The MLB offseason is cooking with gas. Star free agents like Dylan Cease, Josh Naylor and Devin Williams have signed, and big names like Sonny Gray, Brandon Nimmo and Taylor Ward have all been traded. With the Winter Meetings just days away, more moves are imminent.
With that in mind, rumors are swirling at a rapid pace. The latest rumors cover two of the best free agents, Kyle Schwarber and Bo Bichette, and some Minnesota Twins stars on the trade block.
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Twins unlikely to trade any of their stars
Minnesota Twins center fielder Byron Buxton | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
After selling literally half their roster at this past year’s trade deadline, MLB fans were wondering if the Minnesota Twins would continue their sell-off by parting with one or more of Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan or Pablo Lopez. Based on the latest update from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal ($), don’t expect any major blockbuster involving those players.
“The Twins do not anticipate moving center fielder Byron Buxton or right-handers Joe Ryan and Pablo Lpez, according to league sources briefed on their plans. Minnesota’s goal is to keep those players, build around them and compete in 2026,” Rosenthal wrote.
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Whether this is a wise decision or not can be debated. On one hand, the AL Central is fairly winnable, so if the Twins were willing to surround this core with talent, they’d have a legitimate shot of getting to the postseason in 2026. On the other hand, though, does anyone really believe that the Twins will spend what it’d take to make them competitive enough after trading away half their roster?
Ultimately, holding onto that star trio feels like a missed opportunity for Minnesota to sell high. They can get a ton for each of these players, especially since they’re all more than a year away from free agency, and it’s unlikely they’ll get anywhere near the playoffs in 2026 even with those players.
With that being said, the Twins might intend to keep those players, but a godfather offer could persuade them to change their minds. It’ll be interesting to see if a team is desperate enough to pry one or more of those stars out of Minnesota.
Red Sox emerge as a surprising Bo Bichette suitor
Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Bo Bichette | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Boston Red Sox need to add power to their lineup, making free agents like Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso clearer fits than Bo Bichette. Despite that, The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal report that the Red Sox could be in on Bichette.
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“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,” Sammon and Rosenthal wrote.
Bregman proved to be a great fit with the Red Sox both on and off the field, but Bichette is a clear tier above as a player right now. Bichette is one of the best free agents available, coming off a season that saw him slash .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI. He might not be a great defender, but he’s led the American League in hits twice in his career, and finished 2025 tied for second in the majors despite missing most of September due to injury.
Bichette is a great hitter everywhere, but is even better at Fenway Park, as his career .329/.382/.524 with six home runs and 30 RBI in 35 games would suggest. The Red Sox ought to prioritize Schwarber or Alonso because of their power output, but Bichette is an alternative, would be a very good addition.
Mets could be biggest threat to steal Kyle Schwarber from Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Ever since the offseason started, the Philadelphia Phillies have been deemed clear favorites to re-sign Kyle Schwarber. While they clearly have as good a chance as any team to re-sign him, it’s far from a guarantee that Schwarber will stay with the Phillies. In fact, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Schwarber could end up in the worst possible landing spot in the eyes of Phillies fans.
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“The juiciest rumor I heard this week was the notion that the Mets could push the Phillies for Schwarber, and there are a lot of reasons this could make sense,” Olney wrote.
That’s right. The New York Mets, of all teams, could push the Phillies for Schwarber. As Olney noted, there are many reasons as to why this makes sense. The Mets could use another big bat to pair alongside Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor, and he’d be a great clubhouse fit. Also, even if the Mets fail to sign Schwarber, expressing interest would force the Phillies to spend more, thus potentially taking them out on other possible free agents.
It’ll be interesting to see just how intensely the Mets pursue Schwarber, knowing they also have needs in the outfield and in their rotation, and could always pivot to Pete Alonso as a power option.
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This article was originally published on www.fansided.com as MLB Rumors: Kyle Schwarber bidding war, Bo Bichette surprise, Twins mistake.