DiamondCentric

Just two days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Jupiter, the Miami Marlins have signed right-handed pitcher Chris Paddack to a one-year deal worth $4M, with $500k in incentives. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was to report the news and Fish On First was able to confirm it. Paddack, 30, is someone that all Marlins fans are familiar with. He was selected by the team in the eighth round of the 2015 MLB Draft, but was later traded in 2016 to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Fernando Rodney. Paddack is now a seven-year major league veteran, but his best overall season remains his rookie campaign with the Padres in 2019 where he posted a 3.33 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 9.79 K/9 and a 1.98 BB/9 in 140 ⅔ innings pitched. He has never been able to replicate those numbers. In 2022, the Padres traded Paddack to the Minnesota Twins along with Emilio Pagán for Taylor Rogers, Brent Rooker and cash. Injuries continued to limit his production, including the second Tommy John surgery on his professional career. Last season, Paddack threw a career-high 158 innings, posting a 5.35 ERA, 5.01 FIP, 6.38 K/9 and 2.11 BB/9. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers at the deadline along with reliever Randy Dobnak in exchange for catcher Enrique Jimenez. Things didn't go much better with the Tigers, where he posted a 6.32 ERA in 47 innings pitched. Paddack's four-seam fastball is currently his best weapon, with a run value of plus-two in 2025. It averages 93.7 mph and generates a 18.6% whiff rate. His signature changeup was arguably his worst pitch last season (-8 RV), leading to 10 of the 31 home runs that he allowed. On the bright side, Paddack gets plenty of chase (85th percentile) and doesn't walk a lot of guys (89th percentile). His long extension (92nd percentile) helps him overpower hitters even with ordinary velocity. He's also younger than most of the remaining free agent arms who have comparable experience. Look at this signing like a re-do of the 2025 Cal Quantrill acquisition. Even the date and contract size is practically the same in Paddack's case. The expectation is that Paddack will make the Marlins Opening Day rotation as a back-end starter. From there, his performance and the progress of top prospects Robby Snelling and Thomas White will determine how long he holds onto that job. View the full article

While he was with the San Francisco Giants, Kyle Harrison was predominantly a four-seam fastball and "slurve" pitcher, adding the occasional changeup to right-handed hitters. For large parts of his development through the minor leagues, Harrison overpowered hitters with his funky low-slot delivery and the deception of that heater-slurve combo. In the low minors, he missed lots of bats, and he peaked as the No. 18 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline in 2023. Here's the blurb that went with that lofty ranking. Harrison debuted with the Giants in 2024, posting a 4.56 ERA in 124 1/3 innings pitched, and saw his overall swing-and-miss rates drop while he consistently struggled with walks. His three-pitch mix proved less potent against the best hitters in the world, and after spending time on the shuttle for the Giants in 2025 between Triple A and the major leagues, Harrison was part of the return in the Rafael Devers trade with Boston. The Boston Red Sox Do Boston Red Sox Things Boston is known for being an organization heavily focused on secondary pitches, and keen to limit fastball usage. Although the Brewers prefer to lean on the heater, they also like pitch diversification, so it's no shock that the two teams match up well on pitcher evaluations. Milwaukee got Quinn Priester from Boston last April, to patch their desperately injury-diminished starting rotation. Now, they've picked up Harrison, after a similar transformation during a similarly short time with the Sox. Harrison's fastball usage shifted dramatically in his small sample of big-league appearances with the Red Sox, compared to those with the Giants: His velocity dipped—perhaps from the long season, as we can also see his extension shortening after the trade. That's worth keeping an eye on. However, Harrison also made some fascinating deeper adjustments. Transforming from a three-pitch mix and using four-seam fastballs 65% of the time to throwing just 46% four-seam fastballs and incorporating more slurves, cutters and sinkers made a big change to the quality of contact against Harrison. While his whiff rates weren't as strong, he was getting more chases and just a .280 xwOBACON (a statistic measuring the likely damage on contact), which would be an elite mark over a larger sample. The changeup is particularly notable. After joining the Red Sox, Harrison changed his grip from a one-seam orientation into a kick-change, something the Brewers haven't seen much of within their player development system. This version usually creates more depth, but also more inconsistent movement, making it difficult to command at times. When it's right, the kick-change will produce negative induced vertical break numbers (IVB) with ease, and in Triple A, Harrison's approached -10 inches of IVB on occasion, with an overall three inches of extra drop on average. The San Francisco Quandary The Giants have recently had a number of high-profile, talented arms pass through their system with enormous hype, but have trouble translating that onto the big-league mound. Despite an elite defensive catcher in Patrick Bailey and a pitcher's park, it hasn't come together. Perhaps it's time to question their development processes. One additional change Harrison made after going to the Red Sox lay in how he used his slurve. The Giants were adamantly and rigidly calling it to one side of the plate, down and away from lefties and toward the back foot of righties., The Red Sox encouraged him to open up both sides of the plate to complement his enhanced arsenal. The goal here was to elicit more confusion in the hitter's eye as to what pitch was coming his way, and the deception worked. He learned to land the pitch for strikes and backdoor it, as well as being able to bury it near the right-handed batter's box. Harrison located the slurve in the zone more often, got more chase, and still maintained a higher quality of contact against the pitch than he managed with San Francisco in the first half of the year. He's never likely to be a strikeout artist in the majors, but his strong movement, funky delivery, and a wider pitch mix can make him a true all-around pitcher. The majority of Harrison's Triple-A games came for the Red Sox, and they paint a picture of what he might look like at his best: Harrison does have some walk issues. As with Priester, there might be a mechanical tweak in mind to clean up his delivery, but with his ability to garner chase, limit hard contact and miss bats both in and out of the strike zone, there is a lot to like about Kyle Harrison—especially in an organization like the Milwaukee Brewers. View the full article

