As of Friday, the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees were far apart on a deal for outfielder Juan Soto, according to sources briefed on the discussions. Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays are one of several teams talking to the Padres about Soto, and they would be an ideal fit if they fail to land two-way superstar free-agent Shohei Ohtani. The Padres are seeking a big, multi-player return for Soto, including major-league-ready or near major-league-ready pitching. From Toronto, the Friars could seek a package including one or more pitchers from a group that includes top prospect Ricky Tiedemann, Bowden Francis and Alek Manoah. However, like other clubs, the Jays could be concerned about paying Soto $30 million-plus for 2024 and then likely losing him as a free agent.

The number of suitors for free-agent two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has winnowed, according to sources. The Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets have turned their attention to other players. Among those confirmed by sources to still be in the bidding include the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Angels. The San Francisco Giants are also fond of Ohtani, but it's unknown where they stand in the sweepstakes. The fact that Ohtani had reconstructive elbow surgery that will keep him from pitching in 2024 has done nothing to put a damper on his free-agent value this winter. The two-time American League MVP could receive a record-breaking contract for at least $550 million this offseason.

Free-agent reliever Joe Kelly is close to signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya and FanSided's Robert Murray. The hard-throwing veteran posted a 4.12 ERA, 1.195 WHIP, and 60:18 K/BB ratio over 39 1/3 innings between the White Sox and the Dodgers last season. Kelly was traded to Los Angeles at last season's deadline but had his $9.5 million team option declined at the end of the year. The Dodgers will likely bring him back for less money now.

Free-agent relief pitcher Robert Stephenson is drawing interest from the Baltimore Orioles, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Stephenson was excellent in 2023 as a member of the Pirates and the Rays, posting a 3.10 ERA, 0.879 WHIP, and 77:16 K/BB ratio over 52 1/3 innings of relief. With Felix Bautista (elbow) likely on the shelf for all of the 2024 season following his Tommy John surgery, the Orioles need to bolster their bullpen behind Yennier Cano. Morosi noted that Baltimore is starting to show more interest in Stephenson and that the high-leverage reliever market is starting to move fast. The 30-year-old righty should not be a free agent for much longer.

Chicago White Sox new general manager Chris Getz is telling teams he will likely wait to move right-hander Dylan Cease until after the top free-agent starting pitchers sign this offseason, according to major-league sources briefed on the discussions. The urgency of certain teams will only increase if they miss out on top free-agent pitching names like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and others. The Los Angeles Dodgers need multiple starters, and the St. Louis Cardinals remain interested in Cease, even after already signing Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn. The Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles could be sleepers to trade for Cease, who is 28 years old and still under club control for two more years.

Free-agent right-hander Austin Adams signed a one-year, major-league deal with the New York Mets on Thursday, according to a source. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Adams' 2023 season was cut short due to a fractured right ankle that he suffered in early August. The 32-year-old reliever wasn't all that good for the Arizona Diamondbacks before the injury, though, with a 5.71 ERA (3.72 FIP) and 1.38 WHIP with eight walks and 22 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings pitched over 24 appearances out of the bullpen. Adams is a seven-year big-league veteran with stops in Washington, Seattle and San Diego before pitching for the Snakes in 2023. He has a career 4.17 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 75 walks and 170 strikeouts in 114 1/3 innings since 2017. Adams will be battling for a relief role with the Mets in spring training in 2024.

For the third straight season, two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani was named the Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter award. In addition to the DH award, Ohtani was the American League Most Valuable Player in 2023 for the second time in the last three years. The three-time All-Star was more impressive this past season at the plate than on the mound, slashing .304/.412/.654 with a 1.066 OPS, 44 home runs, 26 doubles, eight triples, 95 RBI, 20 stolen bases and 102 runs scored in 135 games for the Los Angeles Angels. The Japanese star led the league in homers, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and total bases. Even though the 29-year-old won't pitch at all in 2024 after having surgery on his right elbow, he is the most attractive player on the free-agent market and is expected to receive a deal worth around $500 million.

