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In mere weeks, spring training camps will open across Arizona and Florida. However, there are still plenty of free agents waiting to sign and trade candidates waiting to move, and as such there will be no shortage of activity between now and the start of camp. Speaking of all that, here now are Monday’s hot stove rumors.

Increasingly, signs point to the possibility of the Houston Astros bringing back free-agent infielder (and Astros lifer) Alex Bregman. The club cleared some payroll space by reportedly agreeing to trade reliever Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs, and Jose Altuve appears willing to move to the outfield to make room for Bregman in an infield that already includes new acquisitions Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker. However, The Athletic’s Chandler Rome is here to pump the brakes just a bit:

This could be a simple case of “expectations management” coming out of the front office, as they don’t want paying customers to assume that a Bregman return to Houston is a fait accompli. While the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox, and perhaps Toronto Blue Jays are among the teams with interest in Bregman, a return to Houston seems to be the most likely outcome. Speaking of which, here’s this update: 

Either way, there appears to be significant momentum on the Bregman front.  

Astros also showing interest in Polanco

The Astros appear to have a backup plan in case a deal with Bregman doesn’t come to fruition. The Athletic reports that they are also showing interest in former All-Star infielder Jorge Polanco as “a contingency plan” to Bregman. 

As noted above, Altuve is open to moving to left field in order to bring Bregman back. It is unclear if Altuve would change positions to accommodate anyone else, though that can always be worked out later.

The switch-hitting Polanco has only played infield in his career, but he’s heading toward his age-31 season and it’s not uncommon for athletic players to be moved to outfield later in their careers. He had very good seasons in 2019 and 2021, but has declined in the ensuing seasons. Last year in 118 games for the Mariners, Polanco hit .213/.296/.355 (93 OPS+) with 11 doubles, 16 homers, 45 RBI, 43 runs and 1.3 WAR. 

The San Diego Padres have been in disinvestment mode ever since the death of former owner Peter Seidler, and more recently an internal power struggle has clouded the club’s outlook. They’ve lost multiple free agents thus far in the offseason, including outfielder Jurickson Profar, who recently signed with the Braves. Elsewhere, the Padres are known to be gauging trade interest in ace Dylan Cease going into his walk year. Now The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports that the Padres may also be looking to move right-handed starter Michael King, who’s in his third year of arbitration eligibility and, like Cease, going into his final year of team control. Parting with either would greatly harm the Padre cause in 2025, but decision-makers in San Diego appear to have other priorities at the moment. 

The 29-year-old King, whom the Padres acquired from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto blockbuster of late 2023, is coming off a standout season in which he logged a sub-3.00 ERA, struck out more than 200 batters, and finished seventh in the NL Cy Young vote. 

D-backs not done

The Arizona Diamondbacks this winter have inked Corbin Burnes to a contract worth more than $200 million and also replaced free agent Christian Walker with Josh Naylor in a trade with Cleveland. Add those talents to an already strong roster, and you have a contender. Snakes lead decision-maker Mike Hazen, however, may not be done fortifying his club. Here’s this from AZ Central’s Nick Piecoro: 

“Hazen still wants to add a late-inning option to his bullpen — preferably a closer — and a right-handed bat to his position-player group.”

A reunion with Randal Grichuk, who was highly productive as a lefty masher last year for Arizona, seems like a strong possibility. On the bullpen front, the D-backs are looking to replace closer Paul Sewald, who not long ago signed with the Guardians. High-leverage arms still on the free-agent market include Carlos Estevez, Kenley Jansen, and David Robertson, among others. St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley is of course an appealing trade target, but the Cardinals may be inclined to keep him in the fold for now and re-evaluate his market leading up to the trade deadline. 

The Baltimore Orioles on Monday announced that they’ve signed outfielder Dylan Carlson to a one-year contract. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman adds that the deal will pay Carlson a guaranteed $975,000 with the opportunity to earn another $25,000 if he reaches 200 plate appearances. Carlson, 26, is a former first-rounder who’s coming off a 2024 season for the Cardinals and Rays in which he hit for a 61 OPS+ in 96 games combined. For his career he has an OPS+ of 94 across parts of five MLB seasons. He’s capable of manning all three outfield positions.