What I'm hearing about the Royals' interest in Jarren Duran and more MLB notes  —  Even after signing free agent Lane Thomas and trading for Isaac Collins, the Kansas City Royals are open to adding another outfielder - most notably Jarren Duran, if the Boston Red Sox lower their asking price.

How David Stearns is remaking Mets after historic collapse  —  The New York Mets arrived in Orlando, Florida, for the winter meetings last week with a chance to re-sign closer Edwin Diaz and first baseman Pete Alonso.  —  Díaz had already received two contract offers …

Source: Mets sign outfielder Cristian Pache to minor league deal  —  The Mets have added a versatile outfielder to the mix in Cristian Pache. … The New York Mets have added major league experience to their outfield depth.  —  The Mets are in agreement on a minor league contract …

Updated contract projections for top four free agent hitters  —  The market for free agent hitters got a jolt last week at the winter meetings when 32-year-old designated hitter Kyle Schwarber agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, and that was followed …

Red Sox, Nationals exchange pitching prospects  —  Paul Toboni spoke of “creating a scouting and player development monster” when he was hired as the Nationals' president of baseball operations.  —  Toboni addressed the Nats' Minor League system on Monday by swapping pitching prospects with the Red Sox …

Texas QB Arch Manning will return to school for 2026 season  —  Texas quarterback Arch Manning will return to school to play in 2026, finally putting to rest questions about his future beyond this season.  —  In a text message to ESPN's Dave Wilson on Monday night, Arch's dad, Cooper Manning …

Aiming to level playing field, MLB to regulate use of data and tech in minors  —  Deep-pocketed organizations have gained an advantage in recent years by flexing their financial muscle in the minor leagues.  By spending freely on cutting edge tools like high-speed cameras and motion capture technology …

Diamondbacks showing interest in big-name free-agent Alex Bregman … The Arizona Diamondbacks have shown interest in free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, sources confirmed, a surprising development for a club that has been hyper-focused on adding pitchers, not position players, for the first few months of the offseason.

Rockies hire former Mets exec Levin as assistant GM  —  DENVER — Ian Levin, who spent 20 years in various capacities with the Mets, eventually rising to vice president and assistant general manager, is joining the Rockies as an assistant general manager, the team announced on Monday.

Adolis Garcia to the Phillies, per report  —  MLB Rumors: Adolis Garcia and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms on a one year, $10 million deal, per Francys Romero.  —  Garcia, who turns 33 in March, was non-tendered by the Texas Rangers in November after his second straight disappointing offensive season in 2025.

Kobbie Mainoo prefers Napoli  —  Although at least 12 clubs are reportedly in the race, sources close to the situation have informed CaughtOffside that Chelsea and Bayern Munich are “leading the chase”.  However, the player's personal preference list still places Napoli as the frontrunner.