Jan 23, 2026, 07:00 AM ET

With


  • Teams ready to make a big splash

    The Baltimore Orioles — yes, the Orioles — are about to win free agency

    Baltimore has already committed $195 million to four free agents — Pete Alonso, Ryan Helsley, Zach Eflin and Leody Taveras — ranking sixth in spending thus far. But general manager Mike Elias, entering the final year of his contract, has one more haymaker left: Framber Valdez.

    With Ranger Suárez landing $130 million over five years in Boston, Valdez projects to get around six years and $180 million — a deal that would vault the O’s past the Dodgers and Blue Jays as baseball’s top free agent spenders. — Paul Hembekides

    The Red Sox will add at least one more bat — because they really have to, right?

    Because to not do so would be wild, right? The Red Sox devoted a lot of resources this winter to bolstering their pitching quality and depth, from the trade of Sonny Gray to the $130 million signing of Ranger Suarez. But they’ve been stuck in place with their every-day lineup, adding Willson Contreras before being surprised by the Cubs’ deal with Alex Bregman.

    After Roman Anthony got hurt at the end of 2025, the Red Sox looked two bats short — their series against the Yankees was like a middleweight boxer facing a heavyweight — and if Boston’s lineup isn’t upgraded, they will be incredibly reliant on Anthony and Contreras, in a division that includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Aaron Judge, Junior Caminero, Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson. — Buster Olney

    A.J. Preller and the San Diego Padres will do something big

    Dating back to the winter meetings, one topic has continually come up in conversations with agents and executives throughout the industry: Preller, the Padres’ frenetic general manager, is busy. His free agent and trade conversations ran the gamut, as they normally do, but it has yet to produce anything substantive.

    The Padres brought back

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    The switch-hitting Dominguez’s speed and ability to hit left-handed against right-handed pitching could make him an asset off the bench. And he turns 23 in February. But he’s a poor defender — the Yankees clearly don’t believe he’s a big league center fielder and he struggled mightily in left last season — and he hasn’t proved he can hit right-handed in the majors. The Yankees could use him as part of a trade to bolster another area — perhaps pitching help or a right-handed-hitting catcher or outfielder.

    The Martian is talented, but he could land somewhere else very soon. — Jorge Castillo

    Big signings on the way

    Justin Verlander returns to the Detroit Tigers

    Verlander, the second pick in the 2004 MLB draft by the Tigers, won 183 games over 13 years for Detroit. Last season, he won four games for the Giants, but his 1.2 WAR wasn’t so bad, in context. Only four Tigers pitchers earned more WAR (Skubal, Reese Olson, Will Vest, Casey Mize).

    The Tigers surely would surely make room in their rotation for this future Hall of Famer, who not only offers veteran leadership to a team looking for its third consecutive playoff berth, but warrants inclusion based on on-field performance. — Eric Karabell

    The Pittsburgh Pirates sign 3B Eugenio Suarez.

    I’m already on board for a Pirates-led National League Central this year, and what better way for them to make a push in that direction than to address their severe power shortage with one of the best power hitters still on the free agent market? Suarez might accept a shorter deal with higher AAV and/or a post-2026 opt-out — think two years, $42 million — and he would balance what’s currently a lefty-heavy Pirates lineup that is also thin on the left side of the infield. — Tristan Cockcroft