The Winter Meetings, baseball’s annual hot stove extravaganza, will take place next week in Orlando. Those figure to be the four busiest days of the offseason, with trades and free-agent signings and rumors aplenty. Here now are Thursday’s hot stove rumors to help tide you over until things really pick up next week.
Cubs expected to pursue Imai, have ‘renewed interest’ in Bregman
The Cubs are expected to be among the teams that pursue Japanese righty Tatsuya Imai, reports 670 The Score. Chicago was said to be in the running for Dylan Cease before he signed with the Blue Jays, indicating a willingness to spend a good amount of money. Imai’s 45-day posting window ends at 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 2.
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R.J. Anderson
Even with Shota Imanaga accepting the $22.025 million qualifying offer, the Cubs need another starter in 2026. Imanaga will re-join Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Jameson Taillon in the rotation, with Javier Assad and Colin Rea serving as depth options. Lefty Justin Steele had elbow surgery in April and is not expected back until the middle of 2026 at the earliest.
Further, the Cubs — after failing to sign him last offseason — have “renewed interest” in All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman, according to The Athletic. Though a quad injury limited him to 114 games, Bregman hit .273/.360/.462 with 3.5 WAR last season for the Red Sox. The Cubs had rookie Matt Shaw at third, where he played great defense while hitting .226/.295/.394 with 3.1 WAR. His offense was much improved in the second half.
Still, there’s a lot to consider here. Shaw has also played second base and Nico Hoerner is set to hit free agency after the 2026 season, as are corner outfielders Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki. This is to say that adding Bregman would help solidify the position-player side for the long term and that Shaw’s versatility means he wouldn’t necessary need to be traded if Bregman were signed.
Tucker visits Blue Jays’ spring facility
Kyle Tucker, the offseason’s No. 1 free agent, visited the Blue Jays’ spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla., on Wednesday, reports FanSided. The visit indicates sincere mutual interest, though, as Sportsnet notes, it is a fairly common part of the recruiting process. Tucker is from nearby Tampa and could visit other spring complexes in the area (Phillies and Yankees, most notably).
The defending American League champions have been one of the offseason’s most active teams already, signing Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to reinforce what was already a strong rotation. The club could still re-sign shortstop Bo Bichette, though things have been fairly quiet on that front. Tucker fits Toronto’s contact/power offensive approach and would improve an already strong team defense.
Mets interested in Ryan, Bellinger
Count the Mets among the teams with interest in Twins ace Joe Ryan, according to the New York Post. The club is known to be seeking a high-end starter this offseason and the Twins, who sold hard at the trade deadline, figure to listen to any and all offers for Ryan. New York’s farm system is fairly deep, potentially giving them a leg up in trade discussions.
The Mets, as well as the crosstown rival Yankees, are also actively courting free agent outfielder Cody Bellinger, reports MLB Network. Even before trading away Brandon Nimmo, the Mets needed an outfielder this offseason, particularly one capable of playing center field. Bellinger qualifies, though his pull-heavy approach as a lefty hitter is a better fit for Yankee Stadium than Citi Field.
Dodgers talking Hernández trade, have interest in Suarez
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández has come up in trade discussions, according to The Athletic, but a trade is considered unlikely. The two-time defending World Series champions already need one outfielder this offseason. A Hernández trade would create an even greater need, though it would give the Dodgers a chance to get younger and better defensively in particular.
Also, the Dodgers have expressed interest in free-agent closer Robert Suarez, reports The Athletic. The club would prefer a short-term deal with a high annual salary for the soon-to-be 35-year-old. The Dodgers have not yet shown interest in fellow free-agent closer Pete Fairbanks. Bullpen help is a priority this winter, especially after Tanner Scott’s disappointing 2025 season.Â
Red Sox seeking middle-of-the-order bat
A middle-of-the-order hitter is on the shopping list for the Red Sox at next week’s Winter Meetings, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told The Athletic recently. “Someone who is a threat who can hit in the middle of the order and can lengthen our lineup is going to be something we’re going to pursue. That is absolutely a path to improving our team,” Breslow said.
Boston finished 15th in home runs in 2025 and their lineup leans left-handed at the moment. Alex Bregman fit very nicely both in the lineup and at third base, so adding a middle-of-the-order bat could simply mean re-signing Bregman. Pete Alonso would address Boston’s power deficiency better than Bregman, but not improve the right side of the infield defense, which was a weakness in 2025.
D-backs have had talks with Fairbanks
The Diamondbacks have had talks with free-agent closer Pete Fairbanks, reports the Arizona Republic. Arizona figures to import lots of pitching this offseason, both starters and relievers. Their bullpen ranked 27th in ERA and 27th in WAR in 2025, and their two best relievers, righty Justin Martinez and lefty AJ Puk, will miss the start of 2026 after having elbow surgery in June.
Unable to find a trade partner last month, the Rays declined their $11 million club option for Fairbanks and sent him out into free agency. The reliever market is really moving — Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, Emilio Pagán, and Devin Williams have all signed within the last 10 days or so — and several teams have been linked to Fairbanks. Signs point to him signing fairly soon.