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The year 2025 has come and gone! We’re already gearing up for what we expect to be an incredible 2026 in the baseball world, kicked off by the World Baseball Classic in March.

Happy New Year’s and thank you so much for supporting Just Baseball in 2025! We cannot wait to deliver the absolute best baseball content to you for many years to come.

Before we turn the calendar, we want to recap all of the latest offseason action. While a ton of top free agents remain on the board, many have signed recently, in addition to a few big trades going down.

Recent Moves Around MLB

While none of the top names on the market have signed lately, plenty of moves have started to pile up over the past two weeks. Before we head into 2026, let’s recap all of the latest signings and trades around MLB.

Munetaka Murakami signs with the White Sox. Once described as potentially the greatest power hitter in NPB history, Murakami saw his market collapse this winter, coming off an injury-riddled season and with serious hit tool concerns. Initially projected to sign for well over $100 million, he signed last week with…the Chicago White Sox on a two-year, $34 million deal.

For Chicago, they take a swing at elite potential for a player that all but fell in their lap. He’ll be the regular first baseman on the South Side this coming season. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old slugger can hit the market again at 27 years old in his prime if he proves that he can mash at the MLB level.

Tyler Soderstrom signs an extension with the Athletics. The largest deal inked recently was not by a free agent, but rather an extension for a rising young star. The Athletics have locked up another member of their core, as Soderstrom signed a seven-year, $86 million extension after an incredible breakout season. Read more!

Willson Contreras traded to the Red Sox. Boston has been in search of an offensive upgrade all offseason, and they got one. Contreras heads to the Red Sox, where he’ll slot into their lineup daily at first base or designated hitter. Read more on the trade!

Ryan O’Hearn signs with, Brandon Lowe traded to the Pirates. The Pirates have been one of the surprises of the offseason in terms of their involvement in free agent discussions. That came to fruition to an extent with them bringing in two veteran bats, one via free agency and one via trade. O’Hearn inked a two-year, $29 million deal while Lowe came over from Tampa in a unique trade that sent Mike Burrows to Houston as well.

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Shane Baz traded to the Orioles. This one came out of nowhere, as the Orioles made another big splash following their signing of Pete Alonso. They acquired Baz from their division rival for a HAUL of prospects, adding a high-upside arm to their rotation. One of the final pieces of the famous Chris Archer trade has now been dealt.

While the initial reaction from most was that Baltimore paid too much for a player with a serious injury history and lack of proven MLB results, there may be more to this story. Read Aram Leighton’s breakdown here!

Michael King re-signs with the Padres. Since being dealt to San Diego, King has developed into a high-end starting pitcher. While most expected him to depart, the Padres brought back the veteran starter on a three-year, $75 million deal. Read more!

Pete Fairbanks signs with the Marlins. The final true closer left on the market is heading to Miami on a one-year, $13 million deal. After losing likely closer Ronny Henriquez, who just underwent Tommy John surgery, the Marlins acted fast by bringing in Fairbanks to close for them in 2026.

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Goodbye to 2025

The Dodgers become the first back-to-back World Series champions in 25 years. There were no two weeks in baseball that even came close to the excitement of this year’s Fall Classic between Los Angeles and Toronto. This was an incredible spectacle that we all wish we could relive for the first time once again.

Nick Kurtz produces one of the best rookie seasons ever. After being drafted fourth overall just a year and a half ago, the Athletics first baseman went nuclear in 2025. He absolutely dominated his first pro season, unanimously winning AL Rookie of the Year after putting up a 1.002 OPS with 36 home runs.

The American League MVP race became one for the ages. The battle between Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh was amazing, with Judge ultimately winning his third MVP despite Raleigh posting arguably the greatest season ever by a catcher. Regardless of where you stand on this debate, we witnessed greatness from both of these superstars.

Tarik Skubal is the first pitcher to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards since Jacob deGrom. Skubal proved once again that he stands above the rest in terms of American League pitchers. Meanwhile, Paul Skenes cemented his name alongside him at the top after winning the National League Cy Young with ease in just his second MLB season.

Other Headlines

🇯🇵 Japanese free agents Tatsuya Imai and Kazuma Okamoto are swiftly approaching their deadlines to sign with an MLB team. Imai has a rather unique arsenal that has led to a complicated market despite extreme success in NPB, while Okamoto is considered the safest player coming from overseas this winter with a well-rounded offensive outlook. Imai has to sign by January 2nd, and Okamoto has to be signed by January 4th.

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We launched a Just Baseball community on Discord!

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.

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Our newest merchandise features retro logos, TV-inspired designs, and the anti wave social club!

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!