MLB Rumors: Yankees are right where they want to be on Juan Soto and more

The pressure is on New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman after his fiery GM meetings speech, in which he defended the team's front office and development staff, all the while insisting his team did not rely too much on analytics.

"I think we have good baseball people, whether they're pro scouts, whether they're coaches, whether they're managers, whether they're the general manager, whether they're analytics guys, I think we have good people," said Cashman. "I'm getting permission requests all over the place. We just lost our bench coach to the Mets as a manager. I've got analytics guys trying to be poached to other clubs right now. Our player development program, no different than other places. But again, reinforcement that we got good people. I'm proud of our people and I'm proud of our process. It doesn't mean we're firing on all cylinders. Doesn't mean we're the best in class, but I think we're pretty f***ing good, personally."

There you have it. Despite angering Giancarlo Stanton's agent, who also happens to be the agent of prominent Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Yankees could potentially leave the winter meetings landing two of their top three targets, per MLB insider Jon Heyman.

Yamamoto has long been connected to New York, but he has interest from dozens of teams around baseball. The Yankees reportedly have concerns about Cody Bellinger's hard-hit rate. And, of course, Juan Soto is no guarantee to be moved if the Padres would rather hold onto him, as FanSided's Robert Murray insinuated on Monday.

"I want to make it clear the Padres are not looking to move Juan Soto," Murray said on the latest episode of The Baseball Insiders podcast. "If they do move him, it is an offer they can't refuse type deal."

The Yankees have every right to be confident -- they are the Yankees, after all. But there's no guarantee New York can land even one of these stars without a fight.

MLB Rumors: Do the Braves have a backup plan for the Dylan Cease trade?

The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers are just two teams interested in Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease. While Cease is coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro, he is just a year removed from finishing as the AL Cy Young runner-up, so there's plenty of hope. Cease also has two years of arbitration left on his deal, so the time is now for White Sox GM Chris Getz to trade his ace if he prefers.

A Cease trade is not imminent just yet, but the Braves getting involved was a bit of a surprise even though they lost out on Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray. As FanSided's Robert Murray explains, Cease is not the type of pitcher Alex Anthopoulos typically chases.

"Anthopoulos typically acquires players who he thinks can sign before they hit free agency, before they establish their value on the open market," Murray said. "And that is not what a Boras client does at all. They wait to get to free agency and let the market establish his value and then get top dollar. So that's why I'm a little bit skeptical that Cease will ultimately be traded to Atlanta."

If the Braves do not trade for Cease, which shouldn't come as a huge surprise per Murray, free-agent pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez makes the most sense as the next frontline starter off the board. Atlanta is known to be interested in Rodriguez despite his high price tag. If the Braves can sign him to a contract similar to Sonny Gray's -- or perhaps even a bit less money over the course of his deal -- expect Anthopoulos to jump all over it.

MLB Rumors: Cubs have an answer looming to Cardinals pitching upgrades

Believe it or not, the St. Louis Cardinals aren't the only NL Central team making improvements this offseason. The Chicago Cubs made the first big splash of the offseason when they stole Craig Counsell from the rival Milwaukee Brewers.

Since, Chicago has been in on Shohei Ohtani as well as trying to re-sign Cody Bellinger. The Cubs front office is here to spend money, and for the first time since the 2016 World Series core was traded, Chicago's window to contend is wide open.

With Marcus Stroman likely leaving in free agency, the Cubs have a need for starting pitching. Even if they sign Ohtani he will not pitch in 2024. Jed Hoyer and Co. have reportedly targeted both Rays ace Tyler Glasnow and Shane Bieber of the Cleveland Guardians in trade talks.

FanSided MLB Insider Robert Murray has mentioned Glasnow as a likely trade candidate in the past week or so. Bieber has long been floated as a likely castoff in Cleveland, as he's entering his final year of arbitration and will become a free agent in 2024. Both players represent short-term upgrades for the Cubs unless they are signed to an extension shortly after being acquired.

Glasnow carries an injury risk, while Bieber is steady but lost some velocity in 2023. Either would be a good addition to the Cubs current rotation.