With several free agents still on the market, some of the biggest headlines this MLB offseason have centered on high-profile trades, with none bigger than Juan Soto joining the New York Yankees.
There are several other high-profile stars at the center of trade discussions, too, with starting pitching being at the forefront.
Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers and Tyler Glasnow of the Tampa Bay Rays are two of the most coveted commodities. What is the latest on them amid insider reports and rumors?
Find out with this look at the latest.
Corbin Burnes has been one of the better, more durable pitchers in the big leagues for the last four years, so it is no surprise that in his final year of arbitration before hitting the market as an unrestricted free agent in 2025, he would be at the center of trade talk.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported there is a decent chance that Burnes moves this offseason.
It makes sense that the Milwaukee Brewers, who have not revealed one way or the other that Burnes is available, would at least listen to offers. It is, after all, better to get something in return for a star of his stature than allow him to walk away with nothing to show for it after the season.
He has won double-digit games in each of his last three seasons, carries a career ERA of 3.26, and has struck out just over 11 batters per nine innings during that span.
Burnes is a quality starter in a game where starting pitching is as important as any other position in the game. There will inevitably be a team that dials up Brewers general manager Matt Arnold and makes a big offer. No matter how ardent Arnold may be that he expects Burnes to be Milwaukee’s opening-day starter, it may very well prove too good to pass up.
Look for the teams that fail to acquire Yoshinobu Yamamoto to be big players here, including the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Giants, and Mets.
Tyler Glasnow is the hottest trade commodity in the game right now, as evidenced by the number of calls the Tampa Bay Rays are taking on their ace.
That includes division champions like the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, both of whom Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times named while discussing teams checking in on Glasnow (h/t MLB Trade Rumors).
The righty went 10-7 in 21 games for the Rays and struck out 12.15 batters per nine innings of work. He averaged less than a home run during those same nine innings. He left 70 percent of hitters on base, forced the highest ground ball percentage of his career at 51.2 and his 14.4 home-run-to-ground-ball percent was nearly identical to his previous three campaigns.
Yes, Glasnow was rocked hard against Texas in the playoffs, giving up six hits and three earned runs in five innings of work, but there is no denying what he accomplished in the regular season.
The Dodgers and Braves failed miserably to bolster their rotations when it became apparent that it was a weak spot on otherwise glistening rosters. Atlanta, in particular, was especially bad on the mound, not allowing less than three runs in any game after September 13.
Either team would be foolish not to take a look at their prospects and be in constant contact with the Rays to find out what it would take to get Glasnow.
The sooner the better, too, as every team currently entered in the Yamamoto sweepstakes will likely come calling the moment the 25-year-old phenom makes his decision as to who he will play with stateside.
Watching Blue Jays pitcher Alek Manoah play in 2023, it was incredibly easy to forget this was the same guy who finished third in Cy Young voting a season earlier.
Optioned to the Florida Complex League following a June 5 bombardment at the hands of the Houston Astros in which Manoah recorded one out and gave up six runs, he looked like a shell of the player he was. His numbers backed it up, too. Gone was the 2.24 ERA from the Cy Young-worthy season and in its place was a ballooned 5.87.
Ultimately, he walked 6.08 per nine innings and recorded a -0.4 WAR (wins above replacement), making him more of a liability than a player benefiting the team.
Perhaps that is why the Los Angeles Angels’ interest in acquiring him from Toronto is somewhat surprising.
Fabian Ardaya and Sam Blum of The Athletic reported: “The club has been aggressively scanning the trade market for starting pitching and has engaged the Toronto Blue Jays on former All-Star right-hander Alek Manoah, league sources with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic.”
The piece would go on to state that Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins ultimately said there was no intention of moving any starters, but one has to wonder: why not?
If Manoah struggled to the extent that he did in 2023 and optioning him to get some more coaching and hopefully rediscover his stuff did not work, why would the Blue Jays not at least consider a deal for the starter?
Sure, he could rebound this year and be a Cy Young contender again, but he could also repeat last season’s performances and hurt the team in a division that it can afford to get behind in, especially with the arrival of Juan Soto in New York and a young Orioles team with a penchant for scoring runs.
If the Jays can get pieces in return, be it established big leaguers or prospects, it would almost be foolish not to at least consider the possibility of moving on from Manoah.
The Angels have moved on from the discussions, too, with Ardaya and Blum reporting that management is looking into the aforementioned Burnes and Glasnow, as well as Cleveland starter Shane Bieber.
