MLB rumors: Cardinals eye veteran outfielder; Twins trade for Red Sox infielder

Major League Baseball’s offseason continues to wind down, with just three weeks remaining until pitchers and catchers report for camp across sites in Arizona and Florida. That doesn’t mean teams can just take it easy until then, however, since several top free agents remain unsigned, including left-hander Framber Valdez and outfielder Cody Bellinger. Below, CBS Sports has compiled all of Wednesday’s most notable murmurs and moves in one spot for your convenience.

Mets land Robert

The Mets and White Sox agreed to a three-player swap late Tuesday night that was headlined by outfielder Luis Robert Jr. In return, the White Sox acquired utility player Luisangel Acuña and right-handed pitching prospect Truman Pauley.

Cardinals interested in outfielder

Count the Cardinals among the clubs to show interest in veteran outfielder Austin Hays, per the New York Post. 

Hays, 30, spent last season with the Reds. In 103 games, he batted .266/.315/.453 (105 OPS+) with 15 home runs and seven stolen bases. Throughout his career, he’s been more effective against left-handed pitchers, posting an .819 OPS with the platoon advantage (as opposed to a .717 mark without). 

That platoon split makes Hays a sensible target for a Cardinals roster that, as of the moment, features several left-handed outfielders and corner players, including Alec Burleson and Lars Nootbaar. 

In addition to the Cardinals, Hays has been linked to the Yankees, Mets, and other clubs throughout the offseason.

The Twins have acquired infielder Tristan Gray from the Red Sox in exchange for minor-league catcher Nate Baez, the teams announced Wednesday morning.

Gray, 29, has appeared in 47 big-league games to date in his career, most recently appearing in 30 contests with the Rays in 2025. Although he’s only posted a 77 OPS+, he has shown a feel for making authoritative contact, as demonstrated by his 46.8% hard-hit percentage. (The league-average is around 40%.) He figures to compete for playing time on the Minnesota infield.

Baez, 24, hit .278/.371/.423 in 96 games last year across High- and Double-A. He’s a former 12th-round pick by way of Arizona State University.