The Month That Was in Baseball: December 2025

Monday, December 1

Despite an unexpectedly rough 2025 season with the New York Yankees, reliever Devin Williams finds contractual love with the crosstown Mets, who give him a three-year, $51 million contract. The 31-year-old right-hander will either be the team’s new closer, or act as its set-up man should the Mets re-sign Edwin Diaz. Williams entered 2025 with a 1.83 earned run average through his first six major league campaigns—all with the Milwaukee Brewers—but after a trade to the Yankees, he struggled with a 4.79 ERA over 67 appearances despite 18 saves; he lost the closer job early in August. 

The Mets have now acquired two former All-Stars (Williams and infielder Marcus Semien), both coming off highly underwhelming 2025 seasons. 

Tuesday, December 2

Two players who previously struggled at the major league level—but shined this past season for the same team in Korea—sign contracts with MLB teams. Cody Ponce’s previous big-league experience, with Pittsburgh in 2020-21, resulted in a poor 1-7 record and 5.86 ERA over 20 appearances. But with the 2025 Hanwha Eagles, he won the Korean Baseball Organization’s MVP with a far better 17-1 mark, 1.89 ERA and 252 strikeouts over 180.2 innings. The 31-year-old right-hander signs a three-year, $30 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Also headed from Hanwha, to Houston, is Ryan Weiss, who’s never played for an MLB team. This past year, the 28-year-old right-hander was 16-5 with a 2.87 ERA. Weiss’ deal with the Astros is for one year and $2.6 million. 

The Los Angeles Angels look to be going the reclamation route again—a path that largely failed them this past season. Coming on board in Anaheim is brief Blue Jays ace Alek Manoah, who suffered a shocking fall in quality after a sterling 2022 season (16-7, 2.24 ERA) with the Blue Jays. Since that All-Star season, Manoah is 4-11 with a 5.40 ERA; he labored exclusively in the minors this past year, where recent control issues continued to dog him. Nevertheless, the Angels are taking a chance on the big, burly right-hander, giving him a $1.95 million contract for 2026. 

Wednesday, December 3

The Colorado Rockies continue with a desperately-needed makeover of their front office, luring Los Angeles Dodgers senior VP of operations Josh Byrnes to Denver as the team’s new general manager. This is not the first go-around for Byrnes at Colorado; from 2000-02, he served as the Rockies’ assistant GM. With the Dodgers, Byrnes helped build up a minor league system that became one of the majors’ best; the Rockies hope that such a résumé will help strengthen their own farm system, which has been among MLB’s worst over the past few years. 

Miguel Rojas, perhaps the most unlikely of many heroes for the Dodgers in their Game Seven triumph over Toronto in the 2025 World Series, is returning to Los Angeles for 2026 in what he says will be his final season as a player. In a further agreement with the team, Rojas will join the Dodgers’ front office working in the area of player development. The 12-year veteran, who turns 37 next February, batted .262 with seven home runs in part-time play this past season—but he’ll be forever remembered for crushing a game-tying home run in the Fall Classic finale as the Dodgers were two outs from being defeated. Rojas also figured in several crucial defensive plays in the ninth and beyond, as the Dodgers won the game and series in 11 innings, 5-4. 

Veteran closer Emilio Pagan, who successfully assumed the Cincinnati closer role this past year with 32 saves and a 2.88 ERA over 70 appearances, is coming back to the Reds on a two-year, $20 million contract. A set-up man for much of his nine years at the major league level, Pagan took over the Reds’ ninth-inning duties in 2025 after Alexis Diaz crashed out. 

Cedric Mullins is back in the AL East, looking to jumpstart his flagging career with the Tampa Bay Rays as he signs a one-year, $7 million deal. The 31-year-old center fielder, who shined in 2021 with 30 homers, 30 steals and a .291 batting average, has unmistakingly regressed since; this past season, he batted a combined .216 with 17 homers split between the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. 

Add one more returning expatriate from the Orient to the MLB scene. Anthony Kay, who went overseas to Yokohama and put together an excellent 1.74 ERA over 155 innings for the Bay Stars in the Japan Central League, inks for two years and $12 million with the Chicago White Sox. Before his reinvention in Japan, the 30-year-old southpaw struggled in bits of five MLB seasons (2019-23), posting a 5.59 ERA over 44 appearances mostly as a reliever. 

