6 Bold MLB 2025-26 Offseason Predictions

This time of year, any offseason prediction that's not chalk seems like a hot take.

However, at the outset of last offseason, it would have seemed ridiculous to predict Juan Soto would sign for $765 million, Corbin Burnes would join the Arizona Diamondbacks, or Clay Holmes would be more coveted as a starter than a reliever on the open market.

The great part about the hot stove is that things don't always go as expected.

With that acknowledged, here are six bold predictions on things that could happen during the 2025-26 MLB offseason.

Max Scherzer could walk away this offseason—particularly if the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, giving him his third ring—but you get the sense that as long as someone is interested in employing the future Hall of Famer, he's going to give it a go.

There is a weird balance here between Scherzer and his frienemy Justin Verlander. They probably don't want to retire the same year, because then that would put them in the same Hall of Fame class. (Scherzer would also have to share the spotlight with Clayton Kershaw in five years if he retired this offseason.) But Scherzer, now 41, probably doesn't want to hang it up before Verlander, who will pitch next season at 43.

Another twist here is that the Giants—who employed Verlander in 2025—might end up being the best suitor for Scherzer this offseason.

President of baseball operations Buster Posey took a risk hiring Tony Vitello, the former manager at the University of Tennessee, as the new skipper for the Giants.

Posey would be wise to bring in a veteran who can help get buy-in on Vitello. While he wasn't the head coach at the University of Missouri during Scherzer's collegiate career, he was on the coaching staff and has the clear support of the three-time Cy Young Award winner.

Scherzer told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:

"It's the competitiveness. It's the fire. It's the intensity. And it's the communication skills. He makes it so relatable. He's such a players' guy. He makes you want to run through a brick wall for him. He was perfect for me when I was in college. He helped even to foster my mentality and add to it, really helped bring it out of me. Mizzou was my ground zero where I really took off and his fingerprints are all over that. So I absolutely believe in him. He's to this day one of my closest friends and I absolutely believe he's gonna get it done at the big league level.

"He's going to get players to buy in. I know there's going to be this narrative that he doesn't have any pro ball experience. But his ability to relate to players and his fire and passion for the game is going to resonate with everybody within that clubhouse. So I just don't see that as an issue."

Scherzer didn't impress for much of the season with the Blue Jays, pitching to a 5.19 ERA over 17 starts. However, he turned back the clock during his ALCS start against the Seattle Mariners, and could help assure the transition of Vitello goes well.

As for Verlander, he'll have no problem finding a team for his 21st MLB season. After an underwhelming first half with the Giants, Verlander was excellent following the All-Star Break, posting a 2.99 ERA over 14 starts.

Given Tarik Skubal is about to repeat as AL Cy Young Award winner, it almost feels unthinkable we're talking about the Detroit Tigers—a team that's made the postseason in consecutive seasons—trading him this offseason.

However, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported last week the Tigers and Skubal are "close to $250 million" apart in extension talks. Perhaps the only thing more unthinkable than not paying Skubal is holding onto him, knowing you aren't going to make a competitive offer, and then losing him for just draft-pick compensation in the offseason.

Of course, the answer here is that Detroit owner Chris Ilitch should take a page out of the playbook of his late father, Mike, and spend whatever exorbitant amount it takes to keep the top pitcher in the sport in Motown.

If he's not prepared to do that, though, now would probably be the time to trade him. Not only will the Tigers probably be in playoff contention in the summer if they keep Skubal, but teams will also be more willing to give up a major return for the lefty now because if he spends the full season with an acquiring team, said new employer will be able to give him a qualifying offer next offseason before free agency.

The team that would make the most sense for Skubal in an offseason trade is the New York Mets. Not only do they have an owner in Steve Cohen who will probably be willing to meet the asking price of Skubal and agent Scott Boras next offseason, but they have a major need for an ace in 2026 and pieces that could be of interest to the Tigers in return.

Even if we assume that the Mets aren't going to trade Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and/or Brandon Sproat could be at the forefront of a trade return for one guaranteed season with Skubal.

It would also be interesting to see if the Tigers—who, even if they trade Skubal, likely would want to content in 2026—would have interest in someone like Kodai Senga.

It was a disastrous finish to 2025 for Senga, who has also had some injury issues. But he has had stretches where he's pitched like a front-line starter in three MLB seasons, and the $30 million he's owed over the next two seasons is team-friendly if he's right.

Senga does have a 10-team no-trade clause, so the two sides would have to navigate around that, but him being part of a deal is an interesting concept.

In any event, if the Tigers do seriously consider trading Skubal, the Mets would have to be the odds-on favorites for his services.

Mass Live's Chris Cotillo pointed to Kyle Schwarber as a possible target of the Red Sox, but the most likely scenario still seems to be that he'll re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

It's clear, though, that the Red Sox need a middle-of-the-order hitter. Schwarber is coming off of a better season than Pete Alonso, but the latter is two years younger and won't have a qualifying offer attached to him, so it won't cost draft-pick compensation to sign him.

Last offseason, it felt like Alonso wanted the Mets more than they wanted him. He'll have more leverage this time around, though. First of all, he's set the Mets all-time home run record, so there's no motivation to go back to get that. Secondly, he's coming off of a better season, having posted an .871 OPS in 2025, as opposed to .788 in 2024. And as mentioned, there's no qualifying offer attached to him this time around. He should be able to get at least a four-year deal this offseason.

