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With the Cubs signing Chas McCormick and Dylan Carlson as non-roster invitees to spring training, a competition has emerged for the fourth outfield spot between Carlson, McCormick, Kevin Alcántara, and Justin Dean. The starting outfield appears set, with Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki entrenched as everyday options and Pete Crow-Armstrong coming off a stellar 2025 season. However, if one of these three candidates can establish himself as a legitimate option, it could significantly open up the lineup. Suzuki’s defensive limitations in the outfield and Crow-Armstrong’s continued struggles against left-handed pitching create a clear opportunity for a complementary piece to carve out meaningful playing time. Kevin Alcántara (AAA): .266/.349/.370, 17 HR, 59 RBI Alcántara would be the ideal option for the Cubs. He has long been one of the organization’s top prospects and appears to be on the verge of making a consistent impact at the major-league level. The additions of Carlson, Dean and McCormick do not necessarily indicate that the Cubs have lost faith in Alcántara, but it is notable that they felt compelled to add competition as spring training approaches. The lanky Dominican Republic native provides the most upside as a platoon or rotational option, particularly if the Cubs need to give Crow-Armstrong and his glove a rest. That need becomes even more pronounced if Crow-Armstrong reverts to his 2024 offensive form, when his free-swinging tendencies led to extended struggles. Despite his ability to drive the ball with authority, however, Alcántara has major swing-and-miss concerns. He struck out 29.8 percent of the time in Triple A, and strikeout rates often increase upon promotion to the majors. In his brief major-league stint in 2025, that rate climbed to 33.3%, though the sample is too small to draw conclusions therefrom. There are encouraging signs within that profile. Alcántara punished fastballs, posting an expected slugging percentage of .546 against four-seamers, .486 against sinkers, and .609 against cutters. Sliders were a different story. They were the pitch he saw most often, and resulted in an expected batting average of just .185. Major-league pitchers are likely to exploit that weakness with a steady diet of breaking balls. Chas McCormick (MLB): .210/.279/.290, 1 HR, 5 RBI McCormick was added to provide major-league experience to the mix of players vying for the backup outfield gig. It has now been two years since his breakout 2023 season, when he produced 3.3 fWAR and a 132 wRC+. That year was fueled by significant overperformance relative to his expected metrics, and once those numbers regressed, he has not been able to recover. The core issue is his lack of power. McCormick ranks among the weakest power hitters in the league, with well below average barrel rates and exit velocities despite possessing roughly average bat speed. His plate approach has also deteriorated. He's too passive within the strike zone and chases at one of the highest rates in baseball outside it. This signing appears to be a low-risk bet on his pre-2024 track record, when he was an above-average offensive contributor and provided steady defense in center field. FanGraphs currently projects McCormick to break camp with the team, which represents the most conservative option, but it would require the team making space on the 40-man roster for him. Justin Dean (AAA): .289/.378/.431, 6 HR, 60 RBI Dean was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers and occupies a spot on the 40-man roster. Based strictly on Triple-A production, he profiles as a slightly improved version of McCormick. Like McCormick, he does not hit the ball particularly hard, but his plate discipline is notably better than that of both McCormick and Alcántara. His low chase rate will keep him in the Opening Day conversation, but it is difficult to see him separating himself meaningfully from the other options. His exit velocity data suggests that his Triple-A OPS should be taken with caution, as it is unlikely to translate into an above-average major-league offensive profile. Dean ultimately looks like quality depth. Given the inevitability of an injured list stint over the course of the season, he is well-positioned to be the first call up. Barring an unexpected breakout, he should begin the year in Triple A and cycle up as needed. With all three minor-league options remaining, multiple appearances throughout the season should be expected. Most of his value lies in his leather. Dylan Carlson (MLB): .203/.278/.336, 6 HR, 20 RBI The former Cardinals prospect and promising youngster has gone to seed. There's not even much value left in his glove, if you trust the numbers, and his bat is a wet noodle. Not even a stay in Baltimore, where they're great at boosting bat speed, could do anything for him. However, Carlson is smart enough to take a patient approach and still has a reputation for solid defense in center field. He's another non-roster player, so there's zero risk in bringing him in and letting the competition play out. In all likelihood, though, the Cubs are hoping one of the other three will win the job. Who is the best option? If he plays well in camp, Alcántara should get the nod. McCormick appears to be a declining asset, and Dean has already been moved twice this offseason. Carlson is the failsafe—the absolute backstop. The Cubs have invested too heavily in Alcántara’s development to continue delaying the evaluation. It's time to find out what they have at the major league level, unless one of the others in the competition asserts themselves too forcefully to be ignored. View the full article