Thursday, December 4

The Pirates trade pitcher Johan Oviedo to Boston in exchange for promising outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia in a deal that also involves three minor leaguers—two of them headed to the Red Sox. The progress of the Cuban-born Oviedo stalled after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023; though he’s 15-26 with a 4.24 ERA over five seasons, the Red Sox still believe he has upside. Garcia, nicknamed The Password for his complicated first name—“Instant Scrabble Winner” would be another apt moniker—is a 22-year-old Venezuela native who’s hit over 20 home runs over each of his past two seasons in the minors; he was called up briefly to the Red Sox this past year, notching a double for his lone hit in seven at-bats along with two walks. 

Ron Washington is not yet ready for retirement. The 73-year-old former manager, who stepped down from the Angels to undergo quadruple bypass surgery this past summer, has been hired by the San Francisco Giants to serve as an infield coach. “Wash” has been involved in professional baseball since 1971 when he began his playing career in the Kansas City Royals’ organization; he has served as a coach for 20 years, and managed for an additional 10—winning back-to-back pennants with the Texas Rangers from 2010-11. 

Friday, December 5

Derek Binder, the minor league catcher who allegedly tipped opposing players over what type of pitch was coming at the end of the 2024 campaign because, it was said, he couldn’t wait for the season to be over, has been reinstated into organized baseball after a year-long suspension. The pitch-tipping was never directly addressed by neither Bender nor MLB; the league said his suspension was due to his “conduct,” while Bender himself denied that he tipped opposing hitters—but nevertheless gave an ambiguous apology for his actions, which he never spelled out in detail. While suspended, Bender was allowed to play in the independent Frontier League, batting .282 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs over 92 games for the Brockton Rox. Those are good enough numbers to help Bender overcome the potential stigma of the past and hook on with an MLB organization. 

Saturday, December 6

The Seattle Mariners acquire reliever Jose Ferrer from the Washington Nationals in exchange for two minor leaguers, including top catching prospect Harry Ford. Ferrer appeared in 74 games for the Nationals this past season, saving 11 games with a 4.48 ERA; Ford, though looking all but ready to be a starter in the majors, had has his path blocked by the Mariners thanks to the presence of one Cal Raleigh. 

Ferrer is not to be confused for the namesake actor of lore from the late 20th Century—while Ford, who’s first full name is Harrison, is not to be confused for the guy who played Indiana Jones. 

Sunday, December 7

In a surprise result, the Hall of Fame’s veterans committee voting on players from the post-1980 “contemporary era” pick the one guy few people discussed beforehand: Jeff Kent. None of the seven other players on the ballot receive the required 75% for admission into Cooperstown, with Carlos Delgado (nine votes, 56%) being the closest. Kent, who never got more than 46% of approval from voters on any of 10 general Hall of Fame ballots, was known for his hard-nosed play, reliable bat and sometimes acerbic attitude that nevertheless resonated with teammates and fans. “Enjoy the game,” he once pled to over-discerning fans of the Giants, for whom he played six years at the peak of his career. Overall, Kent batted .290 over 17 seasons, collecting 2,461 hits, 560 doubles, 377 home runs and 1,518 RBIs. 

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, two megastars stained by steroid accusations (and some evidence), both fail to earn more than four votes from the committee of 16. Their next chance to be included on a ballot will be at the end of 2031; if they fail to earn more than four votes then, they’ll be ineligible for any future elections, per the current rules. That would basically shut them out of Cooperstown forever—unless the rules change, as happens frequently. 

Monday, December 8

The Arizona Diamondbacks, seeking to rebolster a rotation that’s been ripped apart by injury (Corbin Burnes), trades (Merrill Kelly) and free agency (Zac Gallen), sign Mike Soroka to a one-year deal worth $7.5 million. Once considered a star on the rise, Soroka made the All-Star team in 2019 on his way to a 13-4 record and 2.68 ERA playing with Atlanta. Then he suffered not one but two torn Achillies, virtually costing him the next three seasons; on the mound since, he’s been just short of awful, with a 5-20 record and 4.91 ERA pitching for four different teams. The Diamondbacks are crossing their fingers that he has some of that early career magic left in him. 

