Some random blurbs from ESPN:
Winter meetings news and rumors
Dec. 10 buzz
Why Astros' Tucker is coming up in trade speculation
Houston Astros owner Jim Crane has not gone beyond six years in his offers to players, and it's pretty clear that if Kyle Tucker stays healthy, he is going to be offered big money/big years as a free agent next fall. So Houston has a choice similar to Boston's in the offseason after 2019 with Mookie Betts: trade him for value this winter or next July, or, watch him walk away.
The Astros have indicated to other teams that, as a rule, they'll listen to offers for anyone on their roster. But rival execs note that while trading Tucker now might help them recoup more value, the Astros -- who've been in win-now mode since 2015 -- have a long history of allowing their impending free agents walk out the door, rather than flipping them in pre-emptive trades. Gerrit Cole, George Springer and Carlos Correa are three of the most prominent examples of this philosophy. "And they're trying to win (in 2025)," said one rival evaluator. "I have a hard time seeing them trade Tucker or Framber (Valdez)."-- Buster Olney
Could Soto's megadeal help Astros' Tucker?
In the aftermath of Juan Soto's massive contract, I'm hearing some evaluators talking about the huge payday ahead for Kyle Tucker, who will be a free agent next offseason. Since the start of 2019: an adjusted OPS+ of 142, .882 OPS, 125 homers, 93 steals in 105 attempts, a Gold Glove Award. He'll be 29 at the outset of the 2026 season. -- Buster Olney