As we watch the Brewers win their first World Series, it’s time to turn our attention to the hot stove!
With November 2nd officially starting free agency, expect big name players like two-time Cy Young ace Tarik Skubal and Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato to earn top dollar this offseason.
Here are the latest from around the league:
Tuesday, November 10
The New York Mets are rwas reportedly scheduled to meet with Tarik Skubalthe top prize of this year’s free agent class next week in California. The New York Post first reported the planned meeting. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns declined to comment on the team’s pursuit of Skubal at the general manager’s meetings in Las Vegas.
The fit is obvious. The Mets need a front-line starter after missing the postseason in each of the last two seasons, and owner Steve Cohen has the resources to make it happen. Beyond standout rookies Nolan McLean and Christian Scott, New York’s rotation is full of question marks.
The Mets won’t be alone. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Los Angeles also expects to meet with Skubal in the coming days, noting the left-hander enjoyed his time with the team after being acquired from Detroit at the trade deadline.
Skubal is widely expected to set records for both average annual value and total value for a pitcher. The current marks are AAV of $43.3 million shared by Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, $325 million.
The Padres have new owners this offseason and may not be trying to stay at or near the luxury tax threshold, as San Diego has in recent seasons. The best evidence of that change to this point is the Padres looking to acquire their top free agent, ace starter Tarik Skubal. for MLB NetworkSan Diego is “among the most active teams” in the starting market and has “expressed interest” in the two-time Cy Young winner.
The Padres are active to this degree in the market in part because they lack starting pitching options: At the 2026 trade deadline, San Diego acquired Casey Mize and Robbie Ray, both pending free agents, to fill holes in the rotation. Leadoff hitter Michael King also opted for free agency, leaving Joe Musgrove back in charge of a staff with a number of pitchers a contending team wouldn’t use if it could be helped.
Skubal, despite midseason elbow surgery to remove loose bodies in ’26, was the primary target of the trade deadline and acquired by the Dodgers to bolster their rotation. He produced a 2.72 ERA over 158 ⅔ innings with a 6.89 strikeout-to-walk ratio, a performance worthy of a 2.51 FIP — right in line with his marks during his two Cy Young-winning campaigns in 2024 and 2025, in which his FIP reached 49-2 and AL-2.5.
As reported by ESPN At the start of this offseason, Skubal is expected to sign before Dec. 1 and could very well pull in a $400 million contract in the process.
Friday, November 6
Dave Roberts needs a new hitting coach.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and hitting coach Aaron Bates were unable to reach a new agreement and the two sides are subsequently parting ways, Athletics reported. Bates was the Dodgers’ hitting coach as of 2019 and a pitching coach in the organization as of 2019.
Last season (2026), the Dodgers were second in MLB in slugging percentage (.424), third in on-base percentage (.338), fourth outright in runs (801) and tied for fourth in hits (1,399). True, the Dodgers scored just 25 runs in their eight postseason games, which ended with a sweep by the eventual World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series.
However, Los Angeles finished no worse than second in runs scored in four consecutive seasons from 2022-2525 and in the top five in each of Bates’ eight seasons as hitting coach.
The Washington Nationals have shut down one of them.
Washington has signed center fielder Jacob Young to a four-year, $23 million extension FanSided. The contract includes an $8 million team option for a fifth year.
Young totaled 10 home runs, 50 RBIs — which were each career highs — and 18 stolen bases in 2026 while posting a .252/.318/.390 slash line. The Nationals’ former seventh-round pick is best known for his glove, as Young posted 12 defensive runs saved in center in 2024 and 13 defensive runs saved at the position in 2025 while not recording an error last season.
Washington finished last season with a record of 77-85.
Wednesday, November 4
Albert Pujols and the Astros have some history. Could there be an actual partnership now?
The legendary slugger who famously hit one of the most iconic home runs in postseason baseball history is reportedly interviewing for the manager’s job in Houston. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi added that Brad Ausmus — a former Astros player and current Yankees bench coach — is also on Houston’s roster.
Pujols, who won two World Series titles with the St. Louis Cardinals. He served as a special assistant for the Angels and previously managed the Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Republic. Earlier in 2026, he led the Dominican Republic to a third-place finish in the World Baseball Classic.
The Astros recently hired Randy Flores as their general manager. Both Castro and Pujols were Cardinals teammates. As a player, Pujols hit 62 of his 703 home runs against the Astros, the most against any team in his career – including the infamous Game 5 hit against Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS that the Astros won in six games.
