Your Black Friday rumours are here.

Naturally, Black Friday brings reliable MLB offseason rumours at a price you can afford. As we move past Thanksgiving and towards the approaching Winter Meetings, we’re here to deliver just that. This is what’s making waves in baseball right now.

Yankees eyeing Cody Bellinger, Juan Soto, Jordan Montgomery

Fixing the lineup around Aaron Judge is the Yankees’ primary goal this offseason, and general manager Brian Cashman has already stated that the team plans to sign several outfielders this winter. In related news, Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that the Yankees are seriously considering signing free-agent outfielder Cody Bellinger and/or making a trade for Padres outfielder Juan Soto.

One of baseball’s top pure hitters, Soto would be a perfect fit for the Yankees thanks to his exceptional power and patience. He would want to be a designated hitter, but Giancarlo Stanton is the Yankees’ regular DH. It’s thought that the Padres intend to reduce payroll in the offseason, and Soto is likely to receive a contract over $30 million in his last arbitration hearing. Given that 2024 will be Soto’s walk year and that he has committed to a wage, the cost in exchange probably won’t be too high.

Regarding Bellinger, the former National League MVP is still only 28 years old and is coming off a fantastic comeback season with the Cubs. This offseason, we ranked him as the third best free agent available, but we also pointed out that his poor contact numbers raise doubts about how sustainable his work in 2023 actually is. Bellinger is undoubtedly risky, but he also has potential.

Heyman continues, saying that the Yankees may also think about strengthening their rotation behind AL Cy Young winner and star Gerrit Cole. That might result in a reunion with Rangers veteran Jordan Montgomery, who recently won a World Series ring. Montgomery was traded by the Yankees to the Cardinals in August of 2022. He turns 31 in late December. After being traded to the Rangers at the deadline, he had an outstanding 2023 season (3.20 ERA, 3.46 K/BB ratio in 188 2/3 innings) with the Cardinals.

Twins looking to cut payroll

According to Robert Murray, the defending AL Central champions want to release some salary commitments for 2024. Murray points out that the Twins may decide to trade veteran catcher Christan Vazquez as a result. Vazquez is due $10 million in salary each of the next two years and is coming off a dismal season. Another player that Minnesota might consider trading for is outfielder Max Kepler. The Twins have committed less than $100 million in compensation for 2024 as of right now, and their star player Sonny Grey is a free agent who might sign with another team.

Jung Hoo Lee to be posted in early December

Indeed, Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee is ready to join the Major League Baseball, and according to Jeeho Yoo, he should be posted shortly after the Thanksgiving break ends. The 25-year-old Lee was our 15th-ranked free agent heading into the offseason. This is a portion of our article:

In July, Lee suffered a fractured ankle that ended his season and made it difficult for him to reapply to MLB scouts. He is thought of as a quality fielder and runner who has shown respectable bat-to-ball ability. This season, Lee’s contact percentage was 91%, including a 97% contact rate against fastballs. Since he is not a major league hitter (23 of his 65 career home runs came in 2022), it is up to him to fully recuperate in order to make an impact both on the basepaths and in the field. Teams are constantly worried about how KBO hitters will perform when facing MLB pitchers. Lee’s old teammate Ha-Seong Kim’s recent triumph ought to give them some comfort.

Strong interest in hiring him is anticipated, especially given the dearth of impact free-agent batters who aren’t Shohei Ohtani.