Tuesday, December 9

Kyle Schwarber doesn’t want to quit the Phillies, and vice versa. The free-agent slugger of an NL-high 56 home runs this past season is returning to Philadelphia, agreeing to a five-year, $150 million contract. Despite heavy competition from teams such as Baltimore—which reportedly offered him a deal similar to the Phillies—and lesser offers from small-market franchises in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati (close to where he grew up), it just seemed that Schwarber would remain magnetized to the Phillies. In his first four years at Philadelphia, Schwarber has belted 187 homers—only Aaron Judge has hit more in that same timespan—and has emerged as an essential leader in the Phillies’ clubhouse. 

The champion Dodgers fill their one glaring need, signing top free-agent closer Edwin Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal. The average annual salary of $23 million is a record for a major league closer. The 31-year-old Puerto Rico native rebounded to elite status in 2025, posting a 1.63 ERA while saving 28 games for the New York Mets; in 66.1 innings, he struck out 98 batters. With Diaz now gone in New York, Devin Williams is likely to become the de facto closer at the start of February camp. 

For the moment, the biggest challenge for the Dodgers in regards to Diaz is to convince him not to play for the Puerto Rico team in next spring’s World Baseball Classic. In the last tournament, in 2023, Diaz tore a knee muscle celebrating a victory, missing the entire season to follow with the Mets. 

The Chicago White Sox will get the #1 pick in next year’s amateur draft per a lottery of eligible teams. Having lost 100 games in each of their last three seasons, the White Sox had the highest odds of selecting #1; it will be their first top pick since 1977, when they selected eventual Hall of Famer Harold Baines. The Minnesota Twins, with the second-highest odds, are slotted at third, while the Pittsburgh Pirates (third-highest odds) get the fifth choice. Tampa Bay (second) and San Francisco (fourth) slip in between the three aforementioned teams. 

And what of the Colorado Rockies, a disaster of a 43-119 team this past season? The Rockies could not be gifted with a pick lower than 10th, because they were eligible for the top six picks over each of the past three years—and MLB rules state you can’t do it for a fourth straight year. 

Wednesday, December 10

A day after losing their closer to free agency, the Mets lose their top slugger (with all due respect to Juan Soto). Pete Alonso, the franchise’s all-time leader in home runs, is headed to Baltimore on a five-year, $155 million contract. With his addition, the Orioles look ready to field one of MLB’s more prolific lineups in 2026—that is, if Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutchsman and other current Orioles can wake themselves out of the brownout they experienced in 2025. Sources say that the Mets didn’t bother to offer a new contract to Alonso, thus ending a seven-year tenure at New York in which he produced 264 home runs and a per-year average of 102 RBIs. 

In 10 career games in Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Alonso’s new home, he’s 10-for-38 with five homers. 

Reliever Kyle Finnegan is returning to Detroit—where he finished this past season after spending the bulk of the year as Washington’s closer—on a two-year, $19 million deal. The 34-year-old right-hander performed well after being traded to the Tigers at the end of July, posting a 1.50 ERA in 16 appearances with four saves. 

Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski has a new team, inking for two years and $23 million with the Atlanta Braves. The deal includes a $7 million club option for a third year, or a $4 million buyout. Playing this past season for both San Francisco and Kansas City, the 35-year-old Yastrzemski batted .233 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs; his 72 walks pumped up his on-base percentage to a respectable .330. 

Joe Buck will join his late father Jack Buck in the broadcast wing of the Hall of Fame, as he’s announced as this year’s winner of the Ford Frick Award for excellence in broadcasting. The selection is a tad ironic, given that Buck was dropped from last year’s ballot. The 56-year-old Buck has called 23 World Series for Fox, but has only called one MLB game since 2021, concentrating on his current job working Monday Night Football for ESPN/ABC. 

Thursday, December 11

Robert Suarez, who led the National League this past season with 40 saves for San Diego, signs a three-year, $45 million deal with Atlanta. Despite his outstanding 2025 numbers, the 35-year-old Suarez will not be the closer with the Braves; instead, he is expected to be the set-up man for Raisel Iglesias, who’s closed out 96 games for Atlanta over the past three years. 

Friday, December 12

The Royals’ left side of the infield will be in good hands for the rest of the 2020s. Third baseman Maikel Garcia, who put together solid numbers (.286 bat average, 39 doubles, 16 home runs, 74 RBIs, 23 steals) in just his third full season, signs a five-year extension with a guaranteed payout of $57.5 million; there’s a club option for a sixth year. With All-Star shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. alongside him, the 25-year-old Garcia could help elevate the Kansas City infield into one of baseball’s best for a number of seasons to come. 

Saturday, December 13

Jorge Polanco, who raised his free-agent stock with multiple key hits this past postseason with Seattle, signs a two-year, $40 million contract with the Mets. The word is that he’ll replace Pete Alonso as the Mets’ first baseman—though he’s only played one game at that position over 12 major league seasons. Polanco is also expected to play DH, which was his primary role at Seattle, where he batted .265 with 26 home runs and 78 RBIs in 2025. 

Closer Kenley Jansen is headed to his fifth team in six years, signing with the Detroit Tigers for one year and $11 million; the Tigers hold a club option for 2027 as well. This will be the 17th season for the 38-year-old Jansen, whose 476 saves are tops among active players; he needs just three more to pass Lee Smith for third on the all-time list. In 2025, Jansen converted 29 of 30 opportunities for the Los Angeles Angels, producing a 5-4 record and 2.59 ERA. 

Submarine-style reliever Tyler Rogers is Toronto-bound, inking for three years and $37 million as the Blue Jays continue not to stand pat after winning the AL pennant. The 35-year-old right-hander was solid pitching an MLB-high 81 games this past year, posting a 1.98 ERA split between the Giants and Mets. He’s led his league four times in appearances, and has a 2.76 ERA over 420 career games. 

Dustin May, the red-headed, injury-scarred pitcher who set career highs with 25 appearances and 132.1 innings in 2025—but put together a subpar 7-11 record and 4.96 ERA—will join the St. Louis Cardinals on a one-year deal worth $12.5 million; a $20 million mutual option is included for 2027. Over a career that began with great promise in 2019, May has only appeared in 71 games, producing a 19-20 record and 3.86 ERA. 

Sunday, December 14

The Diamondbacks make the best kind of free agent move—bringing back the guy they traded late this past year for three prospects. Merrill Kelly, who spent six-plus years in Arizona before being traded to Texas, is returning to the Snakes for two years and $40 million. The 37-year-old right-hander, who struggled during the 2010s at the minor-league level before reinventing himself in Korea, is fourth on the all-time Arizona list in wins (62) and innings (953). Assuming he doesn’t break down to injury or get traded again, Kelly could be in the #2 slot for both of those categories by the end of this new contract. 

Monday, December 15

Slugger Adolis Garcia, whose output has wilted since smashing 39 home runs with 107 RBIs for the Texas Rangers in their 2023 World Series-winning campaign, signs a one-year, $10 million deal with Philadelphia. Recently released by the Rangers, the 32-year-old Garcia hopes to recharge his game with the Phillies after batting .227 with 19 homers this past year. 

The acquisition could be the final nail in the coffin for Nick Castellanos’ tenure in Philadelphia, as his name has been tossed about on the trade rumor mill. Garcia would likely take his position in right field. 

More players are getting annual paydays of $20 million; Ha-Seong Kim was not expected to be one of them. But the Atlanta Braves think he’s worth it, bringing him back for that exact figure in 2026. The numbers just don’t support such a huge salary; Kim started the season belatedly—and poorly—for Tampa Bay, was placed on waivers, then picked up by the Braves for the season’s final month. Overall, he batted .234 with five home runs, 17 RBIs and six steals over 48 games between both teams. In five years at the MLB level, Kim owns a .242 batting average, .701 OPS, and decent speed that has seen him steal as many as 38 bases for the Padres in 2023—the same year he won a Gold Glove in the utility category. So there’s that. 

Josh Bell, whose career numbers are a bit more impressive, signs for much less money—$7 million on a one-year deal with Minnesota. The 33-year-old switch hitter, who’ll be playing for his sixth team in five seasons, batted .237 with 22 homers and 63 RBIs with Washington this past year. Overall, he’s cranked out 193 bombs in a 10-year career. 

Tuesday, December 16

San Francisco brings on two pitchers with recent but fleeting success. Jason Foley, who was last seen saving 28 games for the 2024 Tigers before shoulder surgery knocked him completely out of the 2025 season, is joining the Giants on a one-year, $2 million deal; his debut with the new team will likely occur mid-year as he continues his recovery. Also coming on board at Oracle Park, for two years and $22 million, is Adrian Houser—who started strong this past season with the White Sox (6-2 record, 2.10 ERA in 11 starts) but faltered with Tampa Bay (2-3, 4.79 ERA in 10 starts) after a midseason trade. This will be Houser’s fifth team over four seasons. 

Another expatriate pitcher is ready to prove he belongs in MLB after failing in his first attempt. Foster Griffin, who produced an 18-10 record and 2.57 ERA over 54 appearances for Japan’s Yomiuri Giants from 2023-25, signs for one year and $5.5 million with Washington. The 30-year-old southpaw previously scratched the major league surface from 2020-22, appearing in just seven games and posting a 6.75 ERA split between two teams (Kansas City and Toronto). 

The Angels continue to go the reclamation route in retooling their roster. Relievers Jordan Romano and Drew Pomeranz, both of whom have clearly seen better days, are getting a lifeline in Anaheim for 2026 with salaries of, respectively, $2 million and $4 million. The 32-year-old Romano, once an effective closer for Toronto, suffered through a second straight year of atrocious outings with the Phillies; over his past two seasons, he’s appeared in 64 games—and authored a 7.83 ERA. Pomeranz was more effective in his first major league action in four years, producing a 2.17 ERA in 57 appearances for the Chicago Cubs. With the Angels, the 37-year-old Pomeranz—who once won 17 games in a season, with the 2017 Red Sox—will likely continue to work out of the bullpen, as he has since 2019. 

Wednesday, December 17

The Nationals have the youngest major league manager since 1972 (Blake Butera) and the youngest team president (Paul Taboni). So, it only seems natural that the Nats also bring on a general manager who will be the youngest currently at that position, hiring 31-year-old Ani Kilambi, who over the previous five seasons served as Philadelphia’s assistant GM. Thus, he’ll have good knowledge about the NL East—and the division-winning Phillies. 

A day after losing one comeback reliever in Drew Pomeranz, the Cubs lose another as Brad Keller inks with the Phillies for two years and $22 million. The 2025 campaign represented a bounce-back year for the 30-year-old right-hander, posting a 2.07 ERA over 68 appearances for Chicago after struggling the previous four years for three different teams as both starter and reliever. 

Several weeks after poaching Devin Williams away from the crosstown Yankees, the Mets sign another ex-pinstriped reliever in Luke Weaver, who saved eight games with a 4-4 record and 3.62 ERA this past season. Like Keller above, Weaver also signs for two years and $22 million. 

Thursday, December 18

Michael King is returning to the San Diego Padres, signing a three-year, $75 million contract with the team for which he’s gone 18-12 with a 3.10 ERA over the past two seasons. He can opt out of the deal after either of his first two years. Injuries limited the 30-year-old right-hander to 15 starts during the 2025 season, but the Padres are thin in their rotation and are hoping he can return to year-long health. 

Members of the world champion Dodgers will each receive a postseason share of $484,748 for winning the 2025 World Series, slightly more than they received when they won it all the year before. It’s not an all-time high for a winning team, however; the 2022 Houston Astros awarded $516,347 in full-share payouts, but that was because they gave out only 59 full shares—whereas the Dodgers this past year divvied their winnings into 82 such shares. 

Reliever Caleb Ferguson, who appeared in a career-high 70 games this past season split between Pittsburgh and Seattle, signs for one year and $4.5 million with the Cincinnati Reds. The 29-year-old lefty posted an overall 3.58 ERA in 2025, but was roughed up in three postseason appearances for the Mariners—allowing five runs on six hits and three walks over 2.2 innings. 

John Means just can’t get a break. The once-promising pitcher, whose career has been derailed over the past four years by a pair of Tommy John surgeries, ruptures his Achilles tendon on the same day he was ready to sign with an MLB team, according to a statement he posts on social media. Means was one of Baltimore’s top pitchers before the injuries started to mount; he spent this past year with Cleveland, making seven rehab appearances at the minor league level. This latest setback will cost him at least the first half of the 2026 season. 

Friday, December 19

The Angels, spooked by a deliberating jury’s formal request to the judge in the wrongful death lawsuit brought against the team by the widow of deceased pitcher Tyler Skaggs, suddenly settle with the plaintiffs, ending the trial. Terms of the settlement are not released. Earlier, jurors had sent a formal query to Judge H. Shaina Colover, asking whether they were limited in the amount of punitive damages they could award the surviving Skaggs family. The pitcher died of a fentanyl overdose in 2019; Eric Kay, the Angels’ director of communications, was sentenced to 22 years in prison for distributing the fatal drugs to Skaggs. The Skaggs’ family suit accused the Angels of knowing about Kay and Skaggs’ drug issues, and essentially doing nothing about it. Interviewed by the media following the announcement of the settlement, jurors say that they were looking at damages against the Angels in the range of $50-100 million—but also stating that there was blame to go around between Skaggs, the Angels and Kay. 

