The 2026-27 MLB offseason is only two days old and already the hot stove moves and rumors are coming. Here are ours. top 50 free agents and top 25 trade candidatesand here they are important offseason dates and deadlines you must know Here are the results of Friday’s hot stove.
Bichette carried the player’s option
As expected, Mets infielder Bo Bichette has picked up his $42 million player option for 2027, The Athletic reports. He holds another $42 million player option for 2028. Still only 28, Bichette had a poor first season in the Royals, posting a .702 OPS with 18 home runs while showing growing pains as he transitioned from shortstop to third base.
For now, the Mets are set in the field with Bichette at third, Francisco Lindor at shortstop, and Marcus Semien at second. They should look like a bad first, and it is possible that they will make that old infield profit. Moving the seed would be ideal, but not feasible. Lindor’s name figures to pop up in trade rumors this offseason.
D-back and listen to Mars offers for
The Diamondbacks are expected to make an offer for second baseman Ketel Mars, reports the Arizona Republic. The D-backs took trade offers last offseason, but couldn’t find a match. Mars has no full trade protection and where he can direct his lands if he wants to leave Arizona at all. His desire to change teams is unknown.
March 33 held his standards in 2026. He also went AWOL in Augpushing the D-back to put him on the tight list. Manager Torey Lovullo later revealed the It’s the fourth straight season Mars has lost a game without a license. Beyond the on-field fit, teams will have the potential to weigh clubhouse hits and pains.
Seibu Lions after Taira
The Seibu Lions in Japan will make right-hander Kaima Taira available to MLB teams through the franchise system this offseason, the team announced Friday. The request is expected to be made official in the coming days. Once that happens, Taira will have 45 days to negotiate and sign with an MLB team, otherwise he will return to Japan in 2027.
We rank Taira as the 19th-best free agent available this offseason. Here is the write-up:
The Taira listed at 5-feet has a wider extension down to the mound (closer to seven feet, despite its height), which creates a small release window. Hitters rarely see the ball coming from where Taira throws it. It is not a gimmick or a trick. Taira sits in the mid-90s with a tight-knit fastball and backs it up with a curveball, sinker, hook, slider, changeup, and split. Analecta and gliding words are distinct, as are change and schismatic. Seibu Lions used Taira as a backup in 2024 and 2025, then started him in 2026, and handled the assignment well. The breaking balls are just OK, and the problem is that the height of the pitchers does not often support this height under the starter’s job. I would assume that the team will give Taira signs to him at the beginning. In finding out, though, he might be a reliever, maybe even a multi-inning man.
Taira, 27 last month, threw 146 innings with a 1.36 ERA and 141 strikeouts this past season. He also had higher ERAs as a reliever in 2024 and 2025, though he excelled in Japan throughout his career, and he has the potential bat-missing stuff to transfer to MLB. Taira figures to be highly anticipated in the coming weeks.
The Red Sox had two minor league games
Trade time resumed Thursday and the Red Sox were involved in the first two trades of the offseason. First, they sent utility man Nate Eaton to the Athletics for minor-leaguer Jareth Rayo, the team announced. A recently named former Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith as its new president of baseball operations. The first move involved Eaton, a well-known player who overlapped with his time in Boston.
Then, the Red Sox traded infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the Tigers for cash, the team announced. Cheng, 25, is the glove’s first-team advantage, having appeared in 14 games with Boston this past season. Both Cheng and Eaton open the 40-man trade roster for the Red Sox, who still must open three more spots to accommodate the seven players on the 60-day injured list. They must be moved no later than this coming Monday.