The 2025-26 Major League Baseball offseason is fully underway, and with the Winter Meetings behind us, we’re working our way deeper into the sport’s offseason calendar. Among other things, the winter in baseball means a steady supply of rumors regarding free agent signings, trades, and the like. Speaking of which, you can find Saturday’s roundup just below.
Royals add Collins, Mears
Two days after signing Lane Thomas, the Royals have added another outfielder, this time fetching Isaac Collins in a three-player trade with the Brewers, reports The Athletic. The full trade: Collins and righty reliever Nick Mears for lefty reliever Angel Zerpa.
Collins, 28, finished fourth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting this past season. He posted a .368 on-base percentage in 2025, though he struggled badly down the stretch, and started only one of Milwaukee’s nine postseason games. Mears had a 3.49 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 56 ⅔ innings. Kansas City controls Collins through 2030 and Mears through 2027.
Zerpa, 26, threw 64 ⅔ innings with a 4.18 ERA this past season. He has rare velocity for a lefty, regularly touching 100 mph. The Brewers are an excellent pitching organization and they’re betting on Zerpa getting to another level. He is under team control through 2028. Three years of Zerpa for five of Collins may seem light for Brewers, though keep in mind Collins was an older rookie.
Cardinals agree to one-year deal with May
The Cardinals and free-agent righty Dustin May have agreed to a one-year contract, reports ESPN. We ranked May as the 36th best free agent available this offseason, and wrote that he “could end up being a value signing” given his age (28) and the quality of his sinker/slider arsenal. The one-year deal is a nice upside play for the pitching-needy Cardinals.
Injuries, including multiple elbow surgeries, limited May to 20 total starts from 2021-24. He made 23 not especially effective starts with the Dodgers and Red Sox in 2025, though, as he gets further away from his injuries, his performance could improve. If things go well in 2026, the Cardinals could look to sign May long-term, or trade him for a prospect(s) at the deadline.
The Tigers have agreed to a one-year contract with veteran closer Kenley Jansen, the Athletic reports. The deal also includes a club option for 2027. Jensen is 38 years of age, but he’s coming off a strong season with the Angels in 2025:
For his standout career, Jansen boasts an ERA+ of 155 across parts of 16 MLB seasons. As well, Jansen’s 476 career saves rank fourth all-time behind just Mariano Rivera (652), Trevor Hoffman (601), and Lee Smith (478). Barring injury or ineffectiveness, he seems likely to notch career save No. 500 in a Tigers uniform. Jansen is a four-time All-Star, and as a member of the Dodgers in 2017, he finished fifth in the National League Cy Young vote.
Yankees re-up with Rosario
The Yankees have brought back utility player Amed Rosario on a one-year contract worth $2.5 million, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. Last season, Rosario had an OPS+ of 109 in a combined 62 games for the Nationals and Yankees. He spent time at four different defensive positions, and for his career boasts an .800 OPS against left-handed pitching. The Yankees acquired him from the Nationals in a three-player trade leading up to this past season’s deadline.
The Mets are in need of roster fortifications even after signing Jorge Polanco to a two-year free agent pact. The Padres, meanwhile, are trying to wring another year of contention out of their current core while also looking to reduce payroll at the behest of ownership. Those two aims have led to trade talks between the clubs. Here are the details from Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic:
“The Padres’ players in the talks include right-hander Nick Pivetta, outfielder Ramón Laureano and relievers Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada. San Diego, in turn, is asking the Mets about their young major leaguers and all of their top prospects, both pitchers and position players.”
Hard-throwing reliever Mason Miller, whom the Padres acquired from the A’s at the most recent trade deadline, is the most intriguing name mentioned. The Mets recently lost closer Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers. While they did sign Devin Williams and can plug him in as a closer, the Mets are no doubt seeking another high-leverage arm for the bullpen. Miller certainly fits that bill.
Red Sox interested in Contreras
Seeking to add power to their lineup, the Red Sox have interest in Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
Contreras is coming off a strong season with the Cardinals, and he backs it up with some of the best batted-ball metrics in baseball:
The former catcher is going into his age-34 season in 2026, and he’s signed through 2027 with a club option for 2028. Contreras has a full no-trade clause and may prefer to stay in St. Louis despite the ongoing rebuild. That said, his right-handed pop would be an excellent fit for Fenway Park, and the Red Sox profile as strong contenders for 2026 and beyond.