The St. Louis Cardinals are showing interest in trading for White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease. Rumors surrounding a Cease trade have intensified over the last 24 hours and it is believed a trade could get done sooner than later. The Cardinals' interest is intriguing as they have already made significant rotation splashes this winter with the additions of free agent right-handers Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson as they completely re-make their starting rotation. Cease was the AL Cy Young runner-up in 2022 when he tossed a 2.20 ERA across 32 starts but he took a step back in 2023, working to a 4.58 ERA across 33 outings. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old takes the ball every fifth day, boasts big-time strikeout numbers, and is under club control through the 2025 campaign.

The Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays have held trade talks in regards to Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow. With a $25 million salary for the 2024 season incoming for the big right-hander, the low-budget Rays are almost certain to trade him this offseason with several teams, not surprisingly, interested in his services. Of course, health issues are the biggest red flag when it comes to Glasnow. His 21 starts in 2023 represented a career-high but he has still started just 60 games since becoming a full-time Ray in the 2019 season. He's been money when healthy, however, as is coming off a 3.53 ERA and big-time 25.8% K-BB last season and sports a career 21.2% K-BB%. He has posted a SIERA of 3.18 or better every season since the 2019 campaign.

The Atlanta Braves and right-hander Jackson Stephens have agreed to a one-year, non-guaranteed split contract for the 2024 season. The club outrighted Stephens off of their 40-man roster earlier in the month but have brought him back on a non-guaranteed deal after he worked five appearances out of their bullpen in September. The 29-year-old worked to a solid 3.00 ERA in those 12 innings before elbow inflammation claimed the remainder of his season. While it's unclear if he will be ready to go for spring training, Stephens owns a respectable 4.19 ERA across 80 big-league appearances between the Reds and Braves, so a flyer low-risk flyer makes sense in this situation.

Free-agent right-hander Jaime Barria agreed with the Cleveland Guardians on a minor-league deal on Wednesday, according to sources. Barria spent his first six big-league seasons with the Los Angeles Angels and was granted free agency in October. The 27-year-old will receive an invite to major-league spring training next year. In his six seasons with the Angels, Barria appeared in 134 games (62 starts) and recorded a 4.38 ERA (5.08 FIP) and 1.32 WHIP with a 7.7 percent walk rate and weak 17.9 percent strikeout rate in 462 2/3 innings. He had a career-best 2.61 ERA in 2022 for the Halos before dropping significantly this past season with a 5.68 ERA. If Barria makes it to the big leagues for Cleveland, it will likely be in a middle-relief role.

Free-agent utility infielder Joey Wendle and the New York Mets agreed on a one-year, $2 million deal on Wednesday, pending a physical, according to sources familiar with the deal. Wendle was an All-Star with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2021 before spending the last two years with the Miami Marlins. But he's only a career .263 hitter with 32 home runs in eight big-league seasons, and his worst season came in 2023 when he hit .212/.248/.306 with two home runs, 20 RBI, 16 doubles, seven stolen bases and 33 runs scored in 112 games played for the Fish. The 33-year-old left-handed hitter stands at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds and will mainly serve the Mets with his glove and defensive versatility for the upcoming 2024 campaign.

The New York Mets and free-agent right-hander Luis Severino are finalizing a one-year, $13 million deal on Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the deal. The 29-year-old will join a Mets starting rotation in serious need of reinforcements after he spent eight years pitching for the New York Yankees. Severino didn't exactly live up to the high expectations when he initially joined the Yankees, mainly due to various injuries. He wasn't very good in his final season in the Bronx with a 6.65 ERA in only 89 1/3 innings, and his season ended prematurely due to a high-grade oblique strain. Severino should be fully healthy by the start of spring training in 2024, though, and he will be locked into their starting rotation to begin the year.

It seems increasingly likely that the San Diego Padres will trade All-Star outfielder Juan Soto this winter, and MLB.com's Mike Petriello believes the New York Yankees are the best fit. He also lists the Blue Jays, Giants, Cubs and Mets as solid fits for the left-handed slugger. Yankee Stadium is clearly built for left-handed hitters, and last year's roster had the third-weakest lefty hitting in baseball. The Yankees are definitely looking for a middle-of-the-order hitter this offseason who can provide Aaron Judge with some protection, and Soto would be just that. New York can also afford to sign Soto to a long-term extension before he becomes a free agent after the 2024 season.

