The 2026-27 MLB offseason is only two days old and already the hot stove moves and rumors are coming in. Here are our top 50 free agents and top 25 trade candidates, and here are the important offseason dates and deadlines you need to know. Here now are Friday's hot stove happenings.

Bichette picks up player option

As expected, Mets infielder Bo Bichette has picked up his $42 million player option for 2027, reports The Athletic. He holds another $42 million player option for 2028. Still only 28, Bichette had a poor first season in Queens, posting a .702 OPS with 18 home runs while showing growing pains as he transitioned from shortstop over to third base.

For now, the Mets are set on the infield with Bichette at third, Francisco Lindor at short, and Marcus Semien at second. They must figure out first base, and it is possible they will make a trade to shake up that veteran infield. Moving Semien would be ideal, but it may not be doable. Lindor's name figures to pop up in trade rumors against this offseason.

D-backs will listen to offers for Marte

The Diamondbacks are expected to listen to offers for second baseman Ketel Marte, reports the Arizona Republic. The D-backs entertained trade offers last offseason, but were unable to find a match. Marte has full no-trade protection and can direct where he lands, if he wants to leave Arizona at all. His desire to change teams is unknown.

Marte, 33, had a down year by his standards in 2026. He also went AWOL in August, prompting the D-backs to put him on the restricted list. Manager Torey Lovullo later revealed it was the fourth straight season Marte missed a game without permission. Beyond the on-field fit, teams will have to weigh the potential clubhouse impact and headaches.

Seibu Lions will post Taira

The Seibu Lions in Japan will make right-hander Kaima Taira available to MLB teams via the posting system this offseason, the team announced Friday. The posting is expected to be made official in the coming days. Once that happens, Taira will have 45 days to negotiate and sign with an MLB team, otherwise he will return to Japan in 2027.

Listed at 5-foot-8, Taira gets outlier extension down the mound (close to seven feet despite his height), which creates a low release window. Hitters rarely see the ball come from where Kaira releases it. He's not a gimmick pitcher either. Taira sits mid-90s with his four-seam fastball and backs it up with a cutter, sinker, sweeper, slider, changeup, and splitter. The sweeper and slider are distinct pitches, as are the changeup and splitter. The Seibu Lions used Kaira as a reliever in 2024 and 2025, then started him in 2026, and he handled the assignment well. The breaking balls are just OK, and the fact of the matter is that pitchers this height don't often hold up under a starter's workload. I would assume the team that signs Kaira will give him a chance to start. In the long run, though, he might be a reliever, perhaps even a multi-inning setup man.

Taira, 27 next month, threw 146 innings with a 1.36 ERA and 141 strikeouts this past season. He actually had higher ERAs as a reliever in 2024 and 2025, though he has been excellent throughout his career in Japan, and has the bat-missing power stuff that tends to translate well to MLB. Taira figures to be highly sought after in the coming weeks.

Red Sox make two minor trades

The trading season resumed Thursday and the Red Sox were involved in the offseason's first two trades. First, they sent utility man Nate Eaton to the Athletics for minor-league righty Jareth Rayo, the team announced. The A's recently named former Red Sox assistant general manager Taylor Smith their new president of baseball operations. His first move was bringing in Eaton, a player he's presumably familiar with given their overlapping time in Boston.

Next, the Red Sox traded infielder Tsung-Che Cheng to the Tigers for cash, the team announced. Cheng, 25, is a glove-first utility man who appeared in 14 games with Boston this past season. Both the Cheng and Eaton trades open up 40-man roster spots for the Red Sox, who still must open three more spots to accommodate their seven players on the 60-day injured list. They must be activated no later than this coming Monday.