The offseason is already moving fast, and two of the biggest front-office searches are closing in on decisions.
In Seattle, the Mariners are down to two finalists for their managerial opening: former Astros skipper Joe Espada and current Cubs director of player development Jason Kanzler. Both have finished their in-person interviews, and according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer, the club is aiming to make its choice this weekend - possibly as soon as today.
The plan is to hold an introductory press conference early next week, then let the new manager build out his staff before the Mariners turn to roster upgrades. Bullpen help is on the list, and so is the possibility of moving from their rotation depth.
Houston is waiting on its own key hire before the rest of the winter can really start to take shape. The Astros already handled a couple of option calls yesterday, with Tatsuya Imai declining to opt out and the team declining its option on right-hander Ryan Weiss.
Bigger moves, though, are tied to the search for a new baseball operations leader. Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine is now reported to be Houston’s top choice for the GM opening.
Kleine has spent 19 years in Milwaukee’s front office, which appears to line up with Astros owner Jim Crane’s preference for an executive from a successful low-payroll club. Nothing is finalized yet, but Houston would like a GM in place by Monday so it can be ready when free agency begins.
That Monday deadline is the next marker for the league as a whole. Teams are working through option and 40-man roster decisions before November 2nd, when every option call has to be settled and all players on the 60-day injured list must be reinstated or removed. Free agency opens at 4:00pm CT that day.
And while clubs are still sorting out executives and managers, the trade market is already open for business. MLBTR has released its Top 40 Trade Candidates for the offseason, led by Reid Detmers and Drew Rasmussen.
The list also includes six infielders in the top 10, with Zach Neto and Ketel Marte among them. With free agency not starting until Monday, trades can happen right now, and the combination of a thin free-agent class and a looming lockout could push teams toward the trade market earlier than usual.
In Other News...
Yordan Alvarez Just Added Another Rare Chapter To Astros History
Yordan Alvarezs season added another layer to an already decorated run when he was recognized in the 2026 MLBPA Players Choice Awards. The Astros slugger was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year and the American League Most Outstanding Player of the Year, a reflection of how completely he reasserted himself after a difficult stretch and how central he remained to Houstons lineup.
Alvarez also led the league in multiple offensive categories, won both the American League and Major League batting titles and earned a spot in his fourth All-Star Game. For an Astros club that has built plenty of its recent identity around star power, the latest honors only deepen the sense that Alvarez is adding his own rare place in the franchise record book, alongside a very short list of former Houston winners. [Read more 🡒]
Astros Offseason Pressure Just Grew Around Tatsuya Imai
Tatsuya Imais first season in Houston was uneven enough that he wound up in the bullpen late in the year, but the bigger issue for the Astros may be what comes next. His rookie campaign never really settled into a clean rhythm, and now his contract is adding another layer of offseason pressure for a front office already trying to keep its books manageable.
Houston is looking at a deal that still carries significant money, and that matters because every dollar on the payroll can shape how aggressively the club can add around the roster. For a team trying to balance performance, flexibility and future planning, Imais situation has become more than a simple evaluation of one pitchers development. [Read more 🡒]
Astros GM Search Could Define What Comes Next For This Core
The Astros search for a new general manager has started to feel like more than just a front-office hire, because the next person in charge will inherit a roster in transition and a franchise trying to keep one last competitive window from closing. Milwaukee Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine has been in the mix since Dana Browns dismissal, and he has emerged as one of the most prominent names under consideration as Houston looks for its next baseball voice.
Kleine would step into a tough balancing act if he gets the job, with an aging core still built around Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa on one side and a farm system that has been thinned by late draft positions and the fallout from sign-stealing penalties on the other. For an organization that has spent years chasing the top of the American League, the choice at GM may say as much about what comes next as it does about what has already been accomplished. [Read more 🡒]