The Orioles acquire much-needed starting pitching by trading for Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays. Sent the other way are four prospects—including both of Baltimore’s first-round draft picks this past year (Slater de Brun and Caden Bodine)—and a future draft pick. The 26-year-old Baz, two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery, started 31 games for the Rays in 2025 with a 10-12 record, 4.87 ERA, and team-leading 176 strikeouts. At Steinbrenner Field—the Rays’ temporary home while Tropicana Field was being repaired from hurricane damage—Baz was 7-5, but with a 5.90 ERA owing to Steinbrenner’s live-ball conditions. 

The Rays are not done dealing on the day, as they’re part of a three-team deal also involving Pittsburgh and Houston. Two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe, (.256 average, 31 home runs and 83 RBIs in 2025) and outfielder Jake Mangum (.296 average, 27 steals in his big-league debut at age 29) are sent to the Pirates, who in turn send starting pitcher Mike Burrows (2-4 record, 3.94 ERA in 23 appearances) to the Astros. Houston sends two more minor leaguers Tampa Bay’s way. 

The shake-up in the Rays’ lineup—unloading a solid rotation piece and two likely starting position players in 2026, while acquiring six minor leaguers—sends the message that they are in rebuild mode under new management. 

Matt Strahm is back to where he began, traded by the Phillies to Kansas City for reliever Jonathan Bowlan. From 2016-17, Strahm began his major league career by appearing in 45 overall games for the Royals, furnishing a 3.81 ERA. He became a valuable asset in the Phillies’ bullpen over the past three seasons, combining for 188 appearances, 11 saves and a 2.71 ERA. 

Saturday, December 20

The Padres sign Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song to a three-year contract that guarantees him $15 million. Only in the past couple of seasons has the 29-year-old Song put together numbers to attract MLB eyeballs; in 2024, he batted .340 with 19 homers, 104 RBIs and 21 steals (without once getting caught) for the Kiwoom Heroes, then hit .315 with 26 homers, 90 RBIs and 25 swipes a year later. 

Sunday, December 21

The White Sox bulk up on muscle from across the Pacific, signing Japanese season home run record holder Munetaka Murakami to a two-year, $34 million contract. Word has it that the 25-year-old slugger was angling for a short-term deal so he could prove himself in the States, in advance of a bigger payday. Murakami belted 265 home runs over eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows, including 56 in a massive 2022 campaign that edged, by one, the record long held by Japan legend Sadaharu Oh. 

Paired in Chicago with young slugger Colton Montgomery, Murakami should help ensure that the White Sox will not lack for home runs in 2026. 

A month after acquiring, arguably, the Cardinals’ best pitcher (Sonny Gray), the Red Sox trade for, arguably, the Cardinals best hitter: First baseman Willson Contreras. In return, the Cardinals receive pitcher Hunter Dobbins and two pitching prospects. St. Louis will also pay $8 million of the remaining $42.5 million left on Contreras’ current contract, which lasts through 2028. The 33-year-old Contreras batted .257 this past season with 20 home runs and 80 RBIs, the latter two figures leading the team. The RBI total, along with 31 doubles, both set career highs. 

Monday, December 22

The Mets continue to overhaul their roster, sending second baseman Jeff McNeil to the Athletics for minor league pitcher Yordan Rodriguez; they will also pay $5.75 million of McNeil’s $15.75 salary for 2026. The 33-year-old McNeil has spent all eight of his major league seasons with the Mets; he holds a career .284 batting average, won the 2022 NL batting title (.326), and has been named to two All-Star rosters. But he’s only batted .239 over the past two seasons. 

McNeil finds out about his trade while playing golf in Monterey, California. 

Tuesday, December 23

In the first multi-year deal given by the Pittsburgh Pirates in nine years, first baseman/DH Ryan O’Hearn signs for two years and $29 million. The left-handed hitting O’Hearn was named as the starting AL DH for last year’s All-Star Game, though he’s never hit 20 or more home runs in any of eight major league seasons; this past year, the 32-year-old O’Hearn batted .281 with 17 homers and 63 RBIs over 144 games split between Baltimore and San Diego. 

