MLB RUMORS — We touched on this in the latest episode of The BN Cubs Podcast (out this afternoon), but I’ll reiterate it here: The Arizona Diamondbacks are being increasingly lumped into the Alex Bregman sweepstakes of late, with Ken Rosenthal even reporting that “a scenario exists in which the Arizona Diamondbacks would both sign free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman and keep second baseman Ketel Marte.”
Pretty big/juicy addition to our slate of MLB Rumors, right? Eh, maybe … let’s talk about that.
Kete Marte, Alex Bregman, and the D-Backs
Even though I’ll concede that the Diamondbacks will, on occasion, make a surprise leap into free agency (like they did last season with Corbin Burnes), their rumored interest in Alex Bregman strikes me as more opportunistic and self-interested (for both the D-Backs, who are trying to trade Ketel Marte, and Bregman/Boras, who undoubtedly want the appearance of more suitors getting involved) than anything else. I don’t know anything on that front behind the scenes, and there certainly is reporting to the contrary, but that’s just my read on the situation.
But more to the point/something about which I feel more convinced: I find the concept that Arizona might sign Alex Bregman *AND* keep Ketel Marte as wholly unrealistic… Which Rosenthal, himself, adds later on, reminding us that if Marte gets 10 days of service time with the Diamondbacks this season, he’ll gain full no-trade rights. Given that, plus Marte’s relative value in a weaker positional market, makes me think he’s gone this winter.
The more important takeaway here, in my opinion, is the ramping up of Bregman rumors. The combination of a well-defined market (Cubs, Tigers, Red Sox) and the two “late” entries/rumors (Mariners and now Diamondbacks) just makes me feel like this is all coming to a head. To expand on those latter points, those are the type of MLB Rumors that pop up as a “last call” sort of report to get the interested parties to make their best and finals. I suppose we’ll find out.
As for the reporting that Alex Bregman wants and expects to get six years… if that’s the case, see ya later. I am all aboard the Bregman train, but that train leaves the station after five years (max). There are other options out there (Bichette, Okamoto, Murakami, an unforeseen trade) and internally (Matt Shaw, maybe Jonathan Long?) that I consider more attractive than giving a 32-year-old Alex Bregman six years following an injured season.
Allan Henry-USA TODAY SportsFairbanks Coming Cheap?
At ESPN, Jeff Passan discusses the active free agent closer/relief market, suggesting that rumored Cubs target (and arguably the last legit late-inning arm standing), Pete Fairbanks, “should get either multiple years or well over the $11M option declined by Tampa Bay.
Although I don’t think that was meant negatively, that report actually struck me as a pessimistic take on Fairbanks’ market. But that’s nothing compared to what Ken Rosenthal said at The Athletic (bolded emphasis mine):
Speaking of the Rays, right-handed reliever Pete Fairbanks’ lingering presence on the free-agent market perhaps helps explain why the team was unable to trade him before declining his $11 million club option and paying him a $1 million buyout instead.
Fairbanks, who turned 32 on Tuesday, is a top reliever when healthy. But his 60 1/3 innings last season were a career-high by a good margin. Prior to that, he had never exceeded 45 1/3.
Two righty relievers agreed Wednesday to two-year, $22 million contracts, Brad Keller with the Philadelphia Phillies, Luke Weaver with the New York Mets. The Miami Marlins are among the teams still interested in Fairbanks, but it appears unlikely he will command the $11 million salary the Rays declined to pay him on a one-year deal.
Logically, this shouldn’t be surprising.
The Rays may be cheap, but they aren’t stupid. If they didn’t want to pay Fairbanks, but still thought he was worth $11M+, they would have just picked up his option and traded him. That’s no new strategy for Tampa Bay. But they didn’t. They just let him go for nothing, perhaps correctly identifying that (for whatever reason) he would have no market this winter. Again, logically, it tracks. But emotionally, philosophically, I just can’t seem to wrap my head around that.
Unless there’s some glaringly obvious issue in his medicals we don’t yet know about, Fairbanks should be a very attractive free agent reliever. He only just turned 32 this week, and he’s coming off a 60.1 IP season during which he saved a career-best 27 games and earned a 2.83 ERA (3.04 xERA, 3.63 FIP).
He’s saved 23+ games three seasons in a row, he already had a velo drop two years ago, and he’s not new to high-level success:
2020: 2.70 ERA, 26.2 IP (pandemic season) 2021: 3.59 ERA, 42.2 IP 2022: 1.13 ERA, 26.2 IP 2023: 2.58 ERA, 45.1 IP 2024: 3.57 ERA, 45.1 IP 2025: 2.83 ERA, 60.1 IPUnless there is something actually wrong, there’s no reason that guy, at age 32, is not worth a 1-year, $11M deal.
© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn ImagesShort-Term Murakami
Munetaka Murkami, the 25-year-old slugger from Japan, has until Monday to sign a deal with an MLB team. We already discussed the “mystery” surrounding his complete and total absence from all MLB rumors this month, but now, there is a new wrinkle to the story: Might he be angling for an unorthodox (for a player under these circumstances) short-term deal this winter?
At The Athletic, Will Sammon says that although a long-term deal remains possible, Murakami might also be facing lower total dollars than he believes he’ll be worth in such arrangements. Thus, given his age and the questions surrounding his ability to play the field or avoid striking out 35%+ of the time, he might be willing to do a short-term deal. If he does hit (literally and figuratively), then the plan would be to re-enter the market as a still-young 27 or 28-year-old ready to score a MASSIVE payday.
Consider the hypothetical scenario: Murakami takes something like a two-year guarantee, demonstrates 40 home-run type power, plays passable defense at third or first base, leverages an ability to speak English into stardom and re-enters the free-agent market at 28 years old. Then, he might be in line for hundreds of millions of dollars.
On its own, and from Sammon, that’d be an interesting thought, though perhaps little more than that. But Jeff Passan (ESPN) said something strikingly similar:
If a shorter-term, big-dollar deal that allowed Murakami to hit the market again while still in his 20s were presented, he could potentially position himself to reenter free agency having answered the questions teams had and getting the sort of megadeal that is unlikely to greet him now.
And that makes me believe this is actually coming out from Murakami’s side/agent, as the deadline approaches. Even (or perhaps especially) on a short-term deal, Murakami doesn’t make much sense for the Cubs given the presence of Seiya Suzuki and Moises Ballesteros (and to a degree, Owen Caissie). There’s just too much overlap on the power-hitting DH types. Still, it’s a fascinating new piece of the puzzle this close to his deadline.
© Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesOther MLB Rumors
Alex Bregman is reportedly seeking a six-year deal, though we have some questions about that. Ken Rosenthal discussing the Ketel Marte trade market:Mariners? Mets? Rays? ?@Ken_Rosenthal explores who fits the D'backs need for starting pitching if they were to trade Ketel Marte… pic.twitter.com/3SPUo7y7Gc
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) December 18, 2025 And finally, Jeff Passan has a temperature check on every impact player left in free agency:Free at ESPN: A mid-winter temperature check with notes on every impact player left in free agency and where trades stand. Details on who could move soon, which teams are aggressive, why the best players remain available and how the markets are unfolding: t.co/C9DxqKl1zA
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 18, 2025Hence then, the article about lukewarm stove d backs want to keep marte and sign bregman fairbanks cheap murakami short term 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.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Lukewarm Stove: D-Backs Want to Keep Marte *AND* Sign Bregman? Fairbanks Cheap? Murakami Short-Term? More )
Also on site :