MLB rumors: Yankees’ Cody Bellinger backup plan, Red Sox still looking for offense after Sonny Gray trade

December is right around the corner and baseball’s annual Winter Meetings are a week away. There will be trades and free agent signings and rumors aplenty during those four days in Orlando. The Winter Meetings are typically the four busiest days of the offseason. Until then, here are Sunday’s hot stove rumors.

The Yankees appear to view Kyle Tucker as a backup plan to Cody Bellinger rather than the other way around, according to the New York Post. We ranked Tucker as the top free agent available this offseason, though Bellinger figures to come cheaper, plus he’s more versatile defensively and is a known quantity to the Yankees after performing well in pinstripes this past season. 

New York is continuing to pursue a top outfield free agent even after Trent Grisham accepted the $22.025 million qualifying offer. Landing Bellinger or Tucker would open up the possibility of a Jasson Domínguez trade. The club’s erstwhile top prospect had an OK first full season in the big leagues in 2025, though when the Yankees were playing their most important games late in the year, Domínguez was often on the bench in favor of a Bellinger/Grisham/Aaron Judge outfield.

Red Sox could add multiple bats

After adding Sonny Gray, the Red Sox are focused on boosting an offense that ranked 15th in home runs in 2025, and they could add multiple hitters, reports the Boston Globe. The BoSox are known to have interest in Pete Alonso and in a reunion with Alex Bregman. They could also pursue a second-tier hitter along the lines of Jorge Polanco.

The Red Sox have to figure out their corner infield situation and also add balance to a lineup that leans too left-handed at times, hence their interest in Alonso and Bregman, two righty-hitting corner infielders. It’s possible they will add two hitters while also trading away an outfielder, potentially Wilyer Abreu or Jarren Duran. Point is, the Gray trade was likely only the start of the offseason for the Red Sox. They have more moves coming, potentially big ones. 

Misiorowski extension talks not progressing

Contract extension talks between the Brewers and flamethrowing righty Jacob Misiorowski have not gained much traction yet, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. There is no rush to get this done — Misiorowski will not be a free agent until the 2031-32 offseason. Still, the earlier Milwaukee locks him up, the larger the discount. That’s usually how these things work.

Teams rarely sign pitchers with less than one full year of service time to long-term extensions. It’s been done only three times in the last 15 years: Matt Moore with the Rays (five years, $14 million with three club options), Chris Archer with the Rays (six years, $25.5 million with two club options), and Aaron Ashby with the Brewers (five years, $20.5 million with two club options). As a small market team, early extensions are Milwaukee’s best chance to keep players like Misiorowski beyond their team control years.