Alonso could begin the deal at first base, particularly with uncertainty surrounding the health of Triston Casas, who will be returning from a ruptured left patellar tendon. Not that Casas is a Gold Glove-level defender either, but in the long run he could push Alonso—who posted minus-nine defensive runs saved—to DH on a more consistent basis.

Boston would be paying for the bat of Alonso, who would surely be able to wear out the Green Monster playing 81 home games a season at Fenway Park.

If Alonso was signed, Bregman would likely leave in free agency, departing for nothing since he's not eligible for the QO. Alonso, though, probably fits what the Red Sox need even more, and it's easier to swallow the pill of losing Bregman for nothing if he's replaced by someone without a QO attached to them.

For as much success as Framber Valdez in eight seasons with the Houston Astros, things got weird down the stretch of his contract year. Not only did he post a 5.20 ERA in 12 starts after the All-Star Break, but Valdez seemingly crossed up catcher César Salazar on purpose in early-September.

It seems more likely than not that the Astros will extend a qualifying offer to Valdez and then let him walk in free agency once he declines that. Even with Hunter Brown likely to finish in the top-five in AL Cy Young Award voting, Valdez's departure would leave the Astros thin at the top of their rotation.

One way to pivot would be trading for Milwaukee Brewers' ace Freddy Peralta. It might seem surprising for the Brewers to consider trading Peralta after reaching the NLCS, but he's entering his contract year and will likely price his way out of Milwaukee's comfort zone next winter. Like the Cleveland Guardians did with Josh Naylor last offseason after reaching the ALCS, it might make sense for the Brewers to maximize Peralta's value now.

Milwaukee will surely exercise Peralta's comically-low $8 million club option for 2026. Considering Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts across 176.2 innings pitched in 2025, teams will be lined up to trade for him, even if it's only for one season.

Spencer Arrighetti would be an interesting piece for the Brewers to target. A right thumb fracture and inflammation to his right elbow made 2025 a lost season for the 25-year-old. The guess here is that Astros wouldn't want to part with him since he won't even become arbitration eligible until 2027, but the Brewers should find out.

Righty Miguel Ullola, 23—who finished the season at Triple-A and has a fastball that's reached the high-90s—is another name the Brewers could ask for in return for their ace.

After Ranger Suárez limited the Dodgers to one run over five innings in a Game 3 Phillies NLDS victory, Scott Boras touted the lefty's flexibility in making the case for him ahead of free agency.

Boras said:

"I've represented a lot of great starters. There are few men that you can say their routine is not their routine. Whenever you tell Ranger you want him, he just says 'OK, I'll go do it.' He's fine with his preparation with whatever part of the game it is. That is a value that is immeasurable value when you can do things like you did last night."

It's true, the man Boras refers to as "the Cooler" has immense confidence on the mound, whether it's a Wednesday game in April or a World Series tilt. That's contagious, and Suárez's ability to pitch out of the rotation (he logged 157.1 innings in 2025) and the bullpen (he closed out the NL pennant in 2022) are going to make him a very intriguing free agent.

The problem is Suárez has spent time on the injured list with a back-related ailment in three of the last four seasons. His average fastball velocity also dipped to 91.3 mph in 2025, as opposed to 93.4 just two seasons prior. Even for a pitcher who has never been reliant on overpowering stuff, that's still got to be a concern when you're talking about giving out a long-term deal.

Additionally, Suárez will certainly receive and decline a qualifying offer from the Phillies. That means any suitor other than Philadelphia would have to surrender draft-pick compensation, in addition to dollars, to sign him.

A bunch of teams would love to sign Suárez, 30, to a lucrative three-year deal. Given the success he's had and his flexibility, though, he and Boras could well open free agency seeking a six-year deal.

Suárez's contract will probably wind up somewhere between those two terms, perhaps with an early opt-out. But it will take time, particularly since it seems as though the Phillies—who has Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Jesús Luzardo under contract with top prospect Andrew Painter looming—might move on.

At times over his six seasons in Atlanta, Marcell Ozuna was one of the most feared hitters. The Braves, though, will likely be looking to shake up their roster following a 76-86 season, and Ozuna, who will turn 35 in November, will probably be someone they allow to leave.

It was a disappointing contract year for Ozuna, who saw his OPS dip from .925 in 2024 to .756 in 2025. Still, Ozuna hit 21 home runs, drove in 68 runs and drew 94 walks this past season. There's plenty of value in that type of player, and there will probably be some teams who think they can get something between Ozuna's 2024 and 2025 seasons out of the three-time All-Star.

You know what team would actually make quite a bit of sense for Ozuna on a one-year deal? The Mets. Starling Marte—New York's primary DH this past year—will likely depart in free agency. Even at this stage, Ozuna would be an upgrade over him. Ozuna could also help to replace the right-handed presence of Alonso in the middle of the order, if the Mets don't ultimately retain the franchise's all-time home run leader.

We're not suggesting that the Mets only move to address their lineup this offseason is signing Ozuna. But something like a one-year, $13 million deal would be a worthwhile investment.