Kyle Schwarber to the Reds? Paul Skenes to the Yankees? Is the Phillies window wide open, or closing quickly? With Hot Stove season in full swing, MLB.com senior national reporter Mark Feinsand answered questions from fans during a Reddit AMA, just a few days before the baseball industry heads to Orlando, Fla., for the annual Winter Meetings.
Q: Do the Reds actually have a chance at Kyle Schwarber?
Feinsand: I believe that the Reds do have a shot at signing Schwarber, though I certainly wouldn’t label them as the favorites. Cincinnati is looking for a big bat in the middle of the lineup, and if Schwarber has any interest in playing close to home (he’s from nearby Middletown, Ohio), the Reds are the only team that can offer him that. It will, in all likelihood, come down to money as it does with most free agents, but GABP is a great hitters’ park and should be attractive to a slugger such as Schwarber. Cincy is highly unlikely to be the highest bidder, but if the offer is competitive, I don’t think it’s impossible. Based on conversations I have had, I would put their chances around 15%, which is a [little bit] higher than I would have said a month ago.
Q: Will the Angels make a splash in the international market with Munetaka Murakami or Kazuma Okamoto or will they upgrade the rotation with a Zac Gallen/Michael King/Tyler Mahle, etc.? Or perhaps even a little bit of both?
Feinsand: I wouldn’t be surprised if the Angels dipped into both of those markets. Even with the acquisition of Grayson Rodriguez, Los Angeles still needs a frontline starter, and I have heard Gallen’s name connected to them a few times this offseason. I also think they could be in the market for either Murakami or Okamoto, as corner infield is a need.
Q: Now that the Toronto Blue Jays have addressed their starting pitching, how soon do you see them making another move, and if so, who will they target next? Also, do you think they sign [Bo] Bichette, [Kyle] Tucker, both, or none?
Feinsand: I would say Bichette is the more likely candidate to sign with the Jays, as there is less competition for his services than for Tucker, who is on the radar of a number of big-market clubs. Still, I wouldn’t rule out Tucker at all. Could they sign both? Toronto certainly has enough money to do it if that’s what ownership wants to do, though that would be a pretty big commitment, especially after signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to his huge extension last year. One way or another, there’s at least one more big move coming for the defending AL champs.
Q: What is the single craziest rumor that you’ve heard so far?
Feinsand: I don’t know if it qualifies as an actual rumor, but any and all talk about Paul Skenes being traded — specifically to the Yankees — is just insane. The Pirates aren’t trading Skenes this offseason (I won’t guarantee anything beyond that), especially as we keep hearing about them spending some money in free agency. Anything you hear about Skenes being traded to the Yankees should be disregarded — at least for this winter.
Q: There has been a good bit of buzz about players that are expected to sign fairly early with the Winter Meetings [approaching]. Who are the players we are expecting a protracted free agency that has them sign much later?
Feinsand: The most logical players to look at are those who rejected the qualifying offer, as the draft-pick compensation can often slow a free agent’s market. Of the nine that rejected the QO, the one that might have an issue with this is Zac Gallen, though given the need for pitching around the league, I’m guessing he will find a solid deal anyway. Some of the players that took a long time to find deals last year — think Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman — won’t have that issue to deal with this time around.
Q: How active do you expect the Winter Meetings to be this season? Do you think we’ll see Kyle Tucker (who I think a lot of people expect to sort of “hold up” the outfield market) sign at them? Will we see any of the Japanese guys sign at them?
Feinsand: I’m expecting a pretty active Winter Meetings, actually. We’re still at Dec. 3 and we’ve already seen some notable free-agent signings (Dylan Cease, Josh Naylor, Ryan Helsley, Devin Williams and Cody Ponce), as well as three pretty big trades (Brandon Nimmo-Marcus Semien, Sonny Gray to Boston, Taylor Ward-GrayRod). It’s difficult to say which players might sign next week, but I could see the starting pitching market begin to move with pitchers like Michael King and Ranger Suárez. The relief market could also be active after Helsley and Williams have already signed. I don’t know if Tucker will get done next week, but the only player I think will wait for Tucker is Cody Bellinger, who is being pursued by many of the same teams. As for the three Japanese players who have been posted (Murakami, [Tatsuya] Imai and Okamoto), I would think their situations would extend deeper into December and closer to their posting deadlines, though if a team comes in strong, we could see any of them sign during the Meetings.
