ESPN

Nov 2, 2026, 07:00 AM ET

The MLB hot stove season has arrived!

With players becoming free to sign with any team they choose today (free agency officially begins Monday at 5 p.m. ET), we asked our MLB reporters to open their notebooks with all of the intel they collected from execs, agents and other baseball insiders during the 2026 MLB postseason.

What is the early word on top free agent Tarik Skubal ? Would the Tampa Bay Rays trade ace Drew Rasmussen on the heels of their World Series run? What will the New York Yankees , Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs do after their playoff exits? And which other teams are generating the most buzz across the industry?

Here is what we're hearing as the hot stove ignites.

What are you hearing about Tarik Skubal as his free agency begins?

Jeff Passan: Skubal is far and away the best player in this class, and the expectation is he will sign before the Dec. 1 lockout.…