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The 2023-24 MLB hot stove is upon us. All eyes are on the top free agent, two-way star Shohei Ohtani, who became the first $700 million player professional sports history.

Which teams will go all-in to contend for a 2024 World Series title? Where will other top free agents, such as Cody Bellinger and Blake Snell, land? Who will make the trades that has everyone buzzing?

Below is a running list of notable transactions and updates from throughout the MLB offseason.

Ranking the top 50 free agents | Ohtani tracker | Free agency and trade grades

Notable MLB offseason transactions

Dec. 14

Dodgers get rotation help, trade for Glasnow

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a trade to send RHP Tyler Glasnow and OF Manuel Margot to the Dodgers for RHP Ryan Pepiot and OF Jonny Deluca — contingent on Glasnow signing an extension with L.A., which is expected, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grade »


Tigers add Flaherty to starting staff

Right-hander Jack Flaherty and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Story »


Mahle heads to Texas on two-year deal

Right-handed starter Tyler Mahle and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a two-year, $22 million contract, sources told ESPN. Mahle underwent Tommy John surgery in May and should return this season, and he can earn another $5 million in performance bonuses based on IP in 2025.


Brewers acquire reliever from Royals

The Milwaukee Brewers have received right-handed reliever Taylor Clarke from the Kansas City Royals for right-handed reliever Ryan Brady and infielder Cam Devanney, a source tells ESPN.


Dec. 12

Tellez lands with Pirates

The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a $3.2 million, one-year contract with first baseman/designated hitter Rowdy Tellez. Story » | Grade »


Giants land big-time free agent

The San Francisco Giants have landed KBO outfielder Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year, $113 million deal that has an opt-out after four seasons, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grade »


Royals bolster rotation with Lugo

Right-hander Seth Lugo and the Kansas City Royals are in agreement on a three-year, $45 million contract, a source tells ESPN. Story » | Grade »


Dec. 10

Royals add to pen

Left-handed reliever Will Smith and the Kansas City Royals are in agreement on a one-year, $5 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grade »


Dec. 9

Dodgers add Ohtani — for $700 million

Shohei Ohtani signed a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, posting on Instagram that he would play for his former team’s crosstown rival starting next season after spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Story » | Grade »


Dec. 8

Boston nabs O’Neill for outfield

The Boston Red Sox secure outfielder Tyler O’Neill from the St. Louis Cardinals for right-handed reliever Nick Robertson and right-handed starter Victor Santos. Story » | Grade »


Dec. 7

Mets bolster bullpen

Right-handed reliever Jorge Lopez and the New York Mets are in agreement on a one-year, $2 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Story »


Dec. 6

Reds continue winter spree, add Candelario

Infielder Jeimer Candelario and the Cincinnati Reds are in agreement on a three-year, $45 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Candelario, 30, joins a young Reds team that has spent $87 million on free agents this winter. Story » | Grade »


Yankees secure Soto in blockbuster trade

The New York Yankees have acquired superstar outfielder Juan Soto, along with outfielder Trent Grisham, in a trade with the San Diego Padres for RHPs Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vasquez and C Kyle Higashioka, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grade »


D-backs add to rotation with Rodriguez

Left-handed starter Eduardo Rodriguez and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a four-year contract for around $20 million a year, pending physical, sources familiar with the agreement tell ESPN. Story » | Grade »


O’s bolster bullpen

Right-handed reliever Craig Kimbrel and the Baltimore Orioles are in agreement on a one-year, $13 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Story »


Dec. 5

A rare Red Sox-Yankees trade sends Verdugo to N.Y.

The New York Yankees are acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for right-handeres Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Story » | Grade »


Fedde chooses White Sox

Right-hander Erick Fedde and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $15 million contract, sources tell ESPN. Fedde, 30, went 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA for the NC Dinos in the KBO, where he was named MVP this year.


Devenski returns to Rays

Right-handed reliever Chris Devenski and the Tampa Bay Rays are in agreement on a one-year contract with a club option, sources tell ESPN.


Dec. 3

Braves get Kelenic in deal with Mariners

The Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder Jarred Kelenic, left-hander Marco Gonzales and first baseman Evan White from the Seattle Mariners for right-handers Jackson Kowar and Cole Phillips. Story » | Grade »


Nov. 30

Reds bolster rotation with Martinez deal

Right-hander Nick Martinez and the Cincinnati Reds agreed on a two-year, $26 million contract that includes an opt-out after the first season, sources told ESPN. Story »


Nov. 29

Severino joins Mets on one-year deal

Right-hander Luis Severino and the New York Mets on Wednesday agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract, sources told ESPN, sending the longtime Yankee to a Mets team that plans to spend its winter upgrading a depleted rotation. Story » | Grade »


Royals add utilityman Hampson

Speedy utilityman Garrett Hampson and the Kansas City Royals agreed Wednesday to a one-year contract, the team announced. Story »


