With the football season coming to an end, the baseball season is about to begin. MLB teams are still looking to make moves to their rosters as they head into Spring Training, which begins this month. Here’s a look at two latest developments in the MLB Hot Stove:
Zac Gallen linked to Chicago Cubs
Bleacher Nation’s Michael Cerami, in an article on Feb. 8, listed probable reasons for the Chicago Cubs to bid for the top free agent starter remaining in the market, Zac Gallen. According to Cerami, first, the Cubs have a lot of room on their payroll in the future. They are projected to carry an $86 million payroll, without projected arbitration figures, into the 2027 season as several players are heading towards free agency.
Secondly, among those players set to hit the market, three of them are starters: Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga, and Matthew Boyd. This leaves the Cubs with a lot of work to do next offseason if they are to preserve a strong rotation. Signing Gallen this year could ease that workload.
Thirdly, as pointed out by Cerami, Cubs catcher Carson Kelly has been the backstop for Gallen in 55 out of the 176 games he has started. The two players shared a strong bond on the field between 2019 and 2023, as part of the Arizona Diamondbacks setup. Gallen has a 2.81 ERA and a .202 Opponents Batting Average with Kelly behind the plate.
Yankees urged to sign Randal Grichuk in free agency
The New York Yankees have brought back a very similar looking lineup from last season. The club found success at the plate, hitting the most home runs (274) and most RBIs (820) in the league and with the highest OPS (.787). Yet they have space to add some depth.
According to Bleacher Creatures’ X account on Sunday, the Yankees could sign Randal Grichuk to complete the offense for the upcoming regular season.
“Yankees should sign Randal Grichuk and trade for Ryan Jeffers to complete the offense,” they wrote.
Grichuk was listed as one of the outfielders the Yankees were interested in, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman in an article on Jan. 29. He had a major down season in 2025 with a cumulative .228 batting average with two clubs, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Kansas City Royals. His spell at the Royals, after being traded, particularly impacted his free agency. Despite that he could be a good fourth/fifth outfielder option in New York.