Spring training camps will open across Arizona and Florida this coming week and there are still plenty of free agents waiting to sign and trade candidates waiting to move. Even with camp opening, there will be no shortage of hot stove activity the next few weeks. Here now are Sunday’s hot stove happenings.
Dodgers begin extension walks with Roberts
The Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts have “just started talking” about a contract extension, Roberts confirmed on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight podcast. “Hopefully everything takes care of itself, but it’s about value, and I love this organization. But yeah, you want to feel your value, absolutely,” Roberts said. The Dodgers are 851-506 (.627) in nine years under Roberts and he’s led the club to two World Series titles.
Roberts, 52, is entering the final season on the three-year contract extension he signed in March 2022. The Dodgers are the defending World Series champions and the World Series favorites entering 2025. It stands to reason Roberts has his sights set on a contract in the neighborhood of (or exceeding) Craig Counsell’s manager record five-year, $40 million deal with the Cubs.
Suarez most likely Padres‘ trade candidate
Closer Robert Suarez is the most probable Padres player to be traded, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune. That does not mean a trade will happen, only that Suarez is more likely to be moved that other San Diego players who have frequently been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason, specifically Luis Arraez, Dylan Cease, and Michael King.
Suarez, 34 next month, was an All-Star last season, when he saved 36 games with a 2.77 ERA in 65 innings. He’s owed $10 million in 2025 and $8 million in both 2026 and 2027. Suarez can opt out of his contract after this coming season. The Padres have had a very quiet offseason amid ownership infighting. Trading Suarez would be a straightforward way to clear payroll for other moves.
Marlins considering adding veteran starter
The rebuilding Marlins are considering adding a veteran starter, according to the Miami Herald. Miami’s projected rotation currently includes 2022 NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, who missed 2024 with Tommy John surgery, as well as Edward Cabrera, Max Meyer, and Ryan Weathers. Valente Bellozo, Xzavion Curry, and Adam Mazur are also rotation candidates.
Kyle Gibson, Andrew Heaney, and Jose Quintana are among the veteran innings guys who remain free agents. The Marlins could also look to the trade market, where starters like Jordan Montgomery, Chris Paddack, and Marcus Stroman could be had at minimal cost. In fact, their teams might even attach a prospect as a sweeter to shed their contracts, all of which expire after 2025.
