Welcome to the last full week before Thanksgiving, a period of time in the Major League Baseball season that is generally pretty dead. It’s always possible things start to shake loose, but for now, let’s just keep in mind that this week is unlikely to see lots of actual player movement.
Something to watch this week: The deadline for players to accept or decline the qualifying offer is 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. After that, we’ll know which players are free agents while attached to compensation and which are remaining with their teams on a one-year deal.
Let’s dive in to the rest.
Dodgers set to meet with Soto
The Dodgers will be the next team to meet with Juan Soto and Scott Boras. MLB.com reports the two sides will meet early this week, perhaps as soon as Tuesday. The defending World Series champions need an outfielder with Teoscar Hernández now a free agent and Mookie Betts moving back to the infield.
As things stand, the Dodgers are expected to move Tommy Edman back to center field, and James Outman and Andy Pages are the top in-house candidates to play the corners. They will almost certainly add an outfielder this winter, maybe two, and Soto is far and away the best available. Cot’s Baseball Contracts estimates the club’s 2025 competitive tax payroll at $272 million, well below their 2024 number ($352 million).
Nick Martinez to accept QO
Reds pitcher Nick Martinez is going to accept the qualifying offer, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. That means he’ll be playing 2025 on a one-year, $21.05 million deal. The veteran righty appeared in 42 games last season, 16 of them starts, and pitched to a 3.10 ERA (142 ERA+) and 1.03 WHIP in 142 â…“ innings.
He actually joined the rotation for good on Aug. 5 and made 11 starts to finish the season. In that span, he was 5-2 with a 2.42 ERA in 63 â…“ innings with 53 strikeouts against just eight walks.
With Martinez returning, surely he’s earned a spot in the rotation, so right now the Reds’ stable of starters looks something like: Hunter Greene, Martinez, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo and Rhett Lowder.
Some cold water on Soto and the Blue Jays
The Blue Jays, believed to be the runners-up in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, have been heavily linked to free-agent superstar Juan Soto this winter, even securing a meeting with him and agent Scott Boras as they hold court for their suitors. On Monday in The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal threw some cold water on the idea, citing not only the