For much of the last decade, the Twins have quietly tried to squeeze every marginal win out of their roster. Sometimes that has meant platoons. Other times, it has meant defensive flexibility or depth over star power. This offseason, a clear pattern is emerging. Minnesota appears to be leaning harder than ever into matchup play and lineup optimization. The most obvious signal came with back-to-back investments in switch hitters. Josh Bell and Victor Caratini were added for their overall production, their fit in the roster, and because they eliminate problems. A switch-hitter erases the need to protect a lineup spot when the opposing starter changes handedness, and that matters for a team that wants to play the percentages every night. This approach stretches well beyond those two signings and into how the entire roster fits together. Minnesota is under an owner-imposed payroll limit, which makes it challenging to field the best lineup. Without the ability to add star-caliber players in free agency, the front office must pivot to attempt to find a market inefficiency. So, are the Twins trying to make up for a dearth of talent with really good matchup-proofing? The short answer is probably yes, at least in part. The Twins do not have the payroll or the top-end depth to roll out nine everyday bats who are immune to matchups. What they do have is a collection of hitters who can be deployed strategically. Keeping Trevor Larnach at $4.475 million in arbitration fits that logic. On the surface, Larnach looks expendable. In practice, he is a valuable strong-side platoon option who can punish right-handed pitching. Last season was a down year for Larnach, but he still posted a .759 OPS against righties, matching his career total. A left field pairing of Larnach and Austin Martin is not flashy, but it is efficient. Larnach gets the favorable matchups where he has shown real damage potential. Martin handles left-handed pitching and adds defensive versatility and speed. In fact, Martin was one of the team’s lone bright spots in the second half last season, helped in part by his .884 OPS against southpaws. Together, they approximate a more expensive everyday option. That same philosophy is visible across the infield. Left-handed bat Kody Clemens can be deployed aggressively against right-handed starters. Right-handed options like Luke Keaschall, Royce Lewis, and Eric Wagaman can take on left-handed pitching without forcing the Twins to accept bad matchups elsewhere. Orlando Arcia, a veteran right-handed hitter, was brought in on a minor-league deal and has a chance to make the Opening Day roster. Brooks Lee, a switch-hitting shortstop, serves as a stabilizer, keeping the lineup from tilting too far in either direction. The Twins have options at nearly every spot. Even the outfield depth reflects this thinking. The left-handed group of Larnach, Matt Wallner, Alan Roden, and James Outman pairs naturally with right-handed or right-leaning options like Byron Buxton, Martin, Ryan Kreidler, and eventually Gabriel Gonzalez. Other top prospects like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez are also expected to join the left-handed hitting group at some point in 2026. This is not about finding the best nine hitters. It's about finding the best nine hitters for a specific opponent each day. Against right-handed starters, Minnesota can stack lefties and switch hitters. C: Caratini (S) 1B: Clemens (L) 2B: Tristan Gray (L) 3B: Lewis (R) SS: Lee (S) LF: Larnach (L) CF: Buxton (R) RF: Wallner (L) DH: Bell (S) The alignment above leaves Lewis and Byron Buxton as the lone right-handed bats. Against left-handed starters, the picture flips. C: Jeffers (R) 1B: Bell (S) 2B: Keaschall (R) 3B: Lewis (R) SS: Lee (S) LF: Martin (R) CF: Buxton (R) RF: Wallner (L) DH: Caratini (S) This gives the Twins a right-leaning core. Right field becomes the lone spot needing a lefty, with Wallner the apparent choice. There will also be injuries that arise, requiring the Twins to shift pieces around. None of this screams overwhelming talent. It does scream intention. So, is this what we have seen in the past from the Twins, or is this a new twist? Platoons are not new in Minnesota. The Twins have lived in this space for years, especially during their recent competitive window. What feels different now is how deliberately the roster is being built around that concept, rather than falling into it out of necessity. In the past, platoons often existed because the Twins lacked better options. Now, they appear to be acquiring players specifically because they enable matchup flexibility. Switch hitters like Bell and Caratini are cheap fixes and targeted solutions. Keeping Larnach rather than clearing his salary suggests the team values optionality over simplicity. There is also more lineup insulation than before. Multiple switch hitters and right-handed bats who can move around the field reduce the risk of being exposed by a single pitching decision. This is less about reacting to matchups and more about dictating them. That shift suggests an organization leaning fully into modern roster construction. The Twins may not win many talent comparisons on paper, but they are trying to win the decision-making battle that happens before the first pitch. The Twins appear to be building a roster designed to win at the margins. By prioritizing switch-hitters, platoon advantages, and lineup flexibility, Minnesota is attempting to turn matchup management into a competitive edge. Whether that approach can compensate for a lack of star power remains an open question, but the plan itself is becoming increasingly apparent. Is this smart optimization that will squeeze extra wins out of a flawed roster, or does it place too much pressure on perfect lineup management to succeed over a full season? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