Q: What were the Marlins asking for Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera during the Deadline that none of them were moved? If it was so high, do you think the Marlins’ asking price might have come down this offseason? Chances Yankees moved to get Alcantara without giving any top prospect?
Feinsand: The asking price was high in terms of prospects, even while Alcantara wasn’t pitching well. That price hasn’t gone down, so I don’t think the Yankees (or any other team) will be able to acquire him without giving up a top prospect. That, of course, is assuming Alcantara is traded at all, which is no sure thing. Based on conversations with sources, the Marlins could hold both Alcantara and Cabrera this winter and reassess where they are come July.
Q: Any word on current Tigers interest in free agency?
Feinsand: Detroit continues to be connected to Alex Bregman, though pitching — both rotation and bullpen — appear to be a bigger priority for the Tigers. Michael King and Ranger Suárez are among the pitchers on Detroit’s radar. Pete Fairbanks is one of the relievers the Tigers have their eye on, but there are probably 8-10 relievers that could wind up in Detroit.
Q: How good of a chance do you think the Yankees have at signing Tatsuya Imai? And do you think he goes during the Meetings?
Feinsand: The fact that Imai seems unlikely to go to the Dodgers opens up the Yankees’ chances, though the Giants could be the biggest threat to New York or any other team interested in Imai. The biggest question with the Giants is whether they’re willing to spend six figures on a starter, because that seems like what it’s going to take to sign Imai. The Yankees signed Masahiro Tanaka a little more than a decade ago and made a splash with Hideki Matsui, so there is precedent for New York taking a big shot at a Japanese star.
Q: If the Yankees whiff on Bellinger, do you expect them to pursue Tucker seriously? What if they miss on both?
Feinsand: I would think the Yankees would be in on Tucker if they don’t sign Bellinger, though I am also skeptical that Bellinger will sign before Tucker. Once Tucker signs, Bellinger’s leverage grows considerably, not only with the Yankees, but with other teams that are in on Tucker. Plan B, in the event that the Yankees don’t get either of them, would probably be to sign another outfielder (not on the same level as those two) unless they truly believe that Jasson Domínguez and/or Spencer Jones are ready to assume an everyday role.
Q: Do you think getting Byron Buxton and possibly Pablo López/Joe Ryan is realistic for Atlanta?
Feinsand: Based on conversations I have had this offseason, the Twins appear more likely to hold Buxton, Ryan and López and try to add on the margins than to trade any or all of those three. If the first half of the season doesn’t go well, Minnesota could look to move any or all of them next summer, but if I had to guess right now, they’ll all be in Twins uniforms when Spring Training begins.
Q: Do you believe the Pirates are for real in their pursuit on some of the power hitting free agents? Wondering if maybe including an extra year at his desired AAV on a guy like Schwarber would be big enough of a bid to actually be considered.
Feinsand: I do believe that the Pirates are sincere in their interest to spend money this winter, though I don’t know if they’re going to be playing in the market for someone like Schwarber. I think a more realistic option would be a guy like Eugenio Suárez, who has huge power and would make an instant impact on Pittsburgh’s lineup.
Q: Realistically, how much longer is the Phillies’ window open for? What does their infield look like for 2026 and beyond? We’ve seen with [Dave] Dombrowski teams that the window tends to slam shut, and stay shut with mostly empty prospect cupboard.
Feinsand: I think the Phillies’ window will still be open for the next two or three years, though some of that depends on how they handle their business this winter. Does Schwarber return? What about J.T. Realmuto? I would assume that No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter replaces Ranger Suárez in the rotation, but the Phillies need to build up their bullpen. There is also a belief around the league that Philly could be in the market for a third baseman (Bregman, maybe?), which would mean a trade of Alec Bohm. Bryce Harper (1B) and Trea Turner (SS) are locked into those positions, while Bryson Stott (2B) is under control for two more years. Aidan Miller, the team’s No. 2 prospect, could move to 2B or 3B at some point if the Phillies believe he’s ready to make an impact at the big-league level.