Some athletes make the impossible look effortless. They compete in a way that leaves fans stunned and opponents defeated, yet they do so with such composure and natural ease that the achievement seems almost casual. In the history of the Toronto Blue Jays, no player embodied that quality more than Devon Whyte. To watch Whyte patrol centre field in the early 1990s was to witness a form of athletic poetry. He was simultaneously silent, fluid and deceptively explosive. He didn’t sprint so much as float. He didn’t react so much as anticipate. Whether he was leading off a World Series lineup or tracking down a ball destined for the gap, Whyte conveyed a rare sense of certainty that if it was hit anywhere near him, the inning probably wasn’t ending in a hit. It was announced this week that Whyte has been inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame along with Stubby Clapp, Kate Psota, Bill Stoneman, Paul Runge and Jim Baba. Whyte remains a central figure in Blue Jays history not simply because he was great, though he unquestionably was, but because he redefined what greatness looked like. In a sport built on statistics and metrics, his impact often transcended numbers. Fans remember the majestic catches, the smooth strides, the baserunning intelligence and the calm presence at the top of one of baseball’s most dangerous lineups. For a generation of Jays baseball fans, Devon Whyte represented a taste of what true excellence on the biggest stage looked like. Before analytics popularized metrics to quantify defensive value, Devon Whyte was making advanced plays appear routine. His defensive ability was so natural, so unforced, that it was easy to miss just how extraordinary it was. Unlike outfielders who rely on dramatic dives or theatrical leaps to capture attention, Whyte played the position with the precision of someone who understood exactly where the ball would be long before it arrived. His routes were scientifically clean long before anyone could assign a value to them. His stride, long and elegant, allowed him to cover gaps and track down balls that should have produced extra bases. Whyte's catch style was also something of a throwback. In an era increasingly dominated by one‑handed grabs and highlight‑seeking acrobatics, Whyte preferred to catch the ball chest‑high, two hands, body composed. It was an old‑school method that communicated confidence rather than flair. That steadiness became his signature. When the ball was hit to centre, fans didn’t hold their breath because they knew it was most likely an out. Yet for all the calm he projected, Whyte was capable of breathtaking moments. And none was more memorable than what happened in the 1992 World Series. Game 3 of the 1992 World Series remains one of the most iconic moments in Blue Jays history, not only because Toronto went on to win the championship, but because it contained a defensive play that still defies belief. In the fourth inning, Atlanta’s David Justice launched a deep drive to centre field. At the time, the SkyDome was known for its deep alleys and intimidating outfield dimensions, particularly in centre. Many balls that looked catchable simply weren’t. As the ball arched toward the wall, Whyte glided back with his usual calm. Then, in one smooth motion, he ascended the fence, extended his glove above the padding and hauled the ball in while momentarily suspended at full extension. What followed was equally remarkable. A lightning‑quick turn and throw back toward the infield. The Braves’ runners, convinced the ball would drop, were already well past their bases. What should have been a historic World Series triple play was instead recorded as a double play due to a blown call. Even so, the moment lives in baseball history, and in the hearts of Blue Jays fans, as a definitive demonstration of Whyte’s unparalleled defensive brilliance (and Kelly Gruber did a pretty good job too). That single play summarized so much of what made Whyte special. His instincts, athleticism, body control, baseball intelligence and the quiet ability to rise above the biggest moments without pomp or self‑promotion. While Whyte's defence often steals the spotlight, his contributions as a leadoff hitter were just as essential to the Blue Jays' rise as a dominant team in the early 1990s. At the top of a lineup loaded with star‑calibre teammates, including Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, Jon Olerud, and Joe Carter, Whyte served as the spark, the tone‑setter. When he put the ball in play, he used his speed to turn singles into doubles, and once he was on base, a steal was always a possibility. He was a distraction, the type of runner who could manufacture runs simply by daring the defence to keep up with him. While the power hitters often received the headlines, their opportunities were frequently created by Whyte's ability to advance on the bases with almost effortless speed. The Blue Jays of the early 1990s were not a one‑superstar team. They were an assembled powerhouse with elite talent at nearly every position. Olerud’s batting title, Alomar’s all‑around brilliance, Carter’s power heroics and Molitor’s postseason dominance often garnered attention. Yet Whyte was the quiet constant. He was the player who made the team complete. His defence saved countless runs and settled pitchers who knew anything hit in his vicinity was most likely an out. His baserunning added a dynamic threat that forced opponents to play faster and worry more. His hitting provided stability at the top of the lineup. His professionalism and calm demeanour set the cultural tone for a clubhouse filled with strong personalities. Championship teams rarely rely solely on their biggest names. They rely on their anchors, the players who make the entire structure stronger simply by doing everything well, consistently and without ego. Whyte embodied that role. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Blue Jays do not win back‑to‑back championships without him. Devon Whyte's legacy is not built on home run records or gaudy offensive totals. His greatness emerges most clearly when watching the game through the lens of nuance, finesse and intelligence. For fans who appreciate defence, he remains one of the most graceful outfielders ever to play the game. For those who value baseball as a blend of instinct and athleticism, Whyte represented the pinnacle. His style of play also influenced generations of centre fielders who followed. An emphasis on clean routes, efficient movement and anticipation has become a key component of modern defensive analytics. In many ways, he was ahead of his time. Beyond the numbers, Whyte is a symbol of the era that introduced Canadian fans to the heights of baseball success. He was a central cast member in the production that brought the country its first World Series titles. His calm, confident presence became part of the national baseball identity. Devon Whyte made baseball feel exciting and elegant all at once. He made fans believe that extraordinary things were always possible. He didn’t just make difficult plays look easy. He made baseball look beautiful. *While he went by "Devon White" during his playing career, Baseball Reference notes that Whyte has used the original spelling of his name (with a "y" instead of an "i") since 2003. View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers made something of a strange trade, sending starting third baseman Caleb Durbin and two utility players to the Boston Red Sox for a package of three players that included versatile infielder David Hamilton. Given that such a trade creates a new void for the Crew at third base — and the fact that Hamilton's more of a reserve type than a starter — the San Diego Padres could be primed to take advantage. Milwaukee no longer has a third baseman. Not only that, they traded a pair of players who could have filled in at the position for a time in Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. There is no firm conclusion as to what things could now look like at the hot corner, though the possibility exists that they flip shortstop Joey Ortiz back over to third and let newly-acquired prospect Jett Williams handled duties at the six. That's a lot to put on a prospect with no big league experience, however. Enter the Padres. The Friars don't figure to be a team especially lauded for their depth outside of the bullpen. But position players, they have. And with the team desperately in need of some help on the starting pitching front, there's a logical connection to be made between the two organizations. It's not a terribly obvious fit. The Padres have Gavin Sheets, Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts, and Manny Machado set to start across their infield. Sung Mun Song figures to spend time at all four spots, and Miguel Andujar will occasionally fill in at a corner. They also have the likes of Mason McCoy and Will Wagner on the 40-man roster and José Miranda coming to camp on a minor-league deal. It's a lot of bodies, even if it may not be much in the way of certifiable depth. However, such volume does lend itself to the idea of attempting to capitalize on the Brewers' current positional deficiency. Is there a world where the Brewers — who spun Caleb Durbin into a quality defender within a calendar year — would be interested in doing the same with Jake Cronenworth? It might be a tougher sell in a lineup that's already heavy on left-handed hitting, but they're also a team that likes versatility. A transition to third while maintaining the ability to hang at each of the three infield spots could be enticing. His upside at the plate compared to the Padres' other options in this imaginary world also represents the opportunity to get the most effective return. Even McCoy or Wagner could have their purpose in the hypothetical game. You're not going to net one of the top rotation options, but perhaps there's a framework to be generated around one of the more fringe types currently on the Milwaukee staff. The Padres are in a position where another team's fringe is their full-time starter, after all. Given that volume exists on both ends of this these fake trade talks, though, it makes projecting anything remotely finite nearly impossible. We're merely offering a more general scenario. On the Brewers' end of things, they're not necessarily looking to move a starter just as the Padres aren't looking to move a position player. Intriguing names exist, however. Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski are each, of course, not likely to be considered here; Woodruff costs too much for the Padres' books, while Misiorowski was one of the genuine breakouts of 2025. Robert Gasser and Logan Henderson each have upside, but it's also possible that the Brewers are more interested in retaining Brandon Sproat and giving one of the two a change of scenery to accommodate the arm they acquired from the New York Mets. Chad Patrick represents more of a back-end option that could maybe be had to eat some innings. Is Quinn Priester too valuable to do the same, or could the Padres make something work there, too? Despite so much uncertainty in what a framework would look like, it's worth noting that the two organizations also have a transactional history. The two sides came together on the trade that brought Josh Hader to San Diego back in 2022 and, prior to that, San Diego acquired Trent Grisham and Zach Davies from Milwaukee in 2019. A move here may lack the magnitude of either deal (particularly the 2019 agreement), but one can't completely underestimate such a factor in trade matters. The only logical picture to be created here is that there is a broad fit. The Padres need arms, and the Brewers need some help on the positional side. What the intricacies of that all look like is anybody's guess. The thing that is clear, though, is that there is a fit and there is a history. With the team running out of time to build ahead of the upcoming season, perhaps there's something to the abstract that could manifest into something more concrete in the near future. View the full article

At Marlins Media Day, manager Clayton McCullough speaks with Fish On First about overcoming offseason departures to his pitching staff, Liam Hicks' breakout potential and more. View the full article

Tom Pohlad has talked more openly about the Minnesota Twins in recent months than, perhaps, any member of the Pohlad family ever has. The problem is not a lack of transparency. It's that the transparency points in several different directions at once. Taken individually, each quote sounds thoughtful. Put together, they paint a picture of an organization apologizing for the past, promising competitiveness in the future, and asking fans to ignore the present. That's a difficult sell when the current reality is a payroll just north of $100 million; the departure of the team’s top baseball executive; and a fan base that feels more deflated than it did during the very period Pohlad admits was mishandled. Speaking about the decisions made following the 2023 season, Pohlad didn't mince words. “We made what we thought at the time was a responsible financial decision, and we obviously failed to consider the long-term impact of that decision, and the short-term impact of that decision, frankly,” he said. “We sucked the air right out of our fan base, and it did significant damage to our brand and to our family from a confidence standpoint. Plain and simple, we got it wrong.” That is an extraordinary admission for a Twins owner. It also lands awkwardly when paired with the state of the team today. Payroll is lower now than it was then. Confidence is not restored. If anything, the air feels even thinner. Pohlad has repeatedly pointed to 2026 as a pivotal season, framing it as both a goal and a justification for the current approach. “We will be competitive in 2026,” Pohlad replied. “Yes. I expect that. But the sense of urgency is about making sure that we start, right this second, getting after what the long-term plan is for this organization. And I’ve talked a lot recently about finding a way to build a business that can support a level of investment in the team, two or three years from now, that can be playing competitive baseball for a string of seasons in a row. That’s what we’re trying to build. And I think 2026 is critical to that success.” There is logic in building toward sustained competitiveness, rather than chasing short bursts of performance. The issue is that the Twins are asking fans and employees alike to buy into a long-term vision, while simultaneously scaling back in the short term. That tension became impossible to ignore when Derek Falvey stepped away from the organization. Whatever else his departure represented, it signaled that the internal understanding of competitiveness did not match the public one. Pohlad has also tried to shift the conversation away from payroll, urging observers to focus instead on results. “Yes, our payroll is down from last year,” he said. “I think there’s still investments to be made between now and Opening Day. And I’d also say that, at some point, I’d love to get off this ‘payroll’ thing for a second and let’s get halfway through the year, to the end of the year, and let’s judge the success of this year on wins and losses, on whether we’re playing meaningful baseball in September. And if we’re doing that, I think we’re gonna be in position to grow payroll the following year, and the following year. That’s what I hope we can start focusing on.” In theory, judging a season on wins and losses makes perfect sense. In practice, payroll remains the clearest signal of intent in modern baseball. Asking fans to ignore that signal requires trust, and trust is hard to rebuild after publicly acknowledging that it was broken. Now look at the roster construction. Few experienced and healthy free agent relief options remain. Teams rarely make significant trades during spring training, even if it is not impossible. That leaves the Twins (probably) relying on young starting pitchers to transition into bullpen roles, a process that often takes time and rarely goes smoothly. None of this means Tom Pohlad is being dishonest. It means he's speaking from multiple timelines at once. He's apologizing for past restraint while practicing present restraint. He's promising future competitiveness while overseeing the Twins' lowest payroll in over a decade. He is asking for urgency while preaching patience. Fans are not confused because they're ignoring what he is saying. They're confused because they're listening to it all. Pohlad needs to fix that, and changing actions (rather than words) seems the only way to do so. What do you make of Pohlad’s comments? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Spencer and Joseph Zarr discuss the Nashville Sounds season, and their tiers of position players and pitchers, as well as answering a bunch of listener questions, including any overarching questions we did not get to during the preceding episodes. Included amongst the entire Sounds roster players discussed include Logan Henderson, Jeferson Quero, Anthony Seigler, and Craig Yoho. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

The Blue Jays announced two more non-roster invitees to spring training over the weekend: Tanner Andrews and Nate Garkow. Inviting the pair of right-handers brings the team's NRI total up to 31. Andrews, 30, signed a minor league contract with Toronto in November. A 10th-round draft pick in 2018, he has played in the minors for the Marlins, Giants, and Twins. His 2025 season was successful, albeit brief; the righty pitched to a 3.78 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 16.2 innings with Minnesota's Double-A affiliate. From 2023-24, he posted a 6.36 ERA and 5.04 FIP in 109 Triple-A innings in the Giants organization. Garkow, 28, signed with the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent in 2024. The right-hander has thrown a total of 77.2 innings between Single-A Dunedin, High-A Vancouver, and Double-A New Hampshire, putting up a 2.78 ERA and 2.72 FIP. He has struck out 38.1% of the batters he's faced in his two-year professional career. Garkow earned shoutouts as one of Jays Centre's Minor League Relievers of the Month in both July and August last season. View the full article

