MLB rumors: Cubs talks heat up for Jesús Luzardo, Astros still won’t meet Alex Bregman’s asking price

The Winter Meetings are firmly in the rearview mirror and the holiday season is nearly upon us. Generally, that’s a slow period of time when it comes to Major League Baseball news, but there are still a good number of players needing new homes via free agency. We explored the first-base market earlier Monday and now let’s take a look at the rumors for the day. 

Astros still talking Arenado trade, may not be willing to meet Bregman market

The Astros’ recent trade of Kyle Tucker to the Cubs landed them Isaac Paredes as part of the return. Seemingly, Paredes gives them a viable option at third base, but they’re continuing to explore the markets for that position. Speaking of which, The Athletic’s Chandler Rome addressed that situation during a Monday appearance on MLB Network. Rome reported that the Astros and Cardinals remain engaged on talks about veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado, whom St. Louis is seeking to move as they pivot toward a younger and less expensive roster. According to Rome, the two front offices in their discussions have “gotten very deep and have talked a good bit.” The unknown, however, is whether Arenado, who has a full no-trade clause in his contract, would approve a deal that sends him to Houston. Arenado was recently reported to be willing to approve a trade to six teams — the Dodgers, Padres, Angels, Mets, Phillies, and Red Sox — of which the Astros were not one. 

On the Bregman front, Rome says that the Astros still seem unlikely to be willing to pay the kind of money Bregman is likely to command on the free-agent market this offseason. According to multiple reports, they have an offer on the table to Bregman that’s worth a bit more than $150 million, but that’s unlikely to bring the All-Star back to Houston. As for Arenado, he’s owed $74 million over the next three seasons, but his former team the Rockies are on the hook for $10 million of that total. 

Cubs continue eyeing Luzardo

Rumors have been circling that the Cubs are showing interest in Marlins left-hander Jesús Luzardo. That continues here on Monday as Bruce Levine reports on 670 The Score that Chicago is looking to get a deal done “in the next few days.” 

Elbow and back injuries wrecked the 2024 season for Luzardo. In 2022-23, he made 50 starts, pitching to a 3.48 ERA and 1.15 WHIP with 328 strikeouts in 279 innings. He’s long teased frontline starter upside without fully getting there, despite showing some flashes of brilliance. He’s still only 27 years old and won’t hit free agency until after the 2026 season, so a trade for him would be betting on that upside being reached. 

D-backs looking for late-inning reliever

The Diamondbacks missed out on All-Star closer Devin Williams when the Yankees traded for him last week, apparently. Arizona had asked the Brewers about Williams before that trade went down, according to 98.7 FM Phoenix. The takeaway here is that they’ll very likely continue looking for late-inning help. As things stand, Justin Martinez is set up as the closer with Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson also late-inning options. 

Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, Rays closer Pete Fairbanks and Astros reliever Ryan Pressly are some names to watch here, should the Diamondbacks look to acquire a high-leverage reliever via trade. If they look to free agency, Tanner Scott, Carlos Estevez, Kirby Yates and Kenley Jansen are available.