What to make of Matthews’ impressive return to Maple Leafs’ lineup
Nick Kypreos, Gord Stellick and Sam McKee discuss Auston Matthews’ impressive return to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ lineup and how much of his return factors into his desire to show he’s capable of playing at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
With 2025 well underway and Opening Day drawing closer, MLB’s free-agent market continues to unfold slowly, with Corbin Burnes and Teoscar Hernández remaining as the biggest names to come off the board in recent weeks.
For the Toronto Blue Jays, Andrés Giménez remains their most impactful addition of the off-season after missing out on the likes of Burnes and Juan Soto. Despite coming up short in those pursuits, their search for talent continues, as in recent days, the Blue Jays have reportedly emerged as legit players for heart-of-the-order bats Alex Bregman and Anthony Santander.
KPRC 2‘s Ari Alexander reported on Friday that the Blue Jays are one of three suitors with a “very real” possibility of landing the two-time World Series champion Bregman.
And perhaps more importantly, Alexander wrote that Toronto has formally extended an offer to Santander.
Santander, 30, is coming off a career-best season in which he hit 44 home runs, was named an All-Star for the first time, earned MVP votes and won a Silver Slugger Award. The longtime Baltimore Oriole, known as ‘Tony Taters,’ ranks sixth in baseball with 105 longballs since 2022, and would likely serve as the Blue Jays’ clean-up hitter if he came to terms on a deal with Toronto.
As for who else is in the Santander sweepstakes, the Detroit Free Press‘s Evan Petzold wrote on Saturday that the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels “are the favourites” to land the Venezuelan slugger, adding that the Tigers are interested if they can’t sign Bregman.
While Toronto continues to engage with the top remaining free agents, the hot stove figures to heat back up across baseball following a holiday lull. So, let’s check in on some rumours and speculation as to where MLB fans can focus their attention in the new year.
Red Sox are a ‘preferred destination’ for Nolan Arenado
As the St. Louis Cardinals work to find a new home for eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado, the Boston Red Sox have emerged as a potential fit.
According to MassLive‘s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam, “Boston is a preferred destination — if not the preferred destination — for Arenado, a hot trade candidate who has a full no-trade clause.”
To this point in the off-season, threading the needle of an Arenado move hasn’t been easy for the Cardinals. With $64 million owed over the next three years of his contract — not including the $10 million the Rockies will pay over the next two seasons — the no-trade clause and the third baseman’s downturn in offensive performance over the past two seasons complicating any move, St. Louis has been limited in finding potential suitors.
The 10-time Gold Glover is coming off a 2024 campaign in which he posted his worst OPS (.719) in over a decade while hitting 16 homers and driving in 71 runs for the 83-79 Cardinals.
Arenado has already taken control of the process once this winter when he blocked a potential trade to the Houston Astros.
During MLB’s annual Winter Meetings in December, MLB.com’s John Denton reported that there are six teams on Arenado’s “wish list”: the Red Sox, Dodgers, Padres, Angels, Phillies and Mets.
Denton furthered MassLive‘s report on Monday by saying Boston is a “strong candidate” to land Arenado, adding that a deal between the two historic franchises “could be contingent on St. Louis swallowing a sizeable chunk of the money” owed to the 33-year-old.
Orioles ‘still looking’ for upgrades
After a second straight post-season disappointment, the Baltimore Orioles have been fairly active in their first off-season under new ownership, but their additions have been overshadowed by the talent — seemingly — on its way out the door.
Baltimore has brought in Canadian Tyler O’Neill and catcher Gary Sanchez to offset the loss of Santander in the lineup, and signed veteran starters Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton to boost its rotation, which will operate without Burnes as its anchor in 2025.
However, the full picture in Baltimore might still be developing. The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal reported Sunday that “the Orioles are still looking for additional upgrades in free agency and via trade.”
Free agent Jack Flaherty and trade candidates Dylan Dease, Luis Castillo and Pablo López are among the pitchers who can still be acquired this winter, but each of those options comes with hurdles for Baltimore, Rosenthal wrote.
Flaherty posted a 6.75 ERA pitching for the Orioles in 2023 after being brought over from St. Louis at the trade deadline, and Cease would come at a “considerable cost” in young talent, one Baltimore paid to acquire Burnes last off-season before watching him join the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Any other addition that would require a major-league return seems to be a no-go for the Orioles, as well, since they “are not inclined” to move Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser or Jordan Westburg and envision Heston Kjerstad and Coby Mayo as long-term solutions in their lineup.
If that continues to be the case, Baltimore could focus on adding to its bullpen, which Rosenthal reports the team is specifically looking to supplement behind returning All-Star closer Felix Bautista.
Angels weighing pursuit of Alonso
After coming out of the gates as MLB’s most active club this off-season, the Angels are still looking to add another hitter before spring training opens.
As previously mentioned, the Halos have been linked to Santander, but according to The New York Post‘s Jon Heyman, another possibility is former New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.
“The Angels are looking at [signing Alonso],” he said on a Bleacher Report live stream. “It’s years [that] are a possible gap there. They certainly are weighing that. I do believe [owner] Arte Moreno does want to get another big bat in there.”
Alonso has been one of MLB’s preeminent power hitters since debuting in 2019, slugging 226 career home runs and collecting 586 RBIs. He is coming off a down year, in which he still managed to leave the yard 34 times and found his stride in the post-season, but the slight dip in performance has potentially created the gap in negotiations between the 30-year-old and any would-be-suitors.
Heyman later said that any concern about Alonso’s first base being occupied in Los Angeles by Nolan Schanuel would be quelled by moving the 22-year-old to left field.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote on Monday that Alonso “will almost certainly get an opt-out-laden short-term deal” and that the ‘Polar Bear’ is expected to stay in Queens “until another team steps up.”
Quick hits
• The San Francisco Giants made “legitimate offers” for All-Stars Garrett Crochet and Kyle Tucker this off-season, according to The Athletic‘s Andrew Baggarly, but were unwilling to include top first base prospect Bryce Eldridge in either package.
• In the same Bleacher Report live stream where he connected Alonso to the Angels, Heyman reported that the market for three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer is “heating up,” adding that the 40-year-old is fielding interest from four teams.
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