With their signing of Miguel Andujar to a one-year contract, the San Diego Padres have essentially fortified the position player portion of their 2026 roster. Eight of the starting nine are in place, with Andujar and Sung Mun Song representing at least half the bench contingent. If we assume that Luis Campusano and Bryce Johnson handle the backup catching and outfield duties, respectively, the reserves are almost entirely squared away. From there, it's a matter of whether we'll see Will Wagner or Mason McCoy on the active roster to start the year or if someone like Jose Miranda forces his way into the picture with a strong spring. Beyond that, we're not looking at a lot of wiggle room on the bench. With that in mind, where should A.J. Preller be turning his attention with the little bit of remaining time he has this offseason? We can think of at least three areas. Starting Pitcher This is easily the most obvious positional need, to the point where it may be the most glaring need for any would-be contender throughout the Major League Baseball landscape. The Padres have Nick Pivetta and Michael King as locks atop their rotation. Joe Musgrove is reportedly a full-go as the No. 3 starter, but it remains to be seen how effective he'll be out of the gate in his return from Tommy John surgery. Beyond that trio, though, things remain incredibly murky. Randy Vásquez could be primed to get work as a fourth or fifth starter given how he ended last year. After Vásquez, the list reads Matt Waldron, Sean Boyle, Triston McKenzie, Kyle Hart, JP Sears, Marco Gonzales, and Miguel Mendez, in some order. There's some bounce-back potential and some upside elsewhere among the mix of 40-man and non-roster guys. But a team that is as steady as the Padres in other areas of their roster could use some actual stability to fill out the middle of their rotation. Old friend Nick Martinez remains an option on the free-agent market. As do names like Lucas Giolito and Zac Gallen, in addition to a host of past-their-prime arms that could eat at least a few innings but with little guarantee of being able to do so. The options at this point are thin, but there's a strong argument for Preller to add at least one more surefire starter to the group before pitchers and catchers report next week. Backup Catcher Despite the fact that the position group appears settled, the chance remains that Preller could seek to find an alternative to Campusano to supplement Freddy Fermin behind the dish. Campusano's defensive work was an abomination the last time we saw him at the major-league level, and it may behoove the Padres to seek out someone that offers a bit more stability behind the plate. We won't see Ethan Salas break camp with the team as a backup, but the Padres also have Rodolfo Durán, Blake Hunt, and Anthony Vilar in camp as non-roster invitees. Names like Jonah Heim, Christian Vázquez, and Matt Thaiss are still available via free agency, and none would be cost-prohibitive. Not that they're particularly inspiring in their glove work, but there's at least the factor of providing defense above what Campusano offers. Perhaps there's an earnestness present in giving Campusano the first legitimate shot before the non-roster guys get an opportunity. Or maybe Preller just hasn't been able to agree to terms with one of the free agents. Either way, a surefire contingency behind the plate in the event of a Fermin injury seems like a necessity. It would allow Campusano to get some work as part of a short-side platoon at first base or designated hitter and Stammen to get his bat into the lineup rather than having to worry about his defense. Bullpen Depth This is an area where the Padres are above many of their peers across the big-league landscape; a back end of Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, and David Morgan is the envy of most teams. San Diego also has a number of bridge options to get it into the later innings, including Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, and Ty Adcock, among others. That doesn't mean Preller shouldn't look to further the depth, however. Such a need is borne out of the lack of certainty in the rotation. In 2025, the Padres ranked ninth in innings thrown by relief pitchers, and that was with Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish in the mix at various times. With even less stability from their starting group, those bridge guys, in particular, become absolutely essential if the team is hoping to preserve its bullpen dominance again in 2026. Considering how many notable names are still permeating throughout the free-agent waters, it'd hardly be a surprise to see additions carry on into the spring exhibition slate. The Padres have built up a certain degree of volume, but it also lacks certainty. Maybe Preller takes a bit more of a wait-and-see approach at the outset of camp before pursuing from those that remain. Either way, it's difficult to imagine such an active executive doesn't have at least one more move of note before 2026 officially gets underway. Smart money says that, if one happens, it comes from one of these three groups. View the full article

Well, that Rafael Devers trade tree continues to expand. At long last, the Boston Red Sox have addressed their glaring need in the infield, adding Caleb Durbin in an out-of-nowhere trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. The full return — Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan — continues to deplete the Red Sox's pitching depth, which has been a key part of their offseason strategy. Expect Payton Tolle and Connelly Early to serve as the next-men-up in case of an injury to the major-league rotation. As for Durbin, the 25-year-old infielder primarily played third base for the Brewers in his rookie campaign, but he's a capable middle infielder and will almost certainly slide over to second upon arriving in Boston. He hit .256/.334/.387 (105 wRC+) with 11 home runs and 18 steals last season. More to come... View the full article

Well, that Rafael Devers trade tree continues to expand. At long last, the Boston Red Sox have addressed their glaring need in the infield, adding Caleb Durbin in an out-of-nowhere trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. The full return — Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan — continues to deplete the Red Sox's pitching depth, which has been a key part of their offseason strategy. Expect Payton Tolle and Connelly Early to serve as the next-men-up in case of an injury to the major-league rotation. As for Durbin, the 25-year-old infielder primarily played third base for the Brewers in his rookie campaign, but he's a capable middle infielder and will almost certainly slide over to second upon arriving in Boston. He hit .256/.334/.387 (105 wRC+) with 11 home runs and 18 steals last season. More to come... View the full article

Caleb Durbin had a tremendous rookie season with the Brewers, but it will be his only one. Milwaukee dealt the diminutive infielder to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for three players, a source confirmed to Brewer Fanatic on Monday. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the news. In fact, the deal is big and involves multiple players on both sides. Milwaukee will also send the Red Sox infielders Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler, plus their competitive balance Round B pick in this summer's draft, while getting back left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, infielder David Hamilton, and left-handed pitching prospect Shane Drohan. The immediate question, here, is what the move means for the Milwaukee infield. Durbin, who will soon turn 26, became the team's everyday third baseman early in 2025 and held the job through the NLCS. He batted .256/.334/.387, with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases, and went from unplayable at third base in spring training to a plus defender there by season's end. His departure leaves a gap at the hot corner for Milwaukee. Harrison is the biggest name of the three players Milwaukee will acquire. He made multiple appearances on global top-100 lists and was the Giants' best pitching prospect for a couple of seasons, but he has yet to get over the hump and find consistent success in the majors. He was part of the Rafael Devers trade last June. More to come. View the full article

Will Payton Tolle crack the rotation, be a bullpen arm, or spend more time sharpening his skillset in Triple-A? In this video, we dive into Tolle's background, his electric fastball, and most importantly, what he needs to sure up if he wants to make it into a rotation that is littered with competition. At the end, we give a full projection of Tolle's 2026 season. Enjoy! View the full article

It's easy to imagine the Louis Varland trade as one of those moves that will linger in the background for a while. Varland and Ty France landed with a Blue Jays team that went on to win the American League pennant, and any contribution on a stage that big tends to tilt public opinion quickly. From the Twins’ perspective, the return has mostly been discussed through the lens of Kendry Rojas, a left-handed starter the organization remains high on despite a rocky performance in Triple-A after the deal. He's the player whose upside so tantalized Derek Falvey and the front office that they were willing to deal away a local kid with several years of team control remaining. That's not quite fair to Alan Roden, the quieter piece of the trade and arguably the one who could make the whole transaction feel a lot different by the end of the 2026 campaign. When the Twins and Blue Jays lined up on the deal, Varland was still viewed by many as a controllable arm with upside, and France provided immediate major league depth. Rojas fits Minnesota’s long-term pitching mold as a young lefty with traits the organization believes it can develop. Roden, though already having played in the majors and being a more instantly recognizable name than Rojas, was viewed as a low-ceiling inclusion—a perception that has stuck. Though immediately brought to the big-league team, Roden wasn't able to demonstrate his value down the stretch. His year ended on the 60-day injured list, after he sprained a ligament in his left thumb on a headfirst slide. Surgery followed, and the timing could not have been worse for someone trying to establish momentum in a new organization. The good news is that the 25-year-old is healthy now and had a normal offseason, which matters a lot for a player whose game is built on rhythm and consistency. The roster math in Minnesota does him no favors. The Twins already have a logjam of left-handed-hitting corner outfielders, in Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, and fellow traded deadline addition James Outman. Roden adds another lefty bat to the mix, but his profile is different enough to matter. He is more athletic than Larnach or Wallner, can handle all three outfield spots, and does not bring the same swing-and-miss concerns as each of the other three do. In the minors, he showed an ability to hit for average, draw walks, and sprinkle in occasional power, rather than sell out for it. Before the trade, Roden was one of the most productive hitters at Triple-A Buffalo, in the Blue Jays system. In 32 games, he slashed .331/.423/.496, with nine doubles, 3 home runs, and more walks (16) than strikeouts (13). That wasn't just a hot month, either. Across four minor-league seasons, Roden has posted a .302/.409/.457 line, walking and striking out exactly 165 times each over 1,319 plate appearances. He also graded out as a plus defender, something that can give him a leg up on the other lefty corner options. There are still obstacles to clear and questions to answer. Roden has two minor-league options remaining, while Outman is out of options entirely. That reality likely sends Roden to St. Paul, unless injuries open a door. At the same time, he is entering his age-26 season, and there isn't much left for him to prove against minor-league pitching. Players with his track record tend to force the issue eventually, especially when their skill set fits multiple roster needs. He also needs to prove adaptable and smart in making changes to his swing and/or approach. Although the sample is small, his big-league time showed below-average bat speed, a flat swing plane and some issues with timing he'll need to iron out. If he makes progress on those points this spring, though, he'll rise especially quickly in the organization's esteem. There's an important precedent to consider. Roden was the star of Blue Jays spring training last year and played his way onto the Opening Day roster by hitting .423 with a 1.287 OPS. He did exactly what organizations say they want from their prospects: He made it impossible to keep him off the roster. If he repeats anything close to that in Twins camp, the calculus changes quickly. The Varland trade may not be judged fairly for another year or two, but it's worth paying attention to the quieter parts now. Rojas still has a chance to develop into a meaningful arm. Roden might be closer to helping than most people think. If he turns his on-base skills, athletic defense, and low-maintenance approach into real production at the major-league level, the narrative around that deal could flip faster than expected. Can Roden make the Twins’ Opening Day roster? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

