The calendar — it’s a wall calendar sponsored by a local funeral home — was delayed until 2025. Some of the biggest names, including Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes, were excluded. Still, some notable free agents and trade targets remain available, meaning a daily supply of MLB rumors are circulating in the second half of the offseason. Speaking of which, Thursday’s deal is right below.
Tigers and Jays favorite to land Bregman
Veteran third baseman Alex Bregman, an Astros lifer who seems almost certain to sign elsewhere, is the top free agent remaining on the market, and his situation could become clearer. Jon Heyman during a recent live appearance identified the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays as, at present, the “most likely” to land Bregman. The Tigers in particular have been linked to Bregman for some time. Detroit is coming off a surprise playoff run in 2024, while the Jays look to bounce back from a deeply disappointing season. Every team needs an upgrade at the hot corner, and Bregman promises that for years to come.
Earlier in the offseason, CBS Sports ranked Bregman as the No. 3 free agent in the current class. Here is part of our article:
Bregman was one of the most productive third basemen in the sport for much of his career. He has compiled the sixth-most WAR at the position since 2020, putting him ahead of Rafael Devers and behind only the who’s who of third basemen from that era. He has had a tremendous career so far. Yet part of this exercise is about looking to the future. The more we investigated Bregman, the more reservations we developed about his bat. There’s no denying his sense of contact but we’re not as confident about the other elements. For example, Statcast’s calculations suggest he would have had at least 30 fewer home runs in his career if he had hit the same number of batted balls in any of the other 17 MLB ballparks. You can’t blame Bregman – you play golf on the course you’re on – but it suggests his power might be minimized elsewhere. There’s also the matter of his walk rate, which hit a career-low 6.9% last season as he became more aggressive. Bregman’s ball-striking and defensive skills remain good enough for him to provide value; there’s just a little more reason to say “hm” here than the value of its name suggests.
Bregman will turn 31 at the end of March. The incumbent Astros have their inside corners booked with Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker, which means no path for a Bregman reunion.
The Chicago White Sox have agreed to a one-year contract with infielder Josh Rojas. MLB.com reports. Rojas, 30, is coming off a 2024 season with the Mariners in which he slashed .225/.304/.336 (91 OPS+) with eight home runs and 10 stolen bases in 142 games. Over the course of his career, he has an OPS+ of 92 over six major league seasons. Rojas is capable of playing multiple positions, including second and third base. He spent a lot of time at shortstop as recently as 2021, and he also saw innings in the corners of the outfield.
