Updated MLB Free Agents 2026 Rumors, Predictions for Tarik Skubal, Teruaki Sato, More

The burners on the 2026 MLB hot stove have ignited.

Things are just smoldering for now, but it feels like things could engulf at any moment.

In this breakdown of the latest baseball free agency buzz, we'll touch on the latest from the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, the New York Yankees' infield plans and a suitor who may not be chasing Japenese star slugger Teruaki Sato.

A Favorite, A Sleeper and A Sideline Observer for Tarik Skubal?

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While this free agency class is notably light on star power and elite production, Tarik Skubal is the obvious exception. He has a credible case to be made for being the best pitcher on the planet and a couple of Cy Young awards attesting to that.

As such, it's not at all surprising to see he is directly responsible for the loudest rumor-mill rumblings so far.

As for the rumblings themselves, MLB Network insider Jon Heyman opined that the New York Mets "are the favorite" for Skubal so far. MLB Network's Jon Morosi, meanwhile, reported that the San Diego Padres "already have expressed interest" in Skubal. Finally, The Athletic's Sahadev Sharma wrote that the Chicago Cubs "appear unlikely to enter the bidding war" for Skubal.

It has long felt as if Skubal's situation will come down to a Mets-Los Angeles Dodgers staredown, but maybe a team like the Padres could shake things up a bit.

Prediction: Skubal re-signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yankees Prioritizing 3B Upgrade Over 2B?

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The New York Yankees appear destined to replace Jazz Chisholm Jr. this offseason, and the market certainly offers some interesting alternatives at second base with players like Brandon Lowe and Luis Arráez.

Still, it doesn't sound like that's the direction the Yankees will take.

Jon Heyman wrote for the New York Post that the Yankees "think they are OK at second with Anthony Vople and possibly Luis García Jr." and "are looking at third base and bullpen as main areas of need."

Given what this market has available at second base and largely lacks at third base, it's a bit of a surprise that the former wouldn't be prioritized over the latter. That said, New York might prefer its internal options at second base, so it could certainly decide the best route is filling the second-base void in-house and then looking for outside help at the hot corner.

Prediction: Yankees don't add a second baseman, do trade for Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Jung.

Yankees Uninterested in Teruaki Sato?

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The Yankees need a third baseman, and this free agent class happens to feature a 27-year-old who just won his league's Triple Crown.

So, clearly there's a match between New York and Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, right? Well, apparently not.

"What I'm hearing about the Yankees and Sato is they have some pause about his ability to be a third baseman at the major league level," Jack Curry of the YES Network said on The Michael Kay Show. "The offense is elite. He was a Triple Crown winner in Japan. ... I would not envision that he ends up being the answer for the Yankees at third."

While Sato has primarily played third base, he does have outfield experience as well, and he could be a candidate to move across the diamond to first base. As long as he finds a passable fit somewhere, he should be more than fine given the kind of firepower he possesses with that bat.

Prediction: Sato signs with the Philadelphia Phillies.