MLB rumors: Yankees talk reunion with disappointing closer; NPB infielder posted; Braves, Astros swap fielders
Here are your hot stove rumors for Thursday, Nov. 20
By
Dayn Perry
•
2 min read
The 2025-26 Major League Baseball offseason is fully underway, and we're working our way through the sport's offseason calendar. Among other things, the winter in baseball means a steady supply of rumors regarding free agent signings, trades, and the like. Speaking of which, you can find Thursday's roundup just below.
Yankees interested in Williams reunion
Righty reliever Devin Williams in his lone season in the Bronx was plagued by inconsistency and prolonged periods of struggle, but beneath it all the two-time All-Star still had strong underlying fundamentals. That's why the Yankees may be interested in bringing back Williams, who's a free agent this winter.
Indeed, the Athletic reports that the Yankees and Williams' representatives have indeed been discussing an agreement that would keep him in pinstripes for 2026 and perhaps beyond. The 31-year-old right-hander will enter next season with 86 saves and a career ERA+ of 172. In his 297 ⅔ career innings at the highest level, Williams has struck out 465 batters.
Okamoto posted for MLB teams, joins free agent pool
The Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball have posted 1B/3B Kazuma Okamoto, MLB announced on Thursday. This means all 30 MLB teams will have 45 days to negotiate a free agent contract with Okamoto.
Recently, CBS Sports ranked Okamoto as the No. 3 NPB/KBO player who may make the leap to the U.S. major leagues this offseason. Here's part of R.J. Anderon's write-up of Okamoto:
Believe it or not, there are statistical models that favor Okamoto's chances of succeeding against MLB pitching to Murakami's. At minimum, Okamoto has, to his credit, done a better job than Murakami at keeping his swing-and-miss and strikeout rates in check. To his debt, he's a few years older (30 next June) and he's a right-handed hitter. Okamoto's market may be dictated by how teams feel about his defense at the hot corner. Should they deem him unfit there, there will be more pressure on his bat.
Okamoto is 29 and he's slugged .501 with 277 home runs across parts of 11 seasons in Japan.
Braves acquire Dubón from Astros
The Braves and Astros swung a trade of infielders late Wednesday, as Mauricio Dubón heads to Atlanta in exchange for Nick Allen.
Dubón, 31, is coming off a 2025 season in which he batted .241/.289/.355 with seven home runs in 133 games for Houston. For his career, he owns an OPS+ of 85 across parts of seven MLB seasons. Defensively, Dubón is a two-time Gold Glove winner as a utility player and he's spent meaningful time at seven different positions. With the Braves, he figures to be their primary shortstop in 2026. Dubón will be eligible for free agency after the 2026 season.
As for the 27-year-old Allen, he has a 55 OPS+ in 1,176 career plate appearances spread over four big-league seasons. He's spent most of his time at shortstop, but he's also capable of playing anywhere else in the infield. He'll enter the 2026 season with between two and three years of MLB service time and figures to fill a bench role for Houston.
