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The offseason is heating up and we are all for it! A number of free agent deals have been struck recently and that number should only increase with the Winter Meetings kicking off in a few days.

We’ll review the latest deals and take a look ahead at the moves that could be made in the coming days in this edition of the newsletter.

We are celebrating the 1,000th episode of the Just Baseball Show today! To celebrate this milestone, we’re giving away a FREE month of access to our Discord, which provides access to Peter’s best bets, exclusive prospect content from Aram, and connection to the entire JB staff.

Free Agent Signings

Names are starting to come off the board, but just one of our top 10 free agents has signed at this point. Let’s review the latest deals from the past week.

Dylan Cease Signs Seven-Year, $210 Million Deal With the Blue Jays

The first nine-figure deal of the offseason was struck last week and it ended up being for over $200 million. Our top-ranked free agent pitcher, Dylan Cease, landed with the defending AL Champion Blue Jays on a seven-year deal.

After falling short in the World Series, Toronto is not easing up. They have reeled in one of the top starters and aren’t content to stop there. The Jays are ready to run it back!

Devin Williams Signs Three-Year, $45 Million Deal With the Mets

While their former closer remains on the market and may return still, the Mets have taken a former All-Star reliever from their crosstown rival with Devin Williams heading to Queens.

Despite a tough season with the Yankees, Williams has been one of the best relievers in baseball since winning Rookie of the Year in 2020. Even in a down year, Williams can strike out batters with the best of them and is a prime bounce-back candidate. The Mets are another team likely far from being done making moves.

Ryan Helsley Signs Two-Year, $28 Million Deal With the Orioles

Another top reliever came off the board with Helsley heading to the Orioles on a deal that could put him right back on the market if he has a big season. This two-year pact with Baltimore contains an opt-out after the first season.

Helsley was brutal down the stretch following a trade to the Mets, but has been one of the better relievers in baseball, like Williams, the past few years. He’ll have the inside track to be the closer for the O’s as he looks to get back into elite form.

Cody Ponce Signs Three-Year, $30 Million Deal With the Blue Jays

You may not know this name, but it’s time to get familiar! Coming back to MLB from possibly the greatest Korean Baseball Organization season ever, Ponce represents an upside swing that Toronto can afford to take after inking Cease last week.

Peter broke down what you need to know about Ponce ⬇️

Just Baseball Trivia of the Week

Our newsletter will have a trivia question every week to test and expand the baseball knowledge of our subscribers! The answer to the weekly trivia question will be at the bottom of the newsletter each week.

Who leads all relief pitchers in fWAR across the past two seasons?

A) Mason Miller

B) Edwin Diaz

C) Aroldis Chapman

D) Cade Smith

Just Baseball Show 1000th Episode

We have reached 1000 episodes of the Just Baseball Show! Thank you to everyone who has supported us over the past four years. We cannot wait to bring you more content for years to come.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, we’re giving away a FREE MONTH of our Discord to any new members.

Our Discord channel is the ultimate baseball group chat while also providing exclusive access to Peter’s MLB best bets, Aram’s prospect content, giveaways, and direct connection to the entire Just Baseball staff.

Read all the details about our Discord community here.

Winter Meetings

The MLB Winter Meetings represent what many consider to be the true start of the offseason hot stove with every GM in one place for the week. Furthermore, the MLB Draft Lottery and Rule 5 Draft occur during the conference next Tuesday and Wednesday.

You can learn everything you need to know about the meetings in this piece ⬇️

Free Agent and Trade Candidate Rumors

Plenty of rumors have been swirling this week around the league, which could lead to an exciting week in Orlando.

Japanese star Tatsuya Imai’s market is heating up. Coming over to MLB after becoming one of the top pitchers in NPB, Imai could be one of the next starters to sign this offseason. An interesting wrinkle here is his desire to beat (rather than join!) the Dodgers…

Ketel Marte trade rumors continue to emerge. While the Dbacks are in no rush to move a superstar player, plenty of teams would love to avoid handing out a huge deal by bringing in Marte instead. The Red Sox, Tigers, and Rays are among those showing early interest.

Willson Contreras could be on the move. The Cardinals need to determine a direction this offseason, and it sounds like moving their first baseman could be an option.

Sonny Gray is not fond of New York…The Red Sox acquired Gray from St. Louis last week and he showed no love for the Yankees in his introductory press conference.

The Reds are eager to add a bat. After a surprise postseason appearance in 2025, Cincy is looking at bringing in a hometown guy. Kyle Schwarber is one name they’re considering in free agency right now.

Team Wishlists

We have a few more on the way, but 20 of our MLB team wishlists have been published with a full guide to each team’s offseason. While some of our writers may be ambitious…this is a “wishlist” after all.

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Other Headlines

• The Angels agreed to a one-year deal with Alek Manoah, the former Blue Jays star pitcher who has not appeared in MLB since May of 2024. It has been a rough few years for Manoah, but he gets a MLB deal with Los Angeles with the hope that he can find it again.

Trivia Answer: D) Cade Smith

While he does not carry the name value of these others, Smith has been phenomenal in his first two MLB seasons for the Guardians. He has been worth 5.4 fWAR in two years, coming in at exactly 2.7 each year.

Just Baseball Merch

Our newest merch added to the store includes more retro logos, the anti wave social club, and more!

We have also restocked on all your favorites including our vintage World Series line, hats, hoodies, City Series line, spring line, and much more.

Check out the full collection of Just Baseball swag here!