Nov. 27

Cards add Gray to reshuffled rotation

The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a deal with free agent pitcher Sonny Gray, according to ESPN and multiple reports. Gray, 34, joins a revamped Cardinals rotation that also includes recent free-agent additions Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. Story » | Grade »


Heyward remains with Dodgers

Outfielder Jason Heyward is returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year deal for $9 million, sources told ESPN. Story »


Nov. 26

Tigers sign Maeda to two-year deal

Right-hander Kenta Maeda and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a two-year, $24 million contract, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Detroit has been all over mid-tier pitching, and the 35-year-old Maeda stays in the American League Central. Story » | Grade »


Nov. 22

Mariners trade 3B to D-backs

The Arizona Diamondbacks acquire third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Seattle Mariners, with the latter getting reliever Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala, sources tell ESPN. Story » | Grade »


Nov. 21

Gibson headed to St. Louis

Kyle Gibson is in agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals on a one year, $12 million deal with a team option, sources tell ESPN. Story »


Nov. 20

Cards reunite with Lynn

Right-hander Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed on a one-year contract with a club option that guarantees $10 million and reunites the 36-year-old with the team that drafted him a decade and a half ago, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN. Story » | Grade »


Braves land Lopez

The Atlanta Braves added another reliever to their bullpen by agreeing to $30 million, three-year contract with right-hander Reynaldo Lopez. Story » | Grade »


Nov. 19

Phillies re-sign Nola

Right-hander Aaron Nola and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed on a seven-year, $172 million contract, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN on Sunday. Story » | Grade »


Nov. 17

Brewers acquire OF from Yankees

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired outfielder Jake Bauers from the New York Yankees for minor league outfielders Jace Avina and Brian Sanchez, Jeff Passan reports. Story »


Negotiating window for Yamamoto to begin soon

Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto is expected to be posted Monday, a source tells ESPN’s Buster Olney. That means the 45-day negotiating window for MLB teams will start Tuesday. Story »


Nov. 16

Braves, White Sox make pitcher swap

The Atlanta Braves receive left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer, under club control through 2026, while the Chicago White Sox get right-handed starter Mike Soroka, left-handed starter Jared Shuster, shortstop Braden Shewmake, infielder Nicky Lopez and right-handed starter Riley Gowens. Story »


Nov. 6

Braves bring back RHP Charlie Morton

Atlanta is exercising its $20 million option on the right-handed starter, sources tell ESPN, despite significant discussion within the organization about declining it. Story »

Key MLB offseason dates

Dec. 4-7: Winter meetings in Nashville, Tennessee

Dec. 6: Rule 5 draft

Jan. 12: Deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to submit salary figures

Jan. 29: Arbitration hearings begin

Feb. 22: 2024 spring training games begin

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

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2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.

On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.

With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more


2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet

Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.

Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.


2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.


2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.


2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.


2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet

Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.

Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.


2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet

Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.

Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.


2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.

Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.


2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet

Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.

Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.

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Royals P Lorenzen (illness) scratched from start

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Royals P Lorenzen (illness) scratched from start

Kansas City Royals right-hander Michael Lorenzen was scratched from Saturday’s start due to an illness.

Left-hander Angel Zerpa replaced Lorenzen for the game against the visiting New York Mets.

Lorenzen, 33, is 5-8 with a 4.61 ERA through 18 starts this season.

Zerpa, 25, is 3-1 with a 3.89 ERA in 40 appearances out of the bullpen this season. His last start was in August 2023.

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Red Sox P Dobbins (ACL) out remainder of season

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Red Sox P Dobbins (ACL) out remainder of season

BOSTON — Red Sox right-hander Hunter Dobbins said on Saturday that he knew his season was probably over when he felt a familiar sensation in his knee.

He was right. Dobbins was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, his second ACL tear in his right knee.

“Yeah. I’ve torn my ACL in this knee before, and it was the same feeling,” he said, standing in the middle of Boston’s clubhouse with a red sleeve on his right leg. “Kind of some denial went into it, tried to go through that warmup pitch, felt the same sensation again, so, at that point, I knew what it was.”

Dobbins tore the same ACL playing high school football.

Covering first base in the second inning of Boston’s 5-4 walk-off win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, 25-year-old Dobbins stepped awkwardly and limped after recording an out by making a catch on a throw from first baseman Abraham Toro.

Dobbins took one warmup toss before manager Alex Cora stopped him from attempting any more.

“Tough,” Cora said before the Red Sox faced the Rays. “He put himself on the map, right, did a good job for us. When it happened, I thought something minor. Talking to him, he felt it right away. He’s been through that before.”

Dobbins said he found out about Boston’s dramatic win while being examined.

“I was actually in the MRI machine and they were giving me score updates in between each one,” he said. “Right after the last one they said, ‘I think you’d like to hear this, you just won by a walk-off.’ That was pretty cool to hear the guys picked me up.”

The Red Sox placed him on the 15-day injured list Saturday and recalled right-hander Richard Fitts.

“In my head I have Opening Day next year kind of circled,” Dobbins said. “Whether or not that’s realistic, I don’t know, but that’s my goal.”

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