The "prevailing opinion" is that free-agent two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani will sign with a team before the winter meetings end on Dec. 6, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman. "I'm thinking he may sign at the Winter Meetings, which would be very, very exciting," Heyman said. "That seems to be the prevailing opinion at this point. No guarantee. [Executives] think that Ohtani will be the big signing at the Winter Meetings." The Dodgers, Giants and Cubs are among the teams reportedly in the mix for the Japanese superstar, but the Blue Jays and Red Sox are also candidates to sign him. The 29-year-old is expected to command a deal around $500 million on the open market, even though he won't be able to pitch at all in 2024 after having surgery on his right elbow this year.

The Kansas City Royals signed free-agent infielder/outfielder Garrett Hampson to a one-year, $2 million deal on Wednesday, according to sources. Hampson hit the open market this offseason after he was non-tendered by the Miami Marlins. The 29-year-old utility man saw action at shortstop, second base, third base and all over the outfield in 2023 for the Fish and was productive at the plate as well, slashing .276/.349/.380 with three home runs, 12 doubles, a triple, 23 RBI, five stolen bases and 30 runs scored in 98 games played in his first year away from Colorado. Hampson isn't an everyday player at the big-league level, but he could have a shot to play even more in 2024 with the rebuilding Royals. Hampson has only 29 career home runs with a .241 batting average in six seasons in the majors.

Trade talks for Chicago White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease have intensified in the last 48 hours, and some people close to the negotiations believe a deal before next week's winter meetings is increasingly possible, according to sources. Cease's hometown Atlanta Braves are among the finalists, and we also know that the Los Angeles Dodgers are very serious about him as they look for starting-pitching upgrades this winter. The 27-year-old was the runner-up in American League Cy Young voting in 2022 but took a step back this past season by going 7-9 with a 4.58 ERA and 1.42 WHIP with 214 strikeouts and a career-high 79 walks in 33 starts (177 innings). Cease can be wild, but his strikeout upside is enticing and he's under club control through the 2025 season.

Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena is reportedly being shopped by the club and there's a good chance he will indeed be moved. The 28-year-old still has three seasons of club control attached to him and he is arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason. Certainly, the Rays would get a haul for the star outfielder given his friendly contract status and massive production at the plate. He hit .254 with 23 home runs and 22 stolen bases across 151 games in 2023, his third straight 20-HR, 20-SB campaign. For his career, Arozarena has hit .264 with 71 homers and 80 stolen bases across 487 games played. He has been remarkably consistent since bursting onto the scene with the Rays in the shortened 2020 campaign.

Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette likely won't be on the move this offseason despite rumors swirling that he could be traded. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins spoke with the media on Wednesday and seemingly confirmed he is not interested in trading his shortstop. "He's a really good player, we're very fortunate to have him and he's our shortstop," Atkins said. Just 25, Bichette is under club control for two more seasons while he's been among the best pure hitters in the game since debuting in 2019. Bichette is a career .299 hitter with 89 home runs and 51 stolen bases across 528 big-league games. He hit .306 with 20 HR, five SB, and an .814 OPS across 135 games in the 2023 season while his bat has been at least 20% superior to the league average in all five of his seasons, according to wRC+.

Free agent pitcher Erick Fedde is weighing offers from clubs from both the KBO and MLB. It was reported earlier in the month MLB clubs were showing interest in Fedde who recently was named the KBO's MVP after a dominant season with the NC Dinos while the club is reportedly ready to put its best foot forward to bring the right-hander back for at least one more season. Fedde worked to a tidy 2.30 ERA across 30 starts with the Dinos in 2023, striking out 209 across 180 1/3 innings while going 20-6 on the campaign. A former first-round pick of the Nationals, Fedde owns a career 5.41 ERA in parts of six seasons in the big leagues but saw massive improvements in both his strikeout and walk rates in his lone season overseas to this point.