Houston Astros second baseman/outfielder Jose Altuve (foot) had a minor skin aspiration on Monday, a source told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. The procedure removed fluid from a wound between Altuve's fourth and fifth toes on his right foot after he was bothered by a sore foot in the final two weeks of the regular season. The 35-year-old nine-time All-Star and former MVP hit .265 in 2025 with 26 home runs, 77 RBI, and 80 runs scored in 155 games. Altuve started the year in an unfamiliar position in left field before moving back to second base after Yordan Alvarez suffered a hand injury early in the year. He ended up starting 61 games at the keystone, 49 at designated hitter, and 44 in left field. In his 15th season with the Astros, Altuve moved into second all-time on the franchise list in hits with 2,388, trailing only Craig Biggio. Altuve is also third on the franchise list in extra-base hits (742) and games played (1,976). He is the fourth primary second baseman in baseball history with 255 career homers and 325 steals, joining Biggio, Joe Morgan, and Ryne Sandberg. Altuve should be a full-go for spring training.

Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown said last week at the GM meetings in Las Vegas that third baseman Isaac Paredes (hamstring) is around 65% recovered from his right-hamstring injury. "We'll feel like he'll at least get to somewhere between 80 and 90 percent at the start of the spring and potentially be ready to go by Opening Day," Brown said. The 26-year-old tore his hamstring in the middle of July and was limited to designated hitter duties late in the season when he returned. The Mexican infielder had a fine 2025 campaign when he was on the field, hitting .254/.352/.458 with an .809 OPS, 20 home runs, 53 RBI, and 53 runs scored in 102 games in his first year in Houston. Although Paredes might not be a full-go for the start of the 2026 regular season, he won't be a bad target for some power at third base once the bigger names at the position come off the board in fantasy drafts.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi says that he thinks the Boston Red Sox will "either bring back Alex Bregman" or "make an all-out pursuit of Pete Alonso." Morosi likes Boston's "chances to get one or the other." "I believe the Red Sox are the strongest contender of anyone to take Pete Alonso away from the New York Mets," Morosi added. The BoSox will be on the market for a starting pitcher this winter, too, but Morosi thinks it will be a big priority to try and bring Bregman back after his strong season in 2025 in Beantown. In 114 games last year, Bregman hit .273 with 18 homers, 62 RBI, an .821 OPS, and a 3.5 WAR, while Alonso hit .272 with 38 bombs, 126 RBI, an .871 OPS, and a 3.4 WAR in 162 games. Alonso has the clear edge in the power department, but Bregman is more versatile on defense and is still an above-average defender at third base. Both players opted out of their deals with their respective teams following the World Series, and both share the same agent in Scott Boras.

Free-agent left-hander Ryan Yarbrough agreed with the New York Yankees on an undisclosed one-year deal on Monday, pending a physical, a source told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that Yarbrough is signing for $2.5 million. The 33-year-old veteran southpaw served in a swing role for the Yankees in 2025, starting in eight of his 19 appearances in pinstripes. In his 64 innings pitched, Yarbrough held a 3-1 record, 4.36 ERA (5.04 FIP), and 1.20 WHIP with a save, 55 strikeouts, and 19 walks. Yarbrough has a career 4.22 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in eight major-league seasons with five different teams. He's not much of a draw in fantasy baseball with a career 7.1 K/9 mark in 832 innings pitched, but he'll give the Yankees plenty of flexibility in terms of role, with the team expected to be without several of their high-end starting pitchers to begin the 2026 season.