MLB rumors: Blue Jays interested in Alex Bregman; White Sox land Munetaka Murakami

Major League Baseball’s offseason is likely to pause later this week to observe the holiday season. That won’t stop teams from getting some last-minute shopping done, however. Below, CBS Sports will be gathering all of Sunday’s most notable murmurs and moves in one space for your convenience. 

Blue Jays part of Bregman sweepstakes

For most of the winter, free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman has been tied to the Red Sox, Cubs, and Tigers. You can add the Blue Jays, the reigning American League champions, to the mix. The Athletic reports that “Toronto seems destined to add one of the big free-agent hitters,” with Bregman having previously been viewed as a backup plan if the Blue Jays failed to net outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Bregman would likely slot in at third base, with the Blue Jays rotating their other infielders — Ernie Clement to second base, Andrés Giménez to shortstop — to cover for Bo BIchette’s potential departure through free agency.

CBS Sports ranked Bregman as the No. 2 free agent available in this class. 

Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami had until 5 p.m. ET on Monday to sign a contract with an MLB club. He didn’t require so long, but he certainly took it down to the wire. He’s signing a two-year pact worth $34 million with the White Sox, per ESPN. 

Murakami will be a true free agent once that deal elapses, meaing he’ll re-enter the market as a 28-year-old — potentially with a demonstrated track record of hitting MLB pitching.

CBS Sports ranked Murakami as the No. 7 free agent available this winter. Here’s what we wrote:

Murakami launched his name into orbit back in 2022, when he homered 56 times to break Sadaharu Oh’s single-season Nippon Professional Baseball record for a Japanese-born player. Clearly he has elite strength. Alas, the ensuing years haven’t been as kind. He swings and misses a ton, even within the zone, and his strikeout rate has cleared 28% three seasons in a row — NPB hasn’t experienced the same K-rate creep as MLB, making that one of the worst marks among regulars. There’ve long been questions about his viability at the hot corner too, with first base appearing as his long-term home. Murakami’s power and youth (he’ll turn 26 in February) will go a long way in making a team forgive those blemishes, with a left-handed Eugenio Suárez serving as a good outcome here.

Murakami will provide the White Sox with a young, potential impact-caliber bat who can slot into their lineup as they continue their rebuilding efforts.

White Sox open to moving Robert

With Murakami in tow, the White Sox are now shifting their attention to trading outfielder Luis Robert for pitching depth, per USA Today. The White Sox are said to be in talks with the Reds and the Mets.

Robert, 28, is coming off a disappointing two-year run that has seen him post an 85 OPS+ and average 14 home runs, 28 stolen bases, and 1.4 WAR per season. 

Robert is under contract through the 2026 campaign with a club option for 2027.

Yankees retain Blackburn

The Yankees are bringing back right-hander Paul Blackburn on a one-year deal worth $2 million guaranteed, per the New York Post. 

Blackburn, 32, split last season between the Mets and the Yankees, compiling a 6.23 ERA (66 ERA+) and a 2.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He did make some arsenal tweaks with the Yankees, leaning more on his sinker and cutter, that could lead to better results in 2026.