There are multiple reasons the Milwaukee Brewers felt comfortable trading away ace righthander Freddy Peralta this offseason. One of the big reasons was the presence of controllable righty starter Logan Henderson. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has scaled the ranks of Crew prospects, currently ranked No. 7 by MLB Pipeline, and made his big-league debut early in 2025. Overall, he had three call-ups: a one-start sneak peek in April, three turns as an injury fill-in in May, and one more in August before a right flexor strain ended his season. This article is the second in a series of breakdowns of the Brewers pitchers in ambiguous positions at the outset of spring training. To see the first entry, on left-handed starter candidate Robert Gasser, click here. A fourth-round draft choice in 2021 out of a Texas junior college, Henderson has now been a hot prospect name for long enough that his pedigree feels better than that. He was really good in those five starts in the majors, too. In 25⅓ innings, allowed just five runs, with eight walks and 33 strikeouts. As a bonus, the Brewers won all five starts. At Triple-A Nashville, Henderson had 16 outings with a 3.71 ERA, notching 24 walks and 87 strikeouts over 77⅔ innings. Alas, his season was derailed by the flexor strain in early August. He rehabbed and worked his way back to be in consideration for the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He didn't make the roster for that series, but the good news was that he was ready then, so he should be fine entering spring training. With two spots to be claimed in the rotation behind fellow righties Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski, Henderson is in prime position to make his first Opening Day roster. Logan Henderson's Stuff Due to the injury, we have a small sample of big-league data with which to work. However, Henderson worked relatively deep into each of his appearances, so there is a solid sense of what he does to be successful. He relies on a four-seam fastball and a changeup to get most of his work done. Henderson's four-seamer is effective due to having 3.4 inches more arm-side run than that of an average right-handed pitcher, while his changeup has 4.4 more inches of horizontal movement. After accounting for his low-three-quarters arm slot, the horizontal movement is a bit less deceptive than the raw numbers suggest, but the rising action on his four-seamer is more so. Using his unique combination of arm slot and movement, he limited right-handed batters to a .216 average and .473 OPS, while left-handed hitters had a .167 average and .602 OPS. All three homers he allowed were to left-handed batters on four-seamers. The movement and deception are vital, because Henderson's velocity is below average on each of his pitches, with his four-seamer coming in 2.1 mph below the typical big-league righty's. Logan Henderson's Pitch Arsenal As mentioned above, Henderson uses two of his four pitches a bulk of the time. In fact, eight of every nine pitches he threw in the majors were either four-seamers or changeups. In the minors, he was a bit less extreme, throwing his cutter and curveball about 10% of the time each. Henderson used those last two pitches depending on the type of batter he was facing. He used his cutter only against left-handed batters in the big leagues, while he went to the curveball (or slider, as Statcast tags it) almost exclusively against right-handed hitters. Regardless of batter handedness, he throws the fastball around half the time, and the changeup plays against lefties and righties, alike. No batters got a hit off his cutter (0-for-5, 32 pitches), but his breaking ball was tagged a bit (2-for-4, 14 pitches). To be successful at the highest level, Henderson will need those two pitches to achieve greater utility, especially as he works his way through the order again and faces teams multiple times. What Should Logan Henderson's Role Be In 2026? Henderson has made 65 appearances as a professional, and the only non-start was a four-inning piggyback appearance last year in Triple A. The Brewers have a defined role for him: rotation or bust. He, Robert Gasser, Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat will be the top contenders for the final two starting spots this spring. Patrick showed his versatility in the postseason by being a quality reliever, so he has that experience and could easily slide into the bullpen and be ready to jump into the rotation as needed. Sproat is like Henderson, in that he's been a starter throughout his pro career. Gasser would be the only lefty in the team's rotation, which might give him an edge on the other three. If you were to pencil in a rotation entering spring training, Henderson would have one of those final two spots. Had it not been for his right flexor strain, Henderson would have been a solution for the Crew's lack of starters in the postseason. He does have two minor-league options remaining, though, should others surpass him this spring. Eventually, if enough other hurlers stay healthy and he struggles enough to refine the cutter and the breaking pitch, he might make more sense in the bullpen, where he could find an extra tick of velocity and be played as a reverse-split matchup guy with the great changeup. For 2026, though, he enters camp as a starter who will get a chance to fill that role with the parent club. The fallback plan is still to start, but in Nashville. View the full article

As one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball, the Boston Red Sox are deeply embedded in the sport’s history. The organization has stepped into the limelight at various points over the past 125 years, more often than not for trading the face of their franchise. Each seismic move significantly impacted the Red Sox, creating a ripple effect. If you believe in alternate timelines, imagine if: Babe Ruth wasn’t sent to the New York Yankees to help finance former owner Harry Frazee’s Broadway musical Billy Beane accepted the Red Sox's 5-year, $12.5 million general manager contract offer The team kept Anthony Rizzo Mookie Betts wasn’t traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a salary dump Signing Rafael Devers to a 10-year, $313.5 million contract, the largest in franchise history, supposedly washed away the remorse of trading Mookie Betts. Devers was a homegrown player. A World Series Champion. The last man standing from the 2018 core. Nonetheless, history repeated itself. Following an exhilarating home sweep of the Yankees in mid-June of 2025, the Red Sox parted ways with Devers, sending him across the country to the San Francisco Giants. The move’s fallout has curdled faster than milk. The Red Sox received four players from the Giants: reliever Jordan Hicks, bulk reliever Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs, and pitching prospect Jose Bello. Come February 2026, Harrison and Bello are the only remaining pieces from the trade. The team quickly parted with Tibbs at the trade deadline, sending him to the Dodgers for Dustin May. Hicks is now the Chicago White Sox's problem. Trading the face of your franchise to appease Alex Bregman — who ended up being a one-year rental on a pillow contract — is a tough pill to swallow. Quantifying the move’s damage is even more brutal. Between Hicks, Harrison, and May, the Red Sox acquired a total of 5.9 fWAR. Sending Devers to San Francisco gave up 27.8 fWAR. The net loss sits at -21.9 fWAR. These totals reflect what players produced with their former teams. Their actual contributions with the Red Sox were much worse. When trading an established contributor, you should expect a decent return, not a bag of peanuts. Hicks’ 18.2 innings for the Red Sox featured -0.4 fWAR, 8.20 ERA, 6.19 FIP, and a ghastly 3.1% K-BB%. He continually forgot the strike zone existed and blew leads. Harrison, the more immediate bright spot from the trade, is under control through the 2030 season. Baseball America ranked him as the Giants’ #1 prospect in 2024. He tinkered with his pitch mix in Triple-A Worcester by adding a cutter and altering his changeup grip. The results point in a positive direction: 3.00 ERA, 2.47 FIP, 14.3% K-BB%, and 0.4 fWAR. With two remaining MiLB options, Harrison will likely start the 2026 season in Worcester. In the aftermath of the Joe Ryan debacle at the 2025 trade deadline, Red Sox fans were left with Dustin May as a consolation prize. Oh well, oh well. The Mayday Parade limped to a dismal 5.40 ERA, 5.39 FIP, 9.8% K-BB%, and -0.1 fWAR. Bello only tossed 23.1 innings at Single-A Salem last year. Entering his age-21 season, he could develop into a solid arm, but it’s too soon to tell. @Nick John broke down newcomer Gage Ziehl. Like Bello, he is a low-level prospect. Some of the organization’s pitching prospects have sped through the minors, so that we might see Bello and/or Ziehl in Triple-A Worcester by the end of the season. Other blockbuster trades in recent memory just haven’t aged this poorly so quickly. Hicks, Harrison, and May have combined for -0.1 WAR with the Red Sox. Meanwhile, Devers accumulated 1.3 fWAR on the West Coast (3.3 total). I’ll acknowledge that Devers’ contract won’t hold up over time. The extension was an orchestrated PR move to restore the team’s reputation and appease the fanbase after the departures of Betts and Xander Bogaerts. It occurred less than a month after Bogaerts was lured to the Padres on an 11-year, $280 million contract. Devers was never going to contend for a Gold Glove at third. His value came from his bat, tearing the seams off the ball from the two-hole. The Red Sox knew this. The trade wasn’t inevitable. It was the product of poor roster management, short-term thinking, and egos run unchecked. Comparison Trade Tree On the surface, Juan Soto and Rafael Devers share similar profiles. Both are bat-first players with questionable defense. The circumstances of their trades were vastly different. Soto was 23 years old when the Nationals traded him, earning $17.1 million under arbitration for the 2022 season. He had two years of team control before he hit free agency. Devers was 28, earning $29.66 million in AAV with about 8.5 years left on his 11-year, $331 million extension. The Nationals sold high on a young player they couldn’t retain instead of letting him walk for nothing. The Red Sox traded a franchise cornerstone owed $250+ million on a long-term deal because egos in the clubhouse and front office couldn’t be managed properly. After Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension offer, the Nationals decided to cash out, shipping him to the Padres for a king’s ransom. Less than two years later, the Padres flipped Soto to the Yankees in his final year of arbitration. The move that emptied their farm system ended up replenishing it. Upon an initial review of the Soto trade tree, it looks like the Nationals were fleeced. But, the fWAR displayed reflects each player's value with their original team before being traded. It doesn’t account for any post-trade production, as prospects without any major league playing time do not initially register any value. From the draft until the majors, baseball prospects take time to develop. Most don’t pan out. However, the Nationals struck gold on their return of starter Mackenzie Gore, outfielder James Wood, shortstop CJ Abrams, and outfielder Robert Hassell III. Pitching for a team that’s finished at (or near) the bottom of the National League East over the past three seasons, Gore tossed 462.1 innings for a 4.15 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 16.6% K-BB%, and 7.3 fWAR. Wood, as a 22-year-old rookie, has amassed 4.6 fWAR and a 125 wRC+. His peripherals are outstanding, and he’s an exciting player to watch. Coming off a career-high season of 3.1 WAR (7.0 total), Abrams is more of a bat-first shortstop. He’s marked -18 OAA since 2023, the worst among qualified shortstops, and a .250/.307/.417 slash line and 99 wRC+ with the Nats. Hassell III (-0.5 fWAR) has struggled at the plate (.572 OPS). On the field, his defense passes the eye test. These players have generated a combined 18.4 fWAR. The Nationals have already broken even with at least two more seasons of Wood and Abrams. Soto posted 18.1 fWAR from 2022-24, before hitting free agency. The Soto trade tree continues to bear fruit. This offseason, the Nationals swapped Gore to the Rangers for another group of prospects. While these players aren’t knocking on the door yet, Paul Toboni, the Nationals’ newly minted President of Baseball Operations, has shown a knack for acquiring and developing young talent. Soto’s stint with the Padres was short. He slashed .265/.405/.488 across 936 PA in 214 games for a 148 wRC+ and 7.3 WAR. Realizing that they couldn’t retain Soto amid a bloated payroll, the Padres shipped him back to the East Coast, this time to the Yankees. In exchange, they received starters Michael King, Drew Thrope, and Randy Vásquez, reliever Jhony Brito, and catcher Kyle Higashioka. King’s career splits with the Yankees and Padres are nearly identical. When healthy, he’s a dominant pitcher. He put up 3.9 WAR in 2024 and 0.8 WAR across 15 games in 2025. This offseason, he signed a three-year, $75 million extension with the Padres. Brito posted 0.3 fWAR in 2024. He underwent an internal UCL brace surgery and missed the 2025 season. Heading into the 2026 season, his role is uncertain. Vásquez stepped up when injuries plagued the Padres rotation. Though his performance was a mixed bag in 2025, netting 0.8 fWAR. Higashioka (1.6 fWAR) was a serviceable catcher during his single season with the Padres. As a Red Sox fan, there’s schadenfreude in watching the Yankees trade a boatload of talent for a one-year Juan Soto rental. All told, the Padres’ return of 7.4 WAR falls just short of Soto’s 8.3 fWAR with the Yankees in 2025. If King stays healthy and Vásquez and Brito don’t regress, that gap could break even as soon as this season. The Other Awful Red Sox Trade Chaim Bloom’s tenure with the Red Sox was marred by the Mookie Betts trade. Six years later, rehashing this move is beating a dead horse, so I’m not going into too much detail here. The Dodgers’ return and its resulting moves have accumulated 7.9 fWAR for the Red Sox: OF Alex Verdugo: 6.0 fWAR INF Jeter Downs: - 0.4 fWAR RP Greg Weissert: 1.2 fWAR C Connor Wong: 0.9 fWAR SP Richard Fitts: 0.2 fWAR This total is fluid, as Sonny Gray hasn’t stepped on the mound in a Red Sox uniform yet. Barring him turning into a pumpkin, the number should climb, though it still won’t come anywhere close to Betts’ performance (28.0 WAR) with the Dodgers. You can chalk up one bad return to bad luck. Prospects are volatile. But two franchise players, traded under different GMs, both yielding dismal returns, point to a deeper issue. If you’re trading a generational talent, you should at least receive proven talent in return. Reclamation projects are a huge gamble. Craig Breslow flew too close to the sun and thought he could fix Jordan Hicks and Dustin May. He did not. After the Betts trade, the Red Sox found themselves in limbo, stuck between fully committing to a rebuild and attempting to compete. With the Devers trade behind them, the team is in a different place with a young, controllable core. Reinvesting the $250 million owed to Devers into Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, and Ranger Suárez signals they want to turn a new leaf. Whether the Red Sox have learned from their past mistakes remains to be seen. Mookie Betts was strike one. Rafael Devers was strike two. One more swing-and-miss and they’re out. View the full article