At last season's trade deadline, the Toronto Blue Jays were sitting atop the AL East with a narrow lead over the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The Blue Jays' front office was gearing up to be aggressive after making only three postseason trips since 2016, which, at that time, was the last year they made it to the ALCS. Pitching was the focus, as Shane Bieber, Seranthony Domínguez, and Louis Varland joined the squad. As for the offense, Ty France was the only notable hitter the Jays acquired. Steven Kwan was ESPN's top hitter to be considered as a trade candidate, and he was linked to the Blue Jays due to injuries and inexperience in their outfield. Fortunately, general manager Ross Atkins was rewarded for sticking with the inexperienced Addison Barger, Nathan Lukes, and Joey Loperfido, who all logged meaningful innings in the outfield during the final stretch of last season. Daulton Varsho staying healthy for the last two months of the regular season and the postseason was also a massive contributor to the team's success. He hit 12 of his 20 home runs in August and September. Occasional outfielder George Springer, who produced his best statistics since 2019, was also a significant and unexpected factor in the Blue Jays' run to the World Series. The Cleveland Guardians avoided arbitration with Kwan earlier this month, as the two sides agreed to a one-year, $7.725 million contract. He still has an additional year of team control before becoming a free agent ahead of the 2028 season, when he will be 30. While his name has popped up in some trade rumors this winter, the 2026 trade deadline may be the prime time for the Guardians to trade the left fielder, presuming they don't intend to pay him when he becomes a free agent. Kwan has been one of the most consistent contact hitters since his debut in 2022. He lacks power, but he is the epitome of a traditional leadoff batter. The lefty can work his way on base and put the ball in play. Last season, though, he struggled to draw walks, posting a career-worst 7.9 walk percentage, but he also had a career-best 8.7 strikeout percentage. His .283 BABIP (batting average on balls in play) was also a career worst. Yet, once Kwan got on base, he was ready to advance – also typical of a leadoff hitter. He tied his career-high in stolen bases, stealing safely on 21 of 26 attempts. The left fielder was also superb in the field, winning his fourth consecutive AL Gold Glove Award. His 7.6 FanGraphs Def led to a 3.2 fWAR, despite finishing with the first negative offensive rating (-0.4) of his career. Obviously, the decision whether or not to target Kwan at the deadline would depend on the Blue Jays' health and performance during the first half of the 2026 season. The cost to acquire one of the Guardians' better players will also have to be considered. The latter may be the exact reason the Blue Jays do not ultimately acquire the left fielder. As Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller stated, "[Trading Kwan] only makes sense for the Guardians if they're getting multiple, MLB-caliber starting pitchers in the deal.” A trade package like that may eliminate the Blue Jays. The only prospects closest to qualifying for such a package would be Ricky Tiedemann, Adam Macko, Angel Bastardo, Lazaro Estrada, and maybe Gage Stanifer. All of these arms, except Stanifer, could make their MLB debuts this upcoming season. I'm not including Trey Yesavage, as he's the Blue Jays' future ace, and it would be insane to trade him for Kwan. Other teams vying for Kwan will likely have more enticing options to offer the Guardians, as these Blue Jays prospects aren't fully MLB battle-tested. Considering that five of the six starting pitchers on the Blue Jays' 26-man roster, including José Berríos, are over 30 years old, it doesn't make sense to trade away young pitchers who may be relied on more as soon as the 2027 season. Kevin Gausman and Bieber's contracts both expire after the upcoming season. The only way trading young pitchers would work out in the Blue Jays' favor would be if Kwan were a few years younger. He is a player who relies on his speed, but he will be 29 before the 2027 season. So, the possibility of his skill set deteriorating in his thirties could make an extension a bad idea. The Blue Jays have plenty of outfield help to get by without needing to hamper the organization's future. However, if injuries shorten the outfield depth, then the Blue Jays may be desperate to improve after a World Series runner-up finish last season. That's precisely why Kwan makes more sense as a possible mid-season acquisition, rather than a trade target right now. Regardless of when he's dealt, Steven Kwan could definitely help Toronto, but he will come at an extremely steep price. The cost may be more than the Blue Jays are willing to pay. View the full article

New Brewers prospect Jett Williams brings versatility to the table, with some serious OBP skills, power, and speed and experience at shortstop, second base and center field. His versatility and upside are why the Brewers wanted him, but they make him an (almost) immediate threat to the playing time of some of the team's incumbents. Williams might start the season in the minors, but he should be ready to play in the big leagues sometime this year. The Brewers usually keep all 13 allowed pitchers, so after accounting for the nine starters each day, they have just four spots for bench players, one of which will be held by the backup catcher. So, which Brewers could be bumped off, should Williams seize a job—be it off the roster, or out of the regular mix? Andruw Monasterio Monasterio has been an unsung cult hero for the Brewers since he came up in 2023, including being Brewer Fanatic’s top rookie that year as the team’s primary third baseman down the stretch. Since then, he’s been one of the top options off the Brewers bench, playing all four infield positions adroitly. