MLB RUMORS — It’s December 1 (still one week out from the Winter Meetings), and so far, the 2025-2026 MLB offseason has been pretty active.
One way or another, a handful of name-brand free agents like Josh Naylor, Shane Bieber, Jack Flaherty, Dylan Cease, Raisel Iglesias, and Ryan Helsley have come off the board. While other big-name players like Sonny Gray, Grayson Rodriguez, Brandon Nimmo, and Marcus Semien have been traded.
For the Cubs, Shota Imanaga chose to return on the qualifying offer, Andrew Kittredge was traded to Baltimore, and Phil Maton signed the Cubs’ biggest free agent relief deal since Craig Kimbrel.
There’s still a lot of activity to go, and the majority of it could happen over the next 2-3 weeks, as we approach, go through, and look back on the Winter Meetings ahead of Christmas. To that end, here are some of the latest MLB rumors, starting with an old friend of ours, who could sign soon.
Kyle Schwarber Signing Soon?
Without some significant and unexpected movement elsewhere, Kyle Schwarber isn’t a particularly likely free agent target for the Chicago Cubs. Sure, the homers would be nice (and the story would be great), but for Chicago, that’s about where the fit ends. Even still, he is a big player in this free agent class, and some MLB insiders see him signing soon.
Jeff Passan writes that with a robust and active market, Kyle Schwarber is going to get everything he wants in free agency, in both years and AAV. And more to the point, he says “…and at this point, he might be the likeliest of the big free agents to sign first. Unclear if something gets done before the meetings, but I’d be surprised if they end and he doesn’t have a team.
Like everyone, Passan sees the Phillies as the favorite, but the Red Sox (who are also considering Pete Alonso), Reds, Mets, and others are “in the mix.”
On MLB Network, Jon Morosi says that although he doesn’t think Kyle Schwarber will sign this week, he does think he (and Kyle Tucker) could both go during the Winter Meetings, with Schwarber signing before Tucker.
.@jonmorosi says he expects Kyle Schwarber to sign before Kyle Tucker:“Neither one of them will sign this week… [I] feel like we're heading towards a Winter Meetings signing extravaganza.”We are less than a week away from the 2025 Winter Meetings ? pic.twitter.com/wdoL8cxNMx
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 1, 2025As an aside, Morosi has the Dodgers, Giants, and Blue Jays as Kyle Tucker’s primary suitors. And when it comes to the Blue Jays, Morosi sees it as an either/or for Tucker and Bo Bichette. There’s not a ton of Cubs overlap there, even as we wish the Cubs would consider Bichette as a third baseman (… or that letting Tucker walk wasn’t a foregone conclusion), but those are some big-name free agents and MLB rumors to keep an eye on this coming week.
For what it’s worth, in a separate post on Threads, Jeff Passan says Tucker’s deal might wait until the new year, with the Blue Jays, Phillies, Yankees, and Mets as the primary suitors.
© David Banks-Imagn ImagesPete Fairbanks Next? Asking Price
With rumored Cubs free agent target Ryan Helsley off the board, everyone is wondering who will go next. Jeff Passan thinks it’ll be either Devin Williams or Pete Fairbanks, both potential Cubs targets, while Ken Rosenthal and Katie Woo think it’ll be Fairbanks:
“With Ryan Helsley off the market, Pete Fairbanks might be the next closer to sign. The Toronto Blue Jays and Miami Marlins are among the teams interested in him, according to industry sources briefed on his market.”
Although The Athletic cites the Jays and Marlins as Fairbanks’ primary suitors, they also concede that other teams remain in the mix. To that end, remember: We have heard that the Cubs are interested in Pete Fairbanks from Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney. And I can tell you, myself, that the Cubs do have at least some interest in Devin Williams. Not sure how serious they are about him at this point, but he has been discussed (and comes with the Craig Counsell connection).
As for Fairbanks’ asking price, Rosenthal and Woo believe a deal similar to Ryan Helsley’s (two years, $28M) is likely.
Cardinals Trade Rumors
Though they’ve already traded Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox, the St. Louis Cardinals are just getting started.
According to Katie Woo, the club remains focused on moving third baseman Nolan Arenado, “and at least one, if not two, of their left-handed hitters, multiple team sources said.”
After posting another quality season in St. Louis (this time, earning All-Star honors), Cardinals super-utility man Brendan Donovan is reportedly the most likely player to be traded … but they’re also playing that “we gotta be blown away” game that no one ever buys. Alec Burleson and Nolan Gorman are two other trade candidates, but Willson Contreras? He’s right where he wants to be … for some reason.
Willson Contreras Must Really Love St. Louis t.co/uCRdNbr0SE
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) December 1, 2025Other MLB Rumors
Jeff Passan sees Michael King’s asking price landing around three years and $75 million, which actually feels like a very good range for the Cubs, who prefer to keep things short, even at the expense of higher AAVs. Sounds like the Giants and Red Sox are out on the remaining top-shelf starting pitchers? Works for me! Tatsuya Imai is coming, and I want him in Chicago.Tatsuya Imai Could Be Visiting Teams Soon, Opinions Remain Split t.co/IfSl3PRtNh
— Bleacher Nation (@BleacherNation) December 1, 2025 According to “industry sources” from The Athletic, Cody Ponce could command a deal in the three-year, $30-$40 million range after returning from Korea. He hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2021. So … that seems a touch high. The previous high for any pitcher returning from Korea was a two-year, $15M pact. So this would be double or triple that record. No clue who’s giving him that. The Red Sox are showing interest in free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, though the “best guess” is that he will re-sign with the Phillies. The Rangers, Giants, Pirates, and Reds are also listed as theoretical suitors for the former star catcher, who’s still expected to land a significant deal this winter (maybe something like $45M over three years). With a dearth of options available in both free agency or trade, the Astros are “open to moving” center fielder Jake Meyers following his breakout (lite) season in Houston: .292/.354/.373 (107 wRC+), 2.3 WAR. Meyers, 29, is under control via arbitration for two more seasons, projected to make ~$3.5M in 2026. The Phillies, Mets, Rays, Orioles, Diamondbacks, and Royals are all reportedly seeking center field help, making Meyers a potential fit. Though that does get me wondering about the Cubs’ own Kevin Alcantara, who can play center field and might be a valuable trade chip if any of those teams (probably just the Royals) are willing to move a starting pitcher this winter. Kris Bubic, anyone? And if you STILL haven’t gotten enough MLB Rumors today, check out Ken Rosenthal’s latest episode of Fair Territory on YouTube.Hence then, the article about lukewarm stove schwarber signing soon pete fairbanks next reliever cardinals trade rumors more was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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