with, but he hasn’t played a position other than short since 2018.

While his track record of solid defensive work up the middle extends back to his days with the Tampa Bay Rays, Adames took a step back with the glove in 2024. By defensive runs saved (DRS), he was the worst shortstop in the National League this past summer and posted his worst campaign via OAA.

Bregman, meanwhile, recently underwent surgery to remove bone chips in his throwing elbow and is amenable to moving to second base, his agent Scott Boras told Nightengale at the GM Meetings.

The 30-year-old claimed his first career Gold Glove in 2024 after finishing fifth among AL third basemen in DRS with six and tied for first with six OAA.

Quick hits

• While appearing on MLB Network on Thursday, Orioles general manager Mike Elias said his team is looking to add starting pitching and a right-handed hitting outfielder.

• The Diamondbacks are “receiving significant interest from clubs looking for starters,” according to The Athletic‘s Sammon and Patrick Mooney.

• The St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s Derrick Goold reported Thursday that the St. Louis Cardinals are expected to gauge which teams would be interested in trading for third baseman Nolan Arenado — who has a no-trade clause — and what they could get in return.

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