At Marlins Media Day, veteran reliever Pete Fairbanks speaks with Fish On First about getting acclimated to a new team, new MLB rules and more. View the full article

In October of 2025, Bo Bichette said that his goal was to play his entire career with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and win championships with the Blue Jays, but the Jays prioritized other offseason moves ahead of bringing him back. In January, Bo signed a massive three-year, $126 million deal with the New York Mets, ending his career with the Blue Jays. Bichette and the Mets will come to the Rogers Centre for a three-game series on June 29 through July 1, and he will surely receive a touching tribute video and a standing ovation from the fan base that he grew up in front of. But how is he going to be remembered in Toronto? Heading into 2019, there wasn’t much for Blue Jays fans to be excited about other than prospect rankings. The core from the 2015 and ‘16 playoff runs had moved on, and the hype around the team had died back down to pre-2015 levels. The Jays were coming off back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the AL East and were destined for a similar season in 2019 with Justin Smoak as the face of their lineup, and a soon-to-be-traded Marcus Stroman as their best pitcher. But there was light at the end of the tunnel for fans. At the top of just about any prospect list you could find was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The son-of-a-Hall-of-Famer, blue-chip third base prospect with generational power and an elite approach that hit .381 across Double and Triple A as a teenager was due to come up and make his debut at some point in 2019. But throughout Guerrero's journey to the big leagues, a shortstop prospect just as important to the future of the Blue Jays was making a name for himself as Vladdy’s partner in crime. While Vlad Jr. was headlining all of the prospect lists and generating all of the excitement, Bo Bichette was quietly developing into a star. Bichette was a second-round draft pick of the Jays in 2016, and he opened up 2019 as the game's 11th-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. But, at just 21 years old, he wasn’t expected to be ready for a big league debut until at least 2020. That’s why it was so exciting when the trade deadline rolled around, the Jays traded away Eric Sogard to the Tampa Bay Rays, and they decided it was time to let their shortstop of the future take the big league job for a spin. Bo met the Blue Jays in Kansas City on July 29, 2019, and picked up his first major league hit on the second pitch he saw. From the moment he stepped into the box for the first time as a Blue Jay, all he did was hit. It didn’t take long for Bichette to figure out he belonged in the big leagues. That first hit started an 11-game hit streak to open his MLB career, which included eight multi-hit games and his first four big league homers. Despite the blazing start to his Blue Jays tenure, the lasting memory of Bo Bichette’s rookie season, and the moment that many baseball fans recognize as when he truly arrived, took place in Dodger Stadium, late on an August night. The matchup was highly anticipated: the veteran superstar Clayton Kershaw against a young, up-and-coming Blue Jays team. Bo appeared in 748 regular season games as a Blue Jay. It’s easy to forget about so many of those, even ones where he had great performances. But there aren’t a lot of Jays fans that don’t remember a rookie Bichette taking a future Hall of Famer deep twice in the same game. It was moments like that one that propelled Bo Bichette to stardom so early in his career. He always seemed to have his most impressive performances when the lights were brightest. (Even if he looked really silly on a couple of Cooperstown curveballs in between homers.) Bichette finished his rookie season hitting .311 with a .930 OPS across 212 plate appearances at just 21 years old, but didn’t garner any attention for Rookie of the Year because he debuted so late in the season. The important thing was that it looked like with Bichette and Guerrero, as well as Cavan Biggio, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Danny Jansen and Teoscar Hernández, in place for years to come, the Blue Jays had the start of a promising position player core. On the back of that position player core, and with the big free agent addition of Hyun Jin Ryu leading the rotation, the Jays snapped a three-year playoff drought as a Wild Card team in 2020. Bichette wound up missing about a month of the shortened season, which meant he only appeared in 29 games, but in those games, he continued to be productive at the top of the lineup, finishing with a .301 average and 120 wRC+. The Jays would end up losing in two straight games to the eventual American League champion Tampa Bay Rays, but a new era of winning Blue Jays baseball was officially underway, with Bichette and Guerrero as the faces of it. The 2021 Blue Jays were one of the most exciting teams in baseball. They supplemented that exciting young core with big free agent signings like George Springer and Marcus Semien, and Robbie Ray dominated en route to winning the AL Cy Young. Those 2021 Jays had the second best offense in MLB according to wRC+. Most fans probably remember Vlad hitting 48 homers and finishing second for AL MVP behind Shohei Ohtani, or Semien setting the single-season home run record for a second baseman with 45 bombs of his own, finishing one spot behind Vlad in MVP voting. At the time, it was the best season of Blue Jays baseball in more than half a decade. But for the first four months of that season, the Jays had one of the biggest disadvantages in baseball. Due to COVID-related travel restrictions, the Jays were forced to use their minor league facilities as their home ballparks. They played their first two months of home games on their Single-A field in Dunedin before moving to their Triple-A field in Buffalo until the end of July. From their final home game in 2019 to July 30, 2021, the Toronto Blue Jays did not play a game in Toronto. It was 670 excruciating days that a baseball team was taken away from its fans. So, you can imagine the emotion from both the fans and the players when the Jays were finally able to get back to where they belonged. Throughout his career, the fans and the media have always had a hard time reading Bichette. He never had the same “wear your heart on your sleeve” disposition as his co-star Vladdy, and a lot of breath was wasted debating whether or not he truly enjoyed being a Toronto Blue Jay. That’s why it meant so much when Bo went to The Players' Tribune to post an article titled “Toronto!!!!! We’re HOME.” He wrote about how much he missed the city and playing for the fans during the team’s time away and how excited he was to bring playoff moments like José Bautista’s iconic bat flip back to the Rogers Centre. His words were an emotional read at the time, and looking back on them after his departure hits just as hard. Bichette backed up his words with a two-run bomb in the Jays' first game back, propelling them to a 6-4 win in their first game on home turf in nearly two full years. Aside from his heart-warming tribute to Toronto, 2021 was also the year that Bo Bichette proved he was a true star. It’s not really fair to call his third major league season a breakout, because he was so good in the first two, but if the baseball world hadn't bought into his game before, it definitely had after 2021. Over 690 plate appearances, Bichette hit .298 with an .828 OPS, which was good for a 122 wRC+. He led the American League in hits with 191, mashed a career high 29 homers, cashed 102 RBI and even added 25 stolen bases, earning his first career All-Star appearance. The Blue Jays won 91 games, and the move back home helped them finish the season as the hottest team in the sport, going 22-9 in September. Their season ended up coming down to the final day, and they missed the playoffs by a single game after the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees both won their final contests, giving them 92 wins apiece. The way that season ended was heartbreaking, but at just 23 years old, Bichette was already one of the league’s best offensive shortstops, and the Jays were poised to be a playoff threat for years to come. Heading into 2022, the excitement around Blue Jays baseball was as high as it had been for an Opening Day since 2016. Fans were finally allowed back in the ballpark at full force, and the Jays were viewed as a lock to make the playoffs and contend for the World Series. But the road was a little bit rockier than expected. Semien had departed for Texas in free agency, Guerrero didn't quite follow up his near-MVP caliber season from the year before, and Bichette himself was very disappointing. After a full five months of baseball, heading into September, the Jays found themselves in the third Wild Card spot, just 1.5 games up on the Baltimore Orioles. Far short of their expectations at the start of the season. Bichette was hitting just .260 with a .725 OPS and had a wRC+ of only 107. Not bad numbers, but his 2.3 fWAR was 13th among primary shortstops through August 31. He was behind guys like Jorge Mateo and Amed Rosario. There were serious questions about whether or not Bo was actually the player we thought he’d proven himself to be the year before, because without above-average defense at shortstop and the ability to be a well-above-league-average hitter, his value to the team wasn’t very high. But then the calendar flipped, and the month Blue Jays fans refer to as “Septem-Bo” rolled around. It was one of the most impressive sustained offensive performances I can remember, and it came right when his team needed it the most. Bichette was a man on fire in September and October of 2022, picking up 54 hits in 133 at-bats, good for a .406 average. His 1.105 OPS led shortstops that month, and his 218 wRC+ was the second best mark in the majors behind only the eventual AL MVP Aaron Judge. He set the Blue Jays franchise record for hits in a month, and they all seemed to come in the biggest moments of games. Bichette more than doubled his fWAR in the last month of the season, as it skyrocketed from that mediocre 2.3 to 4.8 in just 32 games. That blazing month got his wRC+ up to 129 by the end of the season, seven points higher than it was the year before, and Bichette led the American League in hits for the second season in a row. Toronto went 22-11 over that span and was able to clinch the top Wild Card spot in the American League, returning to the playoffs in a full season for the first time since 2016. However, an eventual collapse in the Wild Card round against the Seattle Mariners would lead to some big