MLB free agency: Yankees reportedly pick up Paul Goldschmidt, Astros snag Christian Walker after Nolan Arenado rejects trade

The deal is worth a reported $12.5 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Last season with the Cardinals, the 37-year-old Goldschmidt batted .245 with 22 home runs and 65 RBI.

Read more about the deal here.

The New York Yankees added a strikeout reliever to their bullpen, acquiring Fernando Cruz from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for catcher Jose Trevino on Friday.

Cruz, 34, struck out 109 batters in 66 2/3 innings with a 4.86 ERA in 69 appearances. His strikeout total ranked fourth among MLB relievers last season. Trevino, 31, appeared in 73 games for the Yankees as the backup to Austin Wells. He batted .215 with a .642 OPS, eight home runs and 28 RBI.

Sandoval made 16 starts last season with the Los Angeles Angels — a season that ended in June after he underwent Tommy John surgery. The 28-year-old is expected back at some point during the second half of the 2025 season.

After 10 seasons with the Twins ranging from acceptable to good, Max Kepler is headed to the Phillies.

The 27-year-old Soroka went 0-10 last season with the Chicago White Sox, recording a 4.74 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 25 appearances.

With Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana all free agents after throwing at least 170 innings for the Mets in 2024, New York entered this offseason with some major work to do, even in the non-Juan Soto department.

They’ve responded with an “Island of Misfit Toys” approach to the rotation. They signed Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million deal after a down season with the Reds and Brewers and agreed with former Yankees closer Clay Holmes on a three-year, $38 million deal, with the plan to convert him from reliever to starter.

Their latest addition: Angels starter Griffin Canning, a former top prospect, on a one-year, $4.25 million deal, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Canning holds a 4.78 career ERA and should slide into the back of the rotation.

There were reports after the New York Yankees’ trade for Cody Bellinger that the former MVP was told he would play center field on his new team, but Yankees manager Aaron Boone poured cold water on that idea Wednesday.

Center field, left field and first base are all in play for Bellinger, who is a solid defender at each position. That makes sense for the Yankees, who have spots open in both outfield corners and at first. Aaron Judge played center field in 2024 but would likely move to right if Bellinger is available to take center.

Nolan Arenado is one of the biggest names on the trade market, though not necessarily the most valuable, and we now know he probably won’t be going to the Houston Astros. The St. Louis Cardinals third baseman has informed his club he will not waive his no-trade clause for a move to Houston, according to MLB.com.

The Cardinals were reportedly willing to spend $15-20 million to the Astros to cover the $64 million in salary that Houston would have to take on (the Colorado Rockies are already on the hook for $10 million of the $74 million remaining on Arenado’s deal), but they also needed Arenado’s approval.

A player invoking his no-trade clause doesn’t always mean a trade is dead — often, the move is a ploy to shake some extra dollars out of his new team — but the Astros are reportedly not hopeful about a change. The team also already has a likely starting third baseman in Isaac Paredes, acquired from the Chicago Cubs in the Kyle Tucker trade.

The New York Yankees have their Juan Soto replacement — or at least a guy who can take Juan Soto’s place on the field.

The team swung a trade with the Chicago Cubs for former MVP Cody Bellinger on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, betting on a talented player to bounce back from a rough couple of years. The Cubs are also sending cash to the Yankees and will receive right-handed reliever Cody Poteet in return.

Soto’s record-setting pact with the New York Mets left the Yankees in dire need of a corner outfielder with enough pop to slide into the middle of the order. Bellinger could fit that bill and was available via trade due to his contract with the Cubs, which gives him player options for 2025 and 2026 that pay him a total of $52.5 million.

It was clear a trade was coming after the Cubs acquired Houston Astros star Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster move, but there were rumors of the team shopping Bellinger even before they succeeded in acquiring Tucker.

Read the full story here.

The Baltimore Orioles have struck a one-year, $13 million deal with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano. The 35-year-old had a 1.67 ERA and 111 strikeouts in Japan this past season.

Jesús Luzardo had a 2024 to forget with a 5.00 ERA and a season-ending back injury, but he could still attract a high price for the Marlins.

One of the top arms on the trade market, Luzardo is reportedly seeing interest from the Chicago Cubs. With Luzardo under team control for two more seasons, the Marlins will want a significant return for a talented arm who was great in 2023 but has struggled with injuries.

The Houston Astros have already acquired one third baseman with Isaac Paredes via the return of the Kyle Tucker, but they might not stop there. Per The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, Houston has emerged as a serious suitor in a trade for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Arenado is one of the biggest names on the market but not necessarily one of the most valuable players. He is still owed $74 million across the next three seasons, $10 million to be paid by the Colorado Rockies, and any team that takes him is going to want the Cardinals to take another bite out of that if they expect any sort of meaningful prospect return.

Acquiring both Parades and Arenado would likely mean a move to first base or a utility role for Paredes, given Arenado’s Gold Glove defense. And it almost certainly means Alex Bregman will be playing in a new uniform next season.