Wednesday, December 24

The Miami Marlins, who essentially went closer by committee during the 2025 season, sign reliever Pete Fairbanks to a one-year deal worth $13 million. The 32-year-old right-hander set a career high this past year with 27 saves and has saved over 20 in each of his previous three campaigns with Tampa Bay, the team he’s spent the last six-plus seasons with. 

Thursday, December 25

Merry Christmas, Tyler Soderstrom! The young outfielder/first baseman, who blossomed this past season with a .276 batting average, 25 home runs and 93 RBIs, is gifted with a seven-year, $86 million extension by the Sacramento-based Athletics. The contract is the largest ever guaranteed by the A’s, who remain one of two MLB teams (the White Sox being the other) to have never given out a nine-figure deal. The pact buys out the last three years of team control and the first four of free agency; with escalators thrown in, the 24-year-old Soderstrom could max out at $131 million. 

Sunday, December 28

Despite a 5.95 ERA and three trips to the injury list this past season, veteran pitcher Zach Eflin is picked back up by the Orioles, who give him a one-year deal worth $10 million. Back and lat issues dogged the 31-year-old right-hander in 2025, despite producing a winning (6-5) mark in 14 starts. He further has shown a nose for the “W,” winning an AL-high 16 games in 2023 for Tampa Bay. 

In an interview posted by The Athletic, Alex Rodriguez looks painfully back on his Hall of Fame-level playing career and the “peace” that he now has knowing he will likely never be enshrined at Cooperstown. “If I went to the Hall of Fame, in a weird way, I would be hollow inside,” he says in the article. At 50, Rodriguez claims he is a “recovering narcissist,” thanks to a trauma therapist who helped him looked back on his younger self and see the self-indulgent, emotionally detached person that led him to be suspended twice for steroids—the latter ban the result of his involvement in the 2013 Biogenesis scandal, which infuriated MLB, his team (the Yankees) and a good chunk of baseball fans. But, Rodriguez claims he’s now a better man who can look back at the failings of that period as the doings of someone else within him. 

This article, along with a three-part chronicle of Rodriguez’s life uploaded on HBO Max, shows what is hoped to be a more honest side of the former steroid-tainted slugger as he tries to rehabilitate his reputation. To his credit, Rodriguez agreed to be interviewed for the HBO project on the condition that he be honest in his personal assessments. It won’t reverse the wrongs he committed as a player, but it will make him a free man. Perhaps Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens will take note. 

Tuesday, December 30

The Angels are divorcing themselves from Anthony Rendon, thus putting an end to one of the worst-performing contracts in major league history. The injury-prone and at times unengaged third baseman is forgoing the final season of his seven-year, $245 million deal in Anaheim; the $38.5 million he’s owed will instead be deferred in the near future. Rendon never played more than 58 games in a season for the Angels, missing the entire 2025 campaign altogether after undergoing hip surgery; when he did play, he was nowhere near the MVP-level talent previously witnessed as a member of the Washington Nationals. Worse, his ennui toward the game also irritated the Angels and their fans, as he once said that baseball “has never been a top priority” for him. 

A headline for Chelsea James’ Washington Post story covering Rendon’s retirement (“Anthony Rendon may finally be what he has long sought: A former MLB player”) hits the mark. 

While one player is dropped from the Angels’ roster, another is added. Reliever Kirby Yates, who languished through a subpar 2025 season with the Dodgers after an excellent 2024 showing with Texas, signs for one year and $5 million. Yates, who turns 39 just before Opening Day 2026, was 4-3 with Los Angeles this past year—but posted a 5.23 ERA. One wonders if, at that advanced age, he can produce the kind of bullpen magic as he did with the 2019 Padres and 2024 Rangers, when he produced ERAs in the 1.10s. 

Wednesday, December 31

Pitcher Tyler Mahle will once again attempt to put in a full season—something he hasn’t done since 2021—and with a new team. The Giants will be the latest employer for the 31-year-old right-hander, who signs a one-year deal. Mahle was off to a strong start this past year with Texas, but his shoulder acted up in mid-June; he returned only to make only two more starts at the end of September. When healthy, however, Mahle was good—putting together a 6-4 record and 2.18 ERA over 16 starts for the Rangers.