Twice already before this upcoming week’s Winter Meetings, the Boston Red Sox evaded free agency and instead used prospects in trades for starting pitchers. Could other similarly positioned clubs do the same? Multiple executives recently described the trade market for starting pitchers as just as busy if not more intense than in July, which is unusual given the presence of free agency in the offseason.

Underscoring the level of interest, it is believed that more than half the league has at least checked in on Washington Nationals left-handed starter MacKenzie Gore, who is under club control for two years. Gore, of course, is not even the biggest starting pitching name who could get moved. Other potential trade candidates still include Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers) and Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee Brewers), though those teams’ intentions continue to remain unclear.

Then there’s the Miami Marlins. Similar to the Pittsburgh Pirates, a club that already traded one starter and is open to dealing another, the Marlins have pitchers to trade.

There’s a strong possibility that the Marlins end up moving one of their starters, league sources said. Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera have continued to attract serious attention from other teams.

The Marlins want to at least contend for the playoffs in 2026, and club officials are bullish on their chances of doing so. However, the Marlins want to be good for years to come, as well. So if trading a starter like Cabrera (three years of club control left) or Alcantara (club option worth $21 million for 2027) helps them acquire players towards that goal, then they probably should do it.

Weathers drawing interest

It’s not just Cabrera and Alcantara, either. Multiple teams have expressed interest in acquiring Marlins lefty Ryan Weathers, league sources said.

The Marlins are at least listening on offers on each of their starters with the exception of Eury Pérez, people familiar with their thinking said.

In the case of Weathers, a club would have to value him as someone on the cusp of breaking out into an exciting starter for Miami to consider a trade, league sources said.

Weathers, 25, is three seasons away from free agency. Injuries, including a fluke one when a ball thrown back from a catcher hit him in the head, limited him to just eight starts and 38 1/3 innings in 2025. He had a 3.99 ERA with a 22.3 percent strikeout rate and 7.2 percent walk rate.

Bo in Boston?

Retaining free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman is a priority for the Boston Red Sox. But some with the club view Bo Bichette, previously a division rival with the Toronto Blue Jays, as an intriguing alternative.

Bichette, who turns 28 in March, perhaps cannot match the clubhouse presence of Bregman, who is one of the game’s leading mentors. But Bichette is four years younger and his wRC+ over the past six seasons is nearly identical to Bregman’s. Bichette’s was 21 percent above league average, Bregman’s 24 percent.

Could Bichette jump to another AL East club? (Vaughn Ridley / Getty Images)

In addition, Bichette has always hit well at Fenway Park, batting .329 with a .907 OPS in 157 plate appearances. The Red Sox could use him at second base, a position he played for the first time in the World Series. Prior to that, he was exclusively a shortstop for the Jays.

While Bichette’s defensive metrics at shortstop are among the worst in the majors, some teams still see him as viable at that position, according to people briefed on his market. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is on record as saying that Trevor Story will remain at short in 2026. If the Red Sox signed Bichette, Marcelo Mayer presumably would man third base and Bichette could play second.

WEEI’s Rob Bradford first mentioned Bichette as a possibility for the Red Sox last month. Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber are among the other free-agent hitters the Red Sox are considering.

Arraez not a fit in Texas?

Infielder Luis Arraez was a favorite of new Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker when the two were together in Miami. But while Arraez could be a fit for Texas, the Rangers might not have the payroll flexibility to sign him, according to people familiar with their plans. The Rangers currently are focused on other needs.

For starters, the team needs to find a catcher after non-tendering Jonah Heim. Revamping the bullpen is another priority, as is adding a starting pitcher. The Rangers have made it no secret they are reducing payroll. None of their additions is expected to command a high-end contract.

Arraez, 28, is one of the game’s most polarizing players, an elite contact hitter who does little else well. With the Rangers, he could DH against lefties, play first base against certain righties in a platoon-type arrangement with Jake Burger and possibly fill in at second.

Yet even if Arraez is available at a bargain price — a possibility if teams dwell on his deficiencies — he might still be too costly for the Rangers.

Around the horn

· Attention, Kyle Tucker: The Baltimore Orioles are completing construction on a $21 million player development facility adjacent to their current baseball operations center at the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla. The facility will include pitching and hitting labs as well as office space, conference rooms and locker rooms.

Tucker earlier this week made the short drive from his home in Tampa to the Toronto Blue Jays’ spring complex in Dunedin. The Jays’ facility is considered one of the jewels of the sport. Sarasota also is not far from Tampa, but it isn’t known whether Tucker has visited the Orioles’ spring home.

The Orioles, while seeking another accomplished starter to complement Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish, remain involved with Tucker and other top hitters.

Neither Bichette nor Bregman is on their wish list. The Orioles are set in their infield, other than at first base.

· The Athletics supposedly are ramping up payroll as they prepare for their move to Las Vegas in 2028, but hardly are getting carried away. In need of a second baseman, they are not considering Bichette or a trade for Arizona’s Ketel Marte. A deal for someone like Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe or the New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil is perhaps more likely.

At the same time, the A’s are showing little interest in simply dumping right-hander Luis Severino, who is guaranteed $42 million over the next two seasons, with the second year being a player option. Teams have shown interest in taking Severino’s entire salary, but only if the A’s do not require them to part with talent in return. The A’s, already in need of a starter, would prefer to bank on Severino improving over his first season with the team instead.