The dam has yet to break on the 2026 iteration of MLB free agency.
Whenever it gives, though, the baseball world could see a spending frenzy as teams and front offices scramble to get deals done before the collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1.
What, exactly, could that rush involve? Well, let's look to the latest rumblings on the rumor mill to find out.
Yankees Mulling a Move for Tarik Skubal?
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The Tarik Skubal sweepstakes hasn't started in earnest yet, but it often gets treated like a two-team race between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. The Athletic's Katie Woo characterized hose clubs as "the industry favorites to land him."
Still, a player of this caliber—who, notably, stands head, shoulders, knees and toes above the rest of the free agent pool—is sure to drum up interest from more than two parties. And it sounds like Skubal will do exactly that.
Per ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, the New York Yankees "are thinking about" making a run at Skubal and would "then [trade] from their pitching stockpile if they land Skubal." McDaniel also mentioned the Detroit Tigers as "monitoring for a discount" and labeled the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres as "the sleepers."
Are all of these clubs ready to cover what could be a record-setting cost for a pitcher in terms of both guaranteed money and average annual value? Surely not. But if Skubal considers factors other than finances, this could get more interesting than the two-team battle so many expect it will be.
Red Sox Seeking Elly De La Cruz Trade?
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After being crowned World Series champs in 2018, the Boston Red Sox only booked three playoff trips over the eight years since. While they reached the ALCS in 2021, their last two postseason runs were extinguished in the Wild-Card Round.
Their winning formula is struggling to calculate, in other words, and it sounds like they're ready to pursue a dramatic move to change that. Per The Athletic's Jim Bowden, the Red Sox will "calll...the Reds if Cincinnati decides to move Elly De La Cruz."
That's a big ambition—and surely a plan other teams would follow—but it's probably not impossible. De La Cruz has been decidedly awesome to start his career (he just delivered his first 30-30 campaign), but the Reds have been decidedly not. All four of his seasons have featured forgettable win totals between 75 and 83.
If the Reds have questions about their ability to contend during De La Cruz's prime or already fear what could happen when their club control runs out in 2030, then trading him could restock their pipeline and perhaps give the franchise a better, clearer direction than it has now.
Yankees Hoping To Keep Impact Reliever?
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The New York Yankees figure to have a busy offseason. They could target a second baseman and an outfielder to replace Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham, respectively, they need to reload their bullpen and they have to find a right-handed-hitting catcher.
On the bullpen front, the Yankees already got to work by extending the qualifying offer to closer David Bednar. That doesn't mean he'll sign it or even stick around, but it does show that New York wants to bring him back.
Speaking of relievers the Yankees want to retain, they reportedly have "strong interest in re-signing Paul Blackburn," per Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News.
Blackburn was terrific this past season, his first as a full-time reliever. The 32-year-old posted a tidy 1.59 ERA and 1.08 WHIP over his 85 innings pitched.
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