organizational decisions heading into 2023. It was a busy offseason for Ross Atkins and the Blue Jays. It started with Teoscar Hernández and the last year of his contract getting shipped to Seattle for Erik Swanson and eventually saw Daulton Varsho come over in exchange for Gabriel Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. It was the start of the Blue Jays emphasizing defense and the details of the game rather than pure offensive upside. But, a sneaky important part of the offseason was that the Blue Jays bought out Bichette’s arbitration years with a three-year extension. See, as much as 2019 through 2025 will be remembered as the “Vladdy and Bo era” to Blue Jays fans, so much of it was spent debating which of the two was actually the better player, and if the Jays would be able to keep one or both past their rookie contracts. At the time, this deal looked like a major indication that the Jays might prefer Bichette to Guerrero long-term. Bichette made good on that new contract early on. In 2023, he continued to do exactly what he had the two previous seasons. Although it ended as another disappointing season overall for his team, Bo hit .306 with an .814 OPS, putting together his third straight 20-homer season and earning his second All-Star appearance. Yet, some adversity was right around the corner for Bo and the Blue Jays. After back-to-back playoff appearances without a win, and a total of three playoff appearances without a win in the Vladdy and Bo era, the fanbase was getting restless for some postseason success. Pressure was on for the Jays heading into 2024. By now, you know how this story ends, and that the playoff victories were just around the corner, but based on how 2024 went, you can’t blame the people who were calling for the removal of the front office or for a full-scale teardown and rebuild. There were a lot of sources to blame for that 74-win, last-place season, and Bo Bichette’s inability to stay on the field, and his poor performance when he did play was definitely a big one. That 74-88 record was the worst record for a Blue Jays team since before Bichette's rookie season, and it was by far Bo’s worst season as an individual. He suited up for just 81 games, hit just .225, and only managed four homers. When it was all said and done, he had put up just 0.3 fWAR and a 70 wRC+, 30% below league average. The season was a complete write-off for both Bichette and the Jays on the field. When the shortstop responded to a question from a San Francisco reporter about what he liked about the California city and if he’d be willing to play there, Bichette seemed eager to emphasize how much he wanted to play for a winner, and that the Giants would be a fit if he were choosing his team. Some saw this as him “flirting” with the idea of being traded at the deadline, as he was only under contract for one more season. I don’t think this episode taints his legacy with the Jays, but at a time when a lot of fans were upset with the direction of the team, and with Bichette himself, it seemed more likely than not that Bichette would play the final year of his contract somewhere other than Toronto. As we know, Bichette was not traded, and his bounce-back season was essential to the Jays winning their first division title in a decade – and their first pennant in more than three decades. I could have written this whole article about Bichette’s 2025. His 134 wRC+ was his best in a qualified season as a Blue Jay. He hit .311 with just a 14.5% strikeout rate, which was the lowest of his career by more than five points. There’s a serious case to be made that 2025 was the best offensive season of Bo’s career, and that’s without even getting into some of his biggest moments. The Jays were just 26-28 before play on May 28, and the offense was limping through the start of the season. They’d hit the fifth fewest homers in the sport and had just a 94 team wRC+. The whole lineup needed a spark, and after being held scoreless through eight innings by Tyler Mahle and the Texas Rangers, it looked like they were en route to falling three games below .500. That is, until Bichette came off the bench to pinch hit for Michael Stefanic in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and Ernie Clement on second base. Bo swung and hit a wall-scraping homer over the left field fence, lifting the Jays to a much-needed win, which many claim as the moment the 2025 Blue Jays hit their stride. The win sparked a five-game win streak and a 12-2 stretch that the Jays never looked back from. From Bichette's clutch homer on May 28 through the end of the season, the Blue Jays had the best offense in baseball by wRC+, fWAR, and, most importantly, runs scored. They’d finish the season on a 67-40 run; that's a .626 winning percentage, or a 101-win pace. I can’t honestly tell you that the Jays’ magical 2025 season came because of that moment in Texas. But I also can’t tell you that it would have happened without it. The question in the title of this article is a tough one to answer because, for as beloved as he was in Toronto, Bichette was far from a perfect player. The obvious things to point at are that his shortstop defense always left something to be desired, he wasn’t always a good baserunner, and when he wasn’t hitting, he didn’t bring much else to the table. Yet, when the Jays needed him, he was always there to answer the call. FanGraphs’ definition of high-leverage situations is complicated, but I can tell you that throughout his career, in those high-leverage situations, that is when Bo has been at his best. You can argue all you want that clutch isn’t a repeatable skill, but I’ll just keep pointing at Bichette’s career 143 wRC+ and .888 OPS in those situations. There’s no better example to point to than his performance in the 2025 World Series, which he played in after missing more than a month of games due to a knee injury. On one knee, and on the biggest stage baseball has to offer, Bo Bichette went 8-for-23 with six RBI. But the lasting memory of Bo Bichette in a Blue Jays uniform will always be him hitting a go-ahead, three-run home run off of Shohei Ohtani in Game 7. A swing that was painfully close to being the swing that clinched the Blue Jays their third World Series championship. You’ll be seeing fans wearing #11 jerseys at the Rogers Centre for years to come, and when the New York Mets visit Toronto in June this season, the standing ovation Bichette receives will be deafening. View the full article

We tweet Miami Marlins GIFs from the @FishOnFirst account on a daily basis—highlights, celebrations, funny reactions, etc. However, the app does not allow you to directly download these GIFs for unlimited personal use. That is where the GIF Database comes in! Exclusively for SuperSubs, I curate a series of Google Drive folders holding my best GIFs (more than 500 in total entering 2026 spring training). Save your faves and use them to express yourself online. Here are a few free examples of recently created GIFs. To access the rest, become a SuperSub and click the link below... View the full article

MIAMI—Christopher Morel was the only free agent position player this offseason who signed a major league deal with the Miami Marlins. With a salary of two million dollars, he will be the club's highest-paid hitter despite coming off a disappointing 2025. In 105 games with the Tampa Bay Rays, he slashed .219/.289/.396/.684 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI and a 90 wRC+. His 35.7% strikeout rate was the highest in the American League among players with at least 300 plate appearances. The 26-year-old is grateful to still be in MLB—aside from the Marlins, his most serious suitors this offseason were teams in Korea and Japan. “I’m truly going to give my best every moment, every second that the manager gives me the opportunity, I’ll give 100 percent of myself," Morel said in Spanish at Friday's Marlins Media Day. "I've been working extremely hard this season to have an excellent season here. I feel healthy, and I’m going to give my best so we can win and keep pushing forward." Morel has had inconsistencies defensively as well. He was primarily used in left field last season and at second base and third base the year before. In 2026, he is expected to play a lot of first base, a position that he has never played in his career. He jokingly told the media that he is already "dancing bachata" at first base. "We’re already practicing it, getting some movement in, trying to find the coordination. I’ve felt a little more comfortable than the first time I practiced there. But wherever the manager needs me, I’ll be there to help the team.” The bar for Morel to clear is pretty low as the Marlins were one of only seven teams in 2025 to receive sub-replacement-level production at first base. As recently as 2023, he blasted 26 homers with a 120 wRC+. If he bounces back close to that level of production, the Marlins have the flexibility to retain Morel through the 2028 season via arbitration. Morel has a pre-existing relationship with Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez, who is also a native of Santiago, Dominican Republic. They've known each other since they were kids. "(Eury) was really the first person who showed me that love and support to come here," said Morel. "Seeing all those talented young guys who are coming up from the farm system, it really makes you feel it. Honestly, seeing the Latin culture as well, the Latin fans here, I know it’s going to be a very good year.” View the full article

Last week, Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported that the Toronto Blue Jays were interested in signing Framber Valdez, shortly before the All-Star left-hander inked a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. After Valdez signed with Detroit, Heyman noted that Max Scherzer was "back on [Toronto's] radar." He also wondered if the Jays might pursue Zac Gallen or Chris Bassitt, though only the link to Scherzer was more than speculative. Adding another starting pitcher would further complicate an already overcrowded rotation picture. The Blue Jays might have been willing to do that for Valdez, but none of Gallen, Bassitt, or Scherzer is the same calibre of pitcher. It's no guarantee any of them would be an upgrade over Toronto's internal options. However, Scherzer has expressed a willingness to wait to sign until after Opening Day (per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal). So, at least it makes sense why the Jays are staying in touch with the three-time Cy Young winner. They might not have a job for him right now, but Scherzer could be a nice backup plan if any of Toronto's other starting pitchers suffer injuries in the next few months. View the full article

