MLB rumors: Mariners eyeing outfield help, Mets jump into fray for Yankees target, plus Twins, Rays, more

Here are the latest rumors from the MLB hot stove on Thursday, Nov. 12 Nov 12, 2026 at 10:24 am ET • 2 min read Thursday marks the final day of the General Manager meetings in Las Vegas. Though we haven't seen any major moves this offseason, we have seen an uptick in rumors in the past few days and that isn't a coincidence. Put a bunch of reporters and front-office execs in the same area for three or four days and chatter picks up, even if there isn't a ton of actual substance behind it. Rumors are always fun, so let's round up the latest right here. Mariners looking at HappThe Mariners have shown interest in free agent left fielder Ian Happ, per MLB Network. Happ, 32, has spent his entire 10-year MLB career with the Cubs, who drafted him in the first round all the way back in 2015. He was pretty consistent from 2022-25, averaging 3.9 WAR with a .251/.347/.433 (118 OPS+) line and winning four Gold Gloves. Last season, though, he dipped to .218/.326/.412 (103 OPS+) with 2.7 WAR. He still topped 20 home runs for the fifth time in the last six years. The Mariners have a vacancy in left field with Randy Arozarena having hit free agency and a need to upgrade their offense. Mets join the fray on BohmYesterday's big news was the Yankees' interest in free agent first/third baseman Alec Bohm and The Athletic reports that we can now add the Mets to the list of suitors. Bohm hit .249/.315/.383 (87 OPS+) with 15 home runs, 88 RBI and -0.2 WAR last season. It might be surprising to see him garnering such interest on the open market, but there isn't much right-handed power out there and Bohm finished last season strong (.318/.402/.453 in his last 42 games). The Mets, meanwhile, are desperate for help at the cold corner after last year's disastrous Jorge Polanco experiment. Jared Young did provide a glimmer of hope at first base before suffering a concussion in September while colliding with a teammate on a play.Jeffers will decline QO, Twins still want him backFree agent catcher Ryan Jeffers has been extended the qualifying offer from the Twins, meaning he has to decide by net Tuesday whether to accept the one-year, $23.15 million contract or hit free agency. There's nothing that says a team can't re-sign a player after he declines their qualifying offer, of course, and it sounds like that path is possible in this case. Jeffers will decline the QO and the Twins are interested in reaching a multi-year deal to bring him back, reports the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Jeffers hit .256/.353/.461 with 14 home runs for Minnesota in 2026, a standout line for a catcher, though he missed several months with a broken hamate. The Twins do have several catchers in their farm system, including Vahn Lackey, the No. 3 pick in last year's draft, and Eduardo Tait, who headlined the trade return for Jhoan Duran. Rays could take advantage of weak free agent classMuch has been said and will continue to be said about the 2027 free agent class and how it looks relatively weak, especially on the position-player side, where the best players are the likes of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Seiya Suzuki, and the aforementioned Arozarena and Jeffers. As we know, the Rays love to find avenues where they can exploit market inefficiencies. Their latest move might be to hit the trade market with center fielder Jonny DeLuca in anticipation of moving Victor Mesa Jr. to center, according to The Athletic. DeLuca, 28, got more playing time than ever before in 2026, appearing in 112 games and getting 370 plate appearances. He hit .266/.300/.429 (101 OPS+) with 11 homers, 50 RBI, 17 steals and 1.7 WAR.