# MLB 2025-26 Offseason **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [November 4, 2025, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574 "2025-11-04T17:46:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/121 "2025-12-21T17:20:49Z")
Didn’t he Google the White Sox? > **[White Sox add Munetaka Murakami with $34 million, 2-year contract](https://apnews.com/article/white-sox-murakami-b8c8ccd00b97b2d5a6f7eedb11df70d6)** > > The Chicago White Sox have added Munetaka Murakami to their lineup, agreeing to a $34 million, two-year contract with the Japanese slugger. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/122 "2025-12-21T21:57:06Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > Didn’t he Google the White Sox? Apparently, teams were not as excited about Murakami as they have been with some other Japanese stars, due to his defensive skills, and his strikeout rate. But, his deal with the White Sox is only for two years (and he’ll only be 27 when it ends); if he produces well, he can line himself up for a bigger, longer-term contract with a contender. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/123 "2025-12-22T06:33:48Z")
Freddie Freeman’s contract runs out in two years, so if Murakami does well in Chicago… ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/124 "2025-12-22T07:09:13Z")
Boston [acquires Willson Contreras from St. Louis](https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/red_sox_acquire_willson_contreras_in_trade_with_cardinals/s1_13132_43235145) in exchange for pitchers Hunter Dobbins, Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. The Cardinals are also sending $8 million to Boston. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/125 "2025-12-22T07:33:25Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Boston [acquires Willson Contreras from St. Louis](https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/red_sox_acquire_willson_contreras_in_trade_with_cardinals/s1_13132_43235145) It’s a nice move for the Sox. Contreras has been really consistent at the plate for years: you get 20 HR, a .260 average, and a .800 OPS from him. He’s 33, so one would expect him to start to taper off at some point, but he only has two years left on his contract (plus an option year), so the Sox aren’t taking a huge gamble on him. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/126 "2025-12-22T20:51:33Z")
The Mets trade Jeff McNeil to the A’s for a bag of balls. > **[Athletics to acquire 2B Jeff McNeil from New York Mets](https://sactownsports.com/60778/athletics-mets-trade-infielder-jeff-mcneil/)** > > The Athletics have acquired two-time All-Star second baseman and outfielder Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/127 "2025-12-22T21:50:26Z")
They’re also slotting him in primarily as [a first baseman](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47391637/white-sox-see-munetaka-murakami-playing-first-base-batting-heart-order). ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2025, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/128 "2025-12-23T01:11:02Z")
He only played 1B/DH last year, so that makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/129 "2025-12-26T02:10:12Z")
Tyler Soderstrom has signed [a 7 year, $86 million deal](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47412701/sources-tyler-soderstrom-agrees-7-year-86m-deal-as) with the A’s. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/130 "2025-12-26T14:32:14Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > Tyler Soderstrom has signed [a 7 year, $86 million deal](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47412701/sources-tyler-soderstrom-agrees-7-year-86m-deal-as) with the A’s. Good deal for the A’s. Not sure it’s a good deal for Tyler. He makes more money during his 4 years of team control but may be losing out on his prime free agent contract. And he has to play with the A’s. Hopefully for him and the team the move to their permanent home goes as planned. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2026, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/131 "2026-01-01T19:37:57Z")
[Tatsuya Imai](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47472235/tatsuya-imai-deal-astros-worth-60m-sources-say) is joining the Houston Astros on a 3 year contract that pays $54 million and could be worth up to $63 million, with opt-outs. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/132 "2026-01-04T19:43:28Z")
Toronto has signed [3B Kazuma Okamoto](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47491589/sources-japanese-3b-kazuma-okamoto-blue-jays-agree-deal) to a 4 year, $60 million contract. Per ESPN: Okamoto, 29, has hit a league-best 248 home runs – one more than Munetaka Murakami, who signed with the Chicago White Sox in December] – since entering Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball in 2015 with the Yomiuri Giants. Entering 2025, Okamoto had hit 27 or more homers every season since 2018, but he tallied only 15 last season after missing roughly half of the season with an elbow injury from a collision at first base. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/133 "2026-01-05T05:24:37Z")
Okamoto will have to play third base in Toronto. There is nowhere else for him. He’s a good player. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/134 "2026-01-06T20:42:04Z")
The US Patent and Trade Office has denied the A’s the registration to the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics” ahead of their anticipated 2028 move to the city. They’ve had the Athletics name since 1901. > **[Athletics Denied Trademark For Their Own Name Ahead Of Move To Las Vegas](https://brobible.com/sports/article/las-vegas-athletics-trademark-application-denied/)** > > As things currently stand, the Athletics will start playing their home games in Las Vegas when the MLB kicks off its season in 2028. However, the team has This entire exercise has been a clusterfuck. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/135 "2026-01-07T00:36:06Z")
That was surprising. My bet before reading was that somebody else had beaten them to registering the trademarks in a version of cybersquatting. Nope I now predict a minimal official team name change to something like “Athletic’s Baseball Club”. Akin to how the “Anaheim Angels” became the “Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim” but everyone still just calls them the “Angels”. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/136 "2026-01-07T01:30:32Z")
Or maybe they’ll just call themselves the “A’s” I can’t believe the USPTO would say that could be applied to any A in Las vegas. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/137 "2026-01-07T21:59:48Z")
The Chicago Cubs have [acquired SP Edward Cabrera from the Marlins](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47539960/sources-cubs-close-landing-edward-cabrera-trade-marlins) in exchange for their #2 prospect, OF Owen Cassie and two other hitting prospects not named in the report. As a Cub fan, I’m conflicted. I wholeheartedly agree that Chicago needed to add to their pitching staff. But Cabrera has an injury history that makes me a little squeamish about sending Cassie, who was in the mix to replace Kyle Tucker in RF. I wonder if they’ll move Suzuki back to right field and slot Moises Ballesteros in as their DH tentatively. It also makes me think that they think that their OF prospect Ethan Conrad is ahead of his rehab, and may be ready later on this season or early next. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2026, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/138 "2026-01-07T22:11:06Z")
Admittedly, it’s a bizarre ruling. So the story is that “Las Vegas Athletics” is too generic because it could be interpreted as any LV area athletic enterprise, but they had “Oakland Athletics,” and when they pointed that out the response was basically, “uh, well, uh, shut up.” Of course, they still hold trademarks over their logos, which are visually distinctive. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/139 "2026-01-08T00:00:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > and when they pointed that out the response was basically, “uh, well, uh, shut up.” Sorta kinda “Our department goofed before. Or standards were different then. But not this time.” It seems they’re taking their cues from SCOTUS: “Precedent? What’s that?” ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2026, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574/140 "2026-01-08T03:33:49Z")
The St. Louis Cardinals acquired left-handed reliever Justin Bruihl from Cleveland for cash. This is the kind of off-season move that does nothing more than check a box on the roster, but since no MLB team seems to want either of the Cardinals’ “blue chips” (Nolan Arenado or Brendan Donovan) it’s all Cardinals fans have to talk about right now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-2025-26-offseason/1024574.md?page=8)