MLB Rumors: Red Sox trade for Jonathan India on the table to address 2B

Make no mistake, offense was rarely the problem for the Boston Red Sox in the 2023 season. As such, the top offseason priority for the new top decision-maker at Fenway, Craig Breslow, will be to upgrade the pitching. But if the right opportunity to upgrade a weak area of the roster elsewhere arises, an aggressive newcomer might be too enticed to pass that up.

Such an opportunity may now be presenting itself to Breslow and the Red Sox now.

According to ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, Cincinnati Reds second baseman and former NL Rookie of the Year Jonathan India is a major trade candidate this offseason. With the Reds having a surplus of young infielders -- too many to fill four spots -- they could look to trade one and India is the most obvious candidate. In fact, Passan reported, "Other teams believe it's more a matter of when, not if, India will move."

That should intrigue the Red Sox, a club that had a revolving door at second base throughout that season. Whether Pablo Reyes, Christian Arroyo, Enmanuel Valdez, Luis Urias or even a few others over the course of the 2023 season, there was no consistent answer at the position. India could possibly provide that for them.

Over three seasons with the Reds, India has a slash line of .255/.350/.419, averaging 16 home runs, 24 doubles and 57 RBI with 10 stolen bases per season. Those averages are a bit depressed though after missing 59 games in 2022 and 43 games this past year.

Even still, his presence in the Red Sox lineup would provide a tremendous boost and fill a major hole, especially with his defensive prowess. And if the price is right for a trade, Boston has the ammo in its farm system to get such a deal done.

MLB Rumors: Yankees trade for Astros star Kyle Tucker on the table?

Thanks to the 2017 shenanigans in Houston, it's safe to say the New York Yankees and the Astros aren't exactly chummy. Maybe that extends more to the fanbases than the front offices, but there is certain to be some lingering bad blood from the cheating scandal that ultimately saw Houston eliminate New York from the postseason.

And yet, one MLB insider has floated a wild trade that would send an Astros star to the Pinstripes.

Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker is entering his second arbitration year, meaning that he'll hit free agency after the 2025 season. Subsequently, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that he'd heard the possibility that Houston could look to shake things up instead of just riding it out with the remainder of Tucker and Alex Bregman's contracts, which could lead to the Astros possibly exploring a trade for the right price.

Given how strongly the Yankees have been connected to Cody Bellinger in free agency this offseason, it's clear that New York is eyeing a star-caliber upgrade in the outfield, particularly focusing on another power lefty bat. Tucker would certainly qualify.

Though he bottomed-out unfortunately in the playoffs, Tucker was phenomenal in the regular season, posting an .886 OPS with 29 home runs, 37 doubles, five triples and a career-high 112 RBI. He's also hit 89 home runs over the past three seasons.

The big question, of course, is if the Astros would actually part ways with Tucker. Having said that, given the Yankees rich prospect pool, if any team were to get Houston to budge, it might be the Bronx Bombers.

MLB Rumors: Cardinals have leg up in Yoshinobu Yamamoto race with Lars Nootbaar

Few secrets have been worst-kept going into the offseason than the St. Louis Cardinals' desperation to address the club's starting pitching, whether by free agency, trade, or both. And now the Red Birds might actually have a leg up on any of the other 29 teams in MLB with one of the most coveted arms on the market.

Despite the talented group of startiing pitchers hitting the market, 25-year-old Japanese sensation Yoshinobu Yamamoto is going to command arguably the most attention. That's for good reason too.

Playing in the NPB with the Orix Buffaloes this past year, Yamamoto put up absurd numbers, posting a 1.21 ERA over 164 innings with 169 strikeouts to only 28 walks. He also allowed just two home runs which, even with the NPB runs per game being about a full run less than that of MLB this season, is ridiculously good. And for a pitcher his age to be coming to North America having already reached that height, it's no surprise that he's the apple of many teams' eye. As ESPN's Jeff Passan ($) noted, he's a unicorn with his combination of youth and prowess.

But the Cardinals might have a leg up on any competition thanks to one of their budding stars in the outfield, Lars Nootbaar.

Yes, Nootbaar and Yamamoto played on Team Japan in last winter's World Baseball Classic. However, MLB.com's John Denton noted that their connection runs deeper as Nootbaar and Yamamoto are family friends who have been in close contact for a while.

"My mom talks to [Yamamoto's] mom daily," Nootbaar said. "I went and saw him throw in his first playoff game, and I sat with his mom at the game. We chatted a little bit, but there wasn't anything that I could tell her that she didn't already know because my mom had already filled her in [about Nootbaar playing for the Cardinals]. Yoshi and Roki Sasaki, the flamethrower and young kid, our moms all talk daily. I have a great relationship with both of those guys, and now that Yoshi is coming over to MLB, I've been talking to him a little bit more, and I plan on seeing him again later this offseason."

With a player of Yamamoto's caliber, the money isn't likely to be too separating of a factor -- every team is going to be willing to cut a big check if they're seriously interested. It could instead come down to Yamamoto's comfort level coming to MLB and where he sees the best fit. Subsequently, the connection with Nootbaar could play an absolutely critical role in the Cardinals' pursuit of Yamamoto.