The Tampa Bay Rays have officially exercised Drew Rasmussen’s $20 million option for 2027. Despite trade speculation stemming from payday, Tampa Bay Times reports that Tampa Bay intends to keep its ace and has no interest in moving him now.
Rasmussen proved his worth once again as a top-of-the-rotation starter. He played a key role in leading Tampa Bay to a World Series berth, posting an elite 16-5 record, a 2.67 ERA and 172 innings pitched on the year.
Rasmussen’s return gives the Rays a potent rotation tandem next to Shane McClanahan and Griffin Jax. Fresh off a World Series appearance that ended in a five-game loss to the Brewers, Tampa Bay enters the offseason focused on getting the job done in 2027.
The Baltimore Orioles are taking a “let’s hear all offers” approach heading into the winter. According to The flag of Baltimorefirst baseman Pete Alonso is the only player off the table as the front office explores big trades to revamp its roster before the CBA expires on Dec. 1.
It’s still unclear what the long-term vision is, but Gunnar Henderson is almost certainly staying put unless someone makes an irresistible offer. If Baltimore makes moves, the front office will focus on acquiring at least one starting pitcher while upgrading the outfield and catcher positions.
Trading catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox proved that the Orioles aren’t afraid to make radical roster moves. As trade talks heat up, right-handers Félix Bautista and Ryan Helsley loom as major trade chips given their talent and expiring contracts.
Monday, November 2
Tarik Skubal, the Dodgers’ last ace and AL Cy Young Award winner, is the cheapest player available this offseason. And the expectation is that he will sign before Dec. 1, and potentially for $400 million or more, for ESPN.
The Dodgers and Mets are both expected to be top suitors, given their ability and willingness to spend, but the Cubs and Padres — both in desperate need of starting pitching, and both capable of spending on a free agent — are also considered significant suitors for Skubal’s services.
Skubal 2026 was briefly sidelined by elbow surgery, but he returned and finished the season with a 2.72 ERA over 158 ⅔ innings and 26 starts while striking out nearly seven times as many batters as he walked. Skubal will turn 30 during the offseason and has pitched brilliantly since his surgery in early May, including in two postseason starts with three runs allowed over 11 innings with 14 strikeouts against four walks.
The bazooka is back!
After a World Series MVP performance, Brewers catcher William Contreras will return to the champs in 2027 after the team picked up his $15.5 million option. The 28-year-old catcher went 1-for-4 with an RBI double in the clincher and finished 8-for-21 (.381) with four RBIs. He did just as much behind the plate. Contreras led a pitching staff that held Tampa Bay to 12 runs in five games, and he threw out four runners during the streak.
However, the Brewers declined options on several players. Milwaukee declined a $14 million option on reliever Antonio Senzatela and the $8.5 million mutual option on backup catcher Gary Sánchez. Jake Bauers, who won the NLCS MVP in the four-game sweep of the Dodgers, was handed a one-year, $23 million qualifying offer.
Friday, October 30
Sonny Gray will receive a $10 million buyout as he is now a free agent.
Gray led MLB with 18 wins and finished the year with a 2.72 ERA, the eighth-best mark among all eligible pitchers in MLB and his lowest total since his 2015 All-Star season.
As he enters his age-37 season, he remains a reliable arm, having pitched more than 160 innings and made at least 28 starts each of the last four seasons.
Bo Bichette is keeping his contract with the Mets, exercising a player option for a $42 million salary in 2027, the team said Friday.
Bichette agreed in January to a three-year, $126 million contract that included a $40 million signing bonus, a $2 million salary for 2026 and $42 million in player options for 2027 and 2028. Declining either option allows him to become a free agent again.
A two-time All-Star shortstop in Toronto, Bichette moved primarily to third base in New York, where Francisco Lindor plays shortstop. The 28-year-old Bichette hit .260 with 18 homers and 78 RBIs for the disappointing Mets, down from .311 with 18 homers and 94 RBIs when he helped the Blue Jays win the 2025 American League title.
Outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr.’s $17 million option was exercised Thursday by the Atlanta Braves, who also exercised a $7 million option on second baseman Ozzie Albies.
Acuña, a five-time All-Star and 2023 NL MVP, agreed to a $100 million, eight-year contract in 2019 that included a 2027 option, which had a $10 million buyout, and a $17 million option for 2028, which has no buyout.
Albies agreed in 2019 to a $35 million, seven-year contract that included $7 million in options for 2026 and 2027.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.