At the Winter Meetings, we saw three of this offseason’s most prominent free agents – Kyle Schwarber, Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso – come off the board, but we didn’t see any major trades. Even since the end of the meetings, Robert Suarez signed with the Atlanta Braves, but still, no massive blockbuster trade. With the Winter Meetings now in the dust and free agency not quite as stacked as it was a week ago, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the trade market get going.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the latest MLB trade rumors, ones that feature teams that need to make moves, the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox, and a massive Mason Miller surprise.
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Red Sox will have to overcome internal roadblock to acquire Ketel Marte
With Schwarber and Alonso off the board, Boston Red Sox fans have turned their attention to Ketel Marte, hoping Craig Breslow can pull off a deal for the star second baseman, providing the kind of power boost the team desperately needs. While the Red Sox certainly have the assets to pry Marte out of Arizona, the Red Sox’s reported reluctance to offer multi-year deals could get in their way.
Speaking in general terms and not specifically about the failed Alonso talks, one prominent agent noted ofthe Red Sox: “They don’t believe in long-term deals,” Sean McAdam wrote for MassLive.
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Now, trading for Marte means that the Red Sox won’t be offering him a contract, but it does mean they’d have to take on the remaining $91 million he is owed for the next five years, plus an $11.5 million player option for 2031. It’s a very affordable deal for arguably the best second baseman in the game. However, it’d require the Red Sox to commit to six years of a 32-year-old middle infielder.
Perhaps since the terms of the deal are so team-friendly, Breslow will make an exception for Marte, who’d truly be a game-changer in the Red Sox’s lineup. If he lets his reluctance to commit to long-term deals get in the way, it’s hard to envision the Red Sox improving much, if at all, in 2026.
Padres shockingly listen to Mason Miller offers
The San Diego Padres shocked the MLB world at this past year’s trade deadline, trading one of the top prospects in the league, Leo De Vries, in a deal that sent Mason Miller to San Diego. Trading a prospect of De Vries’ caliber for a reliever, even one as dominant and as controllable as Miller is, was eye-opening, and that makes Jon Heyman’s report that the Padres are listening to offers for the right-hander even more shocking.
Now, I totally get that there should be no untouchables other than guys like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, but turning around and trading Miller just months after trading what they had to in order to acquire him would be a shocking outcome. Yet, it’s one that makes a lot of sense.
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Obviously, the Padres shouldn’t rush to trade Miller, arguably the most valuable reliever in the sport, when considering the fact that he’s under cheap club control through 2029, but if they can trade him for a game-changer to plug into their rotation that’s in dire need of arms, why not do it? Starters will always be more valuable than relievers, the Padres still have great internal closing options without Miller like Jeremiah Estrada and Adrian Morejon, and again, they’ll need to improve their rotation to be competitive in 2026.
It’d be surprising to see Miller get dealt – the Padres will certainly have an absurd ask for Miller given what they gave up to get him months ago – but listening to offers means there’s a non-zero chance he gets moved. Boy, what a story that’d be.
Mets could miss out on Luis Robert Jr. trade for worst reason
A big reason why New York Mets fans were so excited about Steve Cohen buying the team ahead of the 2021 campaign was that he’d be the richest owner in the sport, capable of pouring ridiculous amounts of money into the team. Cohen, to his credit, has had the Mets in the upper echelon of the league in payroll throughout his five-year tenure, despite inconsistent results. This offseason, though, things could change on the money front, based on Jon Heyman’s latest report for the NY Post ($).
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“The Mets inquiredabout Luis Robert. But for the Mets to surrender prospects, they want money back to offset Robert’s $20M salary and hard-line White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf isn’t seen as likely to give money to Steve Cohen’s team,” Heyman wrote.
You read that right. For the Mets to meet the Chicago White Sox’s asking price for Luis Robert Jr., an outfielder they could really use, they’d want money to offset some of Robert’s $20 million salary. As Heyman notes, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf is unwilling to give the Mets any money.
Now, if this were any other owner or a multi-year deal, I’d understand wanting the White Sox to kick in some cash. As talented as Robert is, he’s been remarkably inconsistent and has clear durability concerns. With that being said, Cohen is the richest owner in the sport, and the Mets would only be on the hook for the 2026 campaign with Robert. He has a $20 million club option for 2027, but they could simply decline that option and pay a $2 million buyout if he isn’t worth keeping around.
$20 million is an expensive gamble to take, but with a player of Robert’s upside, it’s worthwhile, especially for the richest owner in the league. Having Cohen as the owner should be what allows them to take on Robert’s money and give up less than they otherwise would have to because of that. Letting money get in the way of adding arguably the best center fielder realistically available when it’s a one-year deal is infuriating, considering who the Mets’ owner is and how this offseason has gone.
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It’s been an offseason from hell thus far for Mets fans, as Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso, three fan favorites, departed in a two-week span. Watching the Mets pinch pennies after that is less than ideal.
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This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as MLB trade rumors: Mets’ Robert problem, Mason Miller stunner, Red Sox-Marte issue.
