MLB rumors: A new Tarik Skubal suitor, the Mets' vision, plus what the Braves plan to do with Ronald Acuńa Jr.

Here are your hot stove rumors as the GM meetings open on Tuesday, Nov. 10

Nov 10, 2026 at 10:42 am ET • 4 min read

This is an important week on the baseball calendar. First and foremost, it is awards week. Kevin McGonigle and Sal Stewart were named the Rookies of the Year on Monday. The Managers of the Year will be announced Tuesday, Cy Youngs and Relievers of the Year will be announced Wednesday, and finally the MVPs will be announced Thursday.

Also, the GM Meetings are this week in Las Vegas. The GM Meetings are not the Winter Meetings in terms of the sheer volume of rumors and transactions, but they do usually provide some news. There could be more than usual this year given the near certainty of a lockout on Dec. 1, which would also mean there are no Winter Meetings. This may be the only time everyone is in the same room this winter. The three weeks between now and Dec. 1 could be quite active.

We've already ranked the top 50 free agents and the top 25 trade candidates.

With that in mind, here are Tuesday's hot stove rumors.

Padres have expressed interest in Skubal

Add the Padres to the list of teams that have shown interest in two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, reports MLB Network. San Diego has a major need in the rotation -- Joe Musgrove, who hasn't made a start since the 2024 postseason, and Randy Vásquez are their only rotation locks -- and a new ownership group that seems willing to spend in its first offseason.

Skubal is far and away the offseason's best free agent. He is also a Scott Boras client, and, historically, top Boras clients take the largest contract offer regardless of team situation. That isn't to say the Padres are a bad situation. Not at all. They're a very good team that is in the postseason most years, plus they play in San Diego. Who doesn't love San Diego?

Morejon prefers to stay in the bullpen

Free agent lefty Adrian Morejon is drawing interest as a starting pitcher, but he prefers to remain in the bullpen, according to The Athletic. Even during the season, there were rumblings that Morejon would like to be given a chance to start in 2027. He came up through the minors as a starter and only remained in the bullpen because he was so dominant in a late-inning role.

We ranked Morejon as the offseason's second-best free agent on the idea that he would move into the rotation. The belief within the game is that he has a chance to be an excellent starter, not just a back-end piece. Either way, Morejon is a very good pitcher, and at 28, he's also one of the youngest free agents available. He should have several peak years remaining.

Cubs hope to add three starters

Although they are disinclined to pursue Tarik Skubal, the Cubs hope to add three established starting pitchers this offseason, reports The Athletic. Of the nine pitchers to make at least nine starts for Chicago in 2027, seven are free agents. Only Ben Brown, who is still recovering from a neck injury, and Edward Cabrera, who had a 5.96 ERA and was demoted to the bullpen, remain.

Left-hander Justin Steele is expected back from UCL surgery next year, though he suffered a setback this summer and wasn't able to return as hoped in September. Others like Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks are depth options more than full-time rotation pieces. This free agent class offers plenty of second- and third-tier starters. That's where the Cubs are expected to shop.

Mets not interested in major overhaul

Unlike last offseason, the Mets are not interested in a major overhaul despite their disappointing year, reports MLB.com. The Mets went 74-88 and finished in last place in 2026. The only silver lining to the disappointing season was the ability to give a long runway to rookies like Carson Benge and Nolan McLean, both of whom finished in the top four of the Rookie of the Year voting.

The Mets went 83-79 in 2025 and missed the postseason on the final day of the season. They made significant changes last winter, most notably jettisoning stalwarts Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo, then had a worse season in 2026. In September, president of baseball operations David Stearns admitted that much turnover created an "uncapped downside scenario," which is executive-speak for "there was too much risk."

Braves will not move Acuña

Not surprisingly, the Braves are uninterested in moving former National League MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., according to MLB Network. It does feel like Atlanta's offense has gone stale and that they could move a core piece, but it won't be Acuña, nor is it likely to be Drake Baldwin, Michael Harris II, or Matt Olson. Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley are the more obvious players to move. Albies is entering the final season of his wildly team-friendly contract. Riley has six years remaining on his deal, which figures to make a move difficult.

Red Sox won't commit to Story at short

On Monday, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow declined to commit to Trevor Story as his starting shortstop next season. "We still have a ton of confidence in Trevor, but any decisions like that are going to take place between Trevor and me far before I speak to anything publicly," Breslow told reporters, including the Boston Globe. Boston has one of the top prospects in the minors in shortstop Franklin Arias, who is very likely to make his debut early next year. Arias could push Story into a utility role or off the team entirely.