The Offseason Monitor: Arenado to the Dessert, Weathers to the Bronx, and Kyle Tucker Rumors
The stove is getting warmer!
It wasn’t a big headline day around baseball, but there was enough movement to take note of. Let’s take a look.
Nolan Arenado Headed to the Desert
The St. Louis Cardinals officially moved Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a straightforward deal that reflects more financial maneuvering than on-field shock value.
Trade details:
Diamondbacks receive: Nolan Arenado
Cardinals receive: RHP Jack Martinez
Money involved: St. Louis sends $31 million of Arenado’s remaining $42 million contract to Arizona
This is a classic “salary relief” move. Arenado still brings great defense and a dependable name to pencil in the lineup, but this deal signals the Cardinals’ continued willingness to reshape their payroll and roster flexibility rather than fully reset. For Arizona, bringing in a veteran presence to a very young lineup will pay dividends. In a limited sample size, he raked against lefties last year. Something to note, the Diamondbacks must really not want to start Jordan Lawler at third base. There was a report out there that they wanted to give him reps at CF at Spring Training. On the contrary, JJ Wetherholt has a shot at making an impression this spring to take the 3B job from Nolan Gorman.
Jack Martinez was drafted in the 8th round of the 2025 MLB draft from Arizona State University. He did not appear in any minor league games after being drafted.
Kyle Tucker Sweepstakes Heating Up
The most intriguing news of the day came not through a transaction but through contract rumors.
According to industry chatter, Kyle Tucker has reportedly received:
A $50 million AAV offer from the New York Mets
A competing long-term offer from the Toronto Blue Jays
If the $50M AAV figure holds true, it would push the upper boundary of modern MLB contracts and further reinforce just how aggressively the Mets are willing to spend at the top of the market. Toronto, meanwhile, appears focused on long-term stability rather than headline AAV. Don’t count out the Dodgers just yet, either.
One thing to note: what these three teams would lose if they signed Tucker.
The Mets have not signed anyone tied to a qualifying offer, so they will lose their 2nd and 5th highest draft picks in the 2026 MLB draft, plus $1 million from their international free agent pool 2027 budget.
The Dodgers & Blue Jays would each lose their 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 6th highest draft picks in the 2026 MLB Draft and $2 million from the 2027 international free agent pool budget. They have already definitely lost the 2nd- and 5th-round picks and $1m in their IFA budget due to their Edwin Diaz/Dylan Cease signing. Shoutout to @PSLToFlushing on X for that explanation.
The Mets are in a real pickle. They could end up paying two corner outfielders $100 million a season, or they can pass on Tucker, and everyone will call them cheap. The Phillies could be in a spot to swoop in and steal King Tuck from their division rivals. Time will tell.
Yankees Add Rotation Depth with Ryan Weathers Deal
The final confirmed move of the day saw the New York Yankees acquire left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers from the Miami Marlins.
Trade details:
Yankees receive: Ryan Weathers
Marlins receive:
Dillon Lewis
Brendan Jones (Yankees #7 prospect)
Dillon Jasso (Yankees #14 prospect)
Juan Matheus
This is a classic Yankees depth play—adding a controllable left-handed arm while dealing quantity instead of quality prospects. For Miami, the return aligns with their long-standing strategy of spreading risk across multiple young assets rather than anchoring to one headliner.
You can read Jon’s Weathers write-up here. After a couple of fights with the injury bug the past few seasons (one trip to the IL to no fault of his own - watch here), Ryan has a chance to get back on track.
Weathers has a very good chance to break camp in the rotation. But as the Yankees regain health with Cole, Rodon, and Schmidt rejoining the rotation, Weathers could be relegated to the bullpen. Something to keep an eye on.
Brendan Jones is a 23-year-old outfielder who split time between A+ and AA ball last season. Sporting a sub-20% K% with 51 stolen bases in 2025 highlights some of his skills.
Dillon Jasso has comps to Coby Mayo, a power-hitting third baseman who spent 2025 in AA. We don’t have any of the Statcast data yet, unfortunately.
Dillon Lewis is an interesting prospect who has a comp to Jackson Chourio. That would be the best-case scenario for Miami. His batted ball profile below shows the potential to be a league-leading power bat.
Juan Matheus is also in A+ and is a speedster, switch-hitting shortstop. The most impressive stat in Juan’s profile is his .349 BABIP.
Just another glorious day in the MLB offseason. Let’s keep the moves coming and get this stove HOT!