Former Kansas City Royals catcher and outfielder MJ Melendez had a polarizing career in Kansas City. On one end, he showed tremendous promise, both as a prospect and at the MLB level. He led the Minor Leagues in home runs in 2021 with 41 in 123 games with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and Omaha Storm Chasers. Furthermore, he had a promising start to his MLB career in 2022. In 129 games and 534 plate appearances that season, he hit 18 home runs, scored 57 runs, collected 62 RBI, and posted a 97 wRC+. Unfortunately, Melendez had his share of flaws as well, unfortunately. During his rookie season, he posted a -0.6 fWAR, which was mostly due to his poor defense behind the plate and in the outfield. That season, he was worth 19.9 runs below average defensively, according to Fangraphs' Def. He also had a -18 DRS and -21 FRV at catcher that season and -5 DRS and 0 FRV in the outfield. Despite those defensive shortcomings, it seemed like Melendez was going to be a core piece of the Royals' future under new manager Matt Quatraro, along with Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino. However, while Witt and Pasquantino have lived up to their billing, and Maikel Garcia has joined the fray as part of the key position player group, Melendez eventually fell out of favor with Kansas City. Starting in 2023, he accumulated a -0.4 fWAR in 306 games. His defense in the outfield improved, but his wRC+ declined from 93 in 2023 to 86 in 2024 before bottoming out to -14 in 2025. As a result, the Royals not only kept him in Omaha for most of the year, but he was non-tendered this offseason as well. Melendez's MLB outlook initially appeared bleak this winter, and it seemed possible that he could return to Kansas City on a Minor League deal. However, on Sunday, MLB Insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post announced that the New York Mets agreed to a one-year deal with Melendez worth at least $1.5 million. Let's look at why the Mets acquired Melendez, what he could bring to Queens, and if this move has any impact on the Royals as they prepare for Spring Training. Melendez Brings Upside and Insurance to the Mets New York has been aggressive since missing out on free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker this offseason, much to owner Steve Cohen's chagrin. After Tucker signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers to a record-setting four-year, $240 million deal, the Mets responded by signing shortstop/third baseman Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal and acquiring starting pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Mets in a deal that involved them trading away prospects Jett Williams (a utility player) and Brandon Sporat (a right-handed pitcher). They also acquired infielder Jorge Polanco and closer Devin Williams earlier in the offseason. However, the Mets' outfield looks thin depth-wise at this moment. According to Roster Resource, prospect Carson Benge is penciled in to be the Mets' Opening Day left fielder. He certainly merits consideration, as he is rated as the 59th-best prospect in baseball, according to Fangraphs, and is known for his athleticism and impressive batted-ball profile. However, Benge had an underwhelming sample in Triple-A, posting an OPS under .600 despite some impressive Statcast percentiles, as illustrated in his TJ Stats summary profile from 2025. Benge hits the ball hard and doesn't strike out. That said, he doesn't walk much either (27th percentile), and he also struggled to pull the ball, both in the air (30th percentile) and overall (20th percentile). It's possible that he may need some time for more seasoning and at-bats in Triple-A before making his MLB debut. Furthermore, he isn't Rule-5 eligible until 2027, so Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns doesn't have to rush to add Benge to the 40-man roster. Thus, Melendez could satisfy the Mets' short-term need in the outfield (especially in left field) until Benge is fully ready. While his MLB stats last year were poor, he was much better in Triple-A Omaha, posting a 20 HR-20 SB season and an .813 OPS in 480 PA. The 27-year-old sported some solid hard-hit, barrel, and exit velocity metrics, according to TJ Stats. Melendez certainly has his fair share of issues at the MLB level when it comes to whiffs and strikeouts, and that was again the case in Omaha last year. Despite his solid power profile, he ranked in the 12th percentile in whiff and Z-contact rates, 17th percentile in strikeout and O-Swing rates, and 19th percentile in walk rate. He also wasn't consistent with launching the ball, as illustrated by his 29th percentile LA Sweet-Spot percentage. That shows some nice progress for him that could be transitioned to the Major League level with the Mets. In many ways, Melendez's profile feels similar to Ryan O'Hearn back in 2023, who had questionable production with the Royals and broke out with the Orioles in 2023. After posting 70 or below wRC+ marks from 2019 to 2022 with the Royals, O'Hearn had had three straight seasons of wRC+ marks of 118 or higher with Baltimore and San Diego. O'Hearn was 29 when he had his turnaround, so Melendez is in good shape at 27. Does that mean Melendez is going to be an O'Hearn 2.0? Not necessarily, as O'Hearn had an excellent rookie year in 2018 when he posted a 153 wRC+ in 170 plate appearances with the Royals. Melendez has never had a season close to that in terms of wRC+. Still, O'Hearn showed signs of a breakout in 2023 thanks to his strong batted-ball and exit velocity metrics. That is a similar situation for Melendez, so there is potential for the former 2017 second-round pick to experience a breakout in New York, given the similarities in their profiles. What Does Melendez's Signing Mean for the Royals? Melendez inking a deal with the Mets doesn't necessarily directly impact the Royals, as it was a long shot that Melendez would return to Kansas City anyway (even on a Minor League deal). However, it could signal that more moves from teams are on the way, with two days until pitchers and catchers report to camp. The Royals could be one of those teams. One signing that seemed likely earlier in the offseason but hasn't come to fruition yet is bringing back Adam Frazier. The Mississippi State product was a spark plug for the Royals after returning to Kansas City at last year's All-Star Break (he was traded for Cam Devanney, who currently is playing in Japan). In 197 plate appearances with Kansas City last year, Frazier posted a 98 wRC+, a .283 average, and accumulated a 0.6 fWAR. The 34-year-old is not only familiar with the Royals' clubhouse but also a veteran who can play multiple positions in the infield and outfield. Frazier doesn't offer much in the batted-ball and exit-velocity categories. However, he has sported strong plate discipline and contact ability, two areas where the Royals want to improve upon in 2026. Royals GM JJ Picollo and owner John Sherman have said they are satisfied with where they are with the roster, but are open to adding another piece if they feel it would make them better overall. With the Tigers getting better last week with the addition of pitcher Framber Valdez, the Royals may feel the need to add one more piece to the roster, especially since they could use one more outfielder on the active roster to truly fill out the roster (and be insurance for Jac Caglianone if he struggles out of the gate in 2026). Melendez's signing could be the domino that pushes the Royals to make one last move before all players report to Surprise in 12 days. View the full article

Depth is something every organization tries to create, and it goes well beyond what we see at Target Field or in St. Paul. I'm researching the Twins' depth beyond the 40-man roster, and have already taken a look at catcher, first base, second base, and third base. Many prospects are drafted or signed as shortstops, but most move to other positions. Being able to field the position at a high level is key to a prospect's journey to sticking as a shortstop at the major league level. Here is a list of shortstop prospects not on the Twins' 40-man roster. I’ve included how and when they were acquired, along with the highest level they played this past season. Orlando Arcia Acquired: Free Agent, 2026 Highest Level in 2025: MLB You may recognize the last name, as Orlando is the younger brother of former Twin Oswaldo Arcia. He is, however, a very different player. Arcia will be playing his age-31 season in 2026 and has had his ups and downs since his call-up by the Brewers in 2016. He was an all-star in 2023 with the Braves and had his best overall year in 2017, accruing 2.2 bWAR in his first full season with Milwaukee. He is a glove-first shortstop and was signed to a minor league contract this offseason. He will be a non-roster invitee to spring training and will be competing with the likes of Ryan Kreidler and Tristan Gray for a utility infield spot. There is no question that Arcia can handle multiple defensive positions; the big question will be whether he can show enough offensively to be a solid option off the bench for Derek Shelton and Co. Ben Ross Acquired: 5th round, 2022 Highest Level in 2025: Double-A A fifth-round pick in 2022 out of Notre Dame College (not University), Ross hit for a slash line of .405/.471/.758 over three college seasons. While he didn’t take many walks in college, the soon-to-be 25-year-old has walked at an above-average rate as a professional. In 2025, he walked in 11.2% of his at-bats and struck out in 22.7% of his at-bats, which are not bad numbers on their own. The big question is whether he can adjust to the upper minors, as he has posted OPSs of .626 and .671 in 2024 and 2025 with Wichita. In the field, he has mostly played shortstop but has also been tried in the outfield, most specifically center field, and he has held his own out there as well. He’s athletic enough to handle most positions, but the big question will be if he can hit enough to carve out a role for the Twins going forward. Kaelen Culpepper Acquired: 1st round, 2024 Highest Level in 2025: Double-A Culpepper cemented himself as a first-round pick during the 2021 college baseball season for Kansas State, where he hit .328/.419/.574 with 11 home runs and 17 stolen bases. After being selected, he made his professional debut and worked his way up to High-A Cedar Rapids. He started the 2025 season with Cedar Rapids but was then called up to Double-A, where he finished the year. Between the two levels, he hit for an .844 OPS and a 138 wRC+, and has shown the potential of sticking at shortstop defensively long term. He could also move to third base, depending on the team's need as well. Culpepper is a top-100 prospect on most rankings and currently ranks #2 on Twins Daily’s prospect rankings. The 23-year-old is in for a big year, and as long as he is able to continue to develop, it won’t be long until you see him at Target Field. Marek Houston Acquired: 1st round, 2025 Highest Level in 2025: High-A Houston was not a high-end recruit, but won the shortstop job at Wake Forest and played there for three years. The 21-year-old is already one of, if not the best, defensive shortstop in the entire Twins system, so how he develops offensively will be key in when and how big of an impact he is able to make. Like Culpepper, he started professionally in Single-A and was called up to High-A, where he struggled more offensively. Expect him to start the year with High-A Cedar Rapids, and as long as he makes the adjustments, he could be playing in Wichita soon. He was ranked as the Twins Daily #11 prospect, but could easily climb up that list with either other players graduating from prospect status, or just by passing them from his own performance. Still early in his professional career, Houston will be a prospect a lot of Twins fans have an eye on due to being a first-round selection. Bryan Acuna Acquired: International Free Agency, 2022 Highest Level in 2025: Single-A The younger brother of Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. and new White Sox infielder Luisangel Acuna, Bryan was signed in 2022 and has slowly progressed in the minor leagues since signing. He will be playing his age-20 season this coming year and will likely start the year where he finished 2025, at Single-A Fort Myers. In 2025, across the Complex League and Single-A, he posted a .637 OPS and played shortstop primarily, but also appeared at second base, third base, and in the corner outfield. In his professional career, he has demonstrated solid plate discipline but limited power to date. Still just 20 years old, he isn’t going to make an immediate impact, but he has the potential to carve out a role for himself, either as a shortstop or at another position. Bruin Agbayani Acquired: 6th round, 2025 Highest Level in 2025: Single-A A sixth-round selection in this past year’s draft, Agbayani is the son of former Mets infielder Benny Agbayani. A left-handed hitter, the soon-to-be 19-year-old was committed to play college at the University of Michigan but chose to forego college and sign with the Twins. Like many young players, he has room to grow into more power, as he stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs 185 pounds. He is very athletic, but he may move off of shortstop, and some evaluators think he will be a better fit at second base or in left field long term. He got a small taste of professional ball, playing in five games for Single-A Fort Myers in 2025, so 2026 will be a big first step to see if he can follow in his father’s footsteps and create his own story as a big leaguer. Shai Robinson Acquired: 10th round, 2025 Highest Level in 2025: Single-A Another 2025 draft selection, Robinson was not a prep bat like Agbayani or Quentin Young, as he was drafted out of Illinois State, where he hit .813 with an OPS over three collegiate seasons with the Red Birds. He will turn 22 in May, and 2026 will be his first full year in professional baseball with the Twins. Like Agbayani, he got into a handful of games, four specifically, to get his feet wet, but this coming year will be the first step in seeing if he can develop into an impact player for the Twins. Robinson has a solid glove at shortstop, and his offense will be the big test to see. In his final two collegiate seasons, he walked more than he struck out, which shows a good approach at the plate. Keep an eye on whether he can hit enough to start climbing the prospect rankings. Haritzon Castillo Acquired: International Free Agency, 2025 Highest Level in 2025: DSL Signed out of Venezuela, Castillo is a switch-hitter and has upside offensively from both sides of the plate. He was a top-50 international prospect in the 2025 international class. The soon-to-be 18-year-old looked the part in his time in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .283/.395/.428 over 39 games. He also showed off some speed, stealing 12 bases in 15 attempts over that same time. Still early in his professional career, Castillo isn’t going to make an immediate impact at Target Field, but he has the potential to do so in a few short years, so keep an eye on him if he continues to impress early on in his career. Daiber De Los Santos Acquired: International Free Agency, 2024 Highest Level in 2025: Florida Complex League Signed out of the Dominican Republic as the No. 8-ranked prospect in the 2024 international class, the 19-year-old played in the Florida Complex League this past season. In the Complex League, he struck out at a jarring 47.8% rate, but also walked at a solid rate as well. The strikeout rate isn’t anything to be too worried about, as young players often are adjusting their swings and trying different things in lower-pressure environments. The hope is that he can cut down on those strikeouts and continue to develop offensively, since his tools show plenty of potential. Santiago Leon Acquired: International Free Agency, 2025 Highest Level in 2025: DSL Leon was the other top international signing for the Twins in the 2025 international class, signing out of Venezuela. He will be playing his age-18 season in 2026; he is seen as a sure thing to stick as an infielder long term. He played this past season in the Dominican Summer League, where he walked as much as he struck out, which is a sign of a good approach at the plate. Like many young prospects, he has some things to work on, but he has plenty of things to be excited about as well if you like keeping an eye on prospects. Which of these prospects are you most excited about? View the full article

With news that Eugenio Suarez is joining the Cincinnati Reds for 2026, it meant that someone's opportunities were being taken by the slugger's return to the Queen City. Whether that person is corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand is up for debate, but with Suarez's addition as the designated hitter, Sal Stewart's late-season promotion and production at first base, and the Ke'Bryan Hayes acquisition locking up third base, it is hard to see a role for Encarnacion-Strand at the MLB level with the Reds. Could there be an opportunity for the 26-year-old with the San Diego Padres? Most certainly, even as other options are on the table. The bench as currently constructed is weak. Taking the backup catcher out of the equation, there are three bench spots. That typically means one infielder, one outfielder and another who is hopefully a hybrid. The big question for the Padres' starting lineup is how the right side of the infield will sort out. Ideally, that would be newcomer Sung Mun Song in a hybrid role, with Jake Cronenworth at second base and Gavin Sheets at first. Based on how FanGraphs sees the Friars' depth chart, that would mean a bench of Mason McCoy, Will Wagner and Bryce Johnson. That certainly doesn't inspire anyone looking for some offense in the event of an injury. Does Miguel Andujar change this equation, as a right-handed hitter with power? Perhaps, but he's a defensive liability better suited for full-time DH duties at this point. And save for his explosion with the Reds in the second half of the 2025 season, he's been as inconsistent as any hitter in the sport over the past half-decade. Which is where the Encarnacion-Strand, a fellow right-handed hitter, could come into play. But first, what would the Padres need to give the Reds in order to acquire him? It could be a simple 1-for-1 deal in which the Friars take from their deepest spot, the bullpen, and send a reliever to the Reds for Encarnacion-Strand. Who? Depends on who the Reds like. With Encarnacion-Strand entering 2026 with four seasons of team control yet ticketed for Triple-A to begin the season, it could be someone like right-hander David Morgan, a surprise in 2025, or left-hander Yuki Matsui, who has been solid yet underwhelming in his two years with the Padres. Losing either one of those two wouldn't damage the Friars' bullpen that much, especially with two injured relievers (Jason Adam and Jhony Brito) potentially returning in the first two months of the season. But we will let president of baseball operations A.J. Preller figure that part out. Encarnacion-Strand in a Padres uniform would be something worth exploring. While he has battled a couple of injuries (fractured right wrist in 2024, back inflammation in 2025), he also hasn't excelled when given the MLB opportunity. Across three seasons, Encarnacion-Strand has played in 128 games with 501 plate appearances, posting a slash line of .233/.275/.404 with 21 homers and 72 RBIs. However, that comes on top of gaudy minor-league numbers of a .305/.369/.580 slash line with 67 homers and 233 RBIs in 275 games over four seasons. So, you can see where a front office would dream on him. But the one troubling trend with Encarnacion-Strand has been his strikeouts. He has 136 in 128 MLB games and 297 in 275 games in the minors. When he was sent down to Triple-A in mid-July, manager Terry Francona had a chat with Encarnacion-Strand about not chasing as many pitches. That is the baggage Encarnacion-Strand would bring to San Diego. How would that affect the bench? Song is expected to get time this spring in the outfield, so that helps there. He also will fill in for Manny Machado at third base and can also slide over to first base. Cronenworth can play first or second. McCoy can play either middle infield spot, while Wagner is a second and third baseman. At least one of those latter two wouldn't make the Opening Day roster if the Friars make this move, especially since Andujar can technically play the infield and outfield corners as well. Regardless of how the exactly the Opening Day roster shakes out, the offense Encarnacion-Strand would bring to the bench would be a big boost for a team lacking in viable depth. View the full article

Connor Norby entered 2025 looking like a key building block for the Miami Marlins. His unremarkable performance on the field and limited availability pushed him out of the picture. In 88 games, Norby slashed .251/.300/.389/.689 with eight home runs, 34 RBI and a 90 wRC+. "Last year was the most frustrating year of my career," Norby told Fish On First in an exclusive interview at Friday's Marlins Media Day. "Never really been hurt, spending three different stints on the IL and most of it just freak things that popped up. Frustrating overall and just never really got into a rhythm." Norby's season debut was delayed by an oblique strain. Then he underwent left hamate surgery during the All-Star break and missed more time in September due to a quad strain. "I really thought I was playing my best baseball those last six weeks of the season along with the team, which is the most important thing," Norby said. "It was definitely a learning experience for me and it's going to be the most important year of my career. In Norby's final 16 games of the season, he hit .293/.344/.500/.844 with two home runs and 18 RBI. Norby has only played third base since being called up by the Marlins in August 2024 and he'll compete against Graham Pauley for playing time there in 2026. Norby's priority this spring is "to be the best third baseman that I can be." Pauley was clearly the better fielder last season as measured by outs above average (+6 to -4) and defensive runs saved (+3 to -5). "Learning third base is incredibly hard and I'm still learning," the 25-year-old admitted, "but with how I finished defensively and offensively, that last month was where I believe my standard is right there." Norby's natural position is second base, but he continues to be blocked there by Xavier Edwards. He played occasionally in the corner outfield spots during his minor league career with the Baltimore Orioles. Although undersized for first base, the Marlins have plenty of reps available there. "First and foremost, whatever helps the team win," Norby said when asked about the position change and where he feels best. "Secondly, I am an infielder and have always been an infielder...I have some experience [in the outfield]. It's whatever keeps me in the lineup, right? Whether it's third base one day or left field the next, wherever it may be. I'm sure we'll dive more into that when we get to camp." The next couple of weeks, Norby is expecting to take ground balls about two to three times per day with new infield coach Blake Butler. "I'm excited to see what he brings and I'm an open book," said Norby. "I'm eager to learn and try new things and he knows that...I'm eager to turn a lot of heads and prove a lot of people wrong and go out and prove a lot of people right." Last year at Media Day, Norby said that his 2025 goal was to hit 30 home runs. In 2026, he is going to keep the individual goals to himself, but as a team, he wants the Marlins to win the NL East division and make the postseason for the first time since 2023. As currently constructed, he believes they have the talent to achieve that. "My play elevates more when I am focused on team play and think so does everybody else's. It's going to be a hungry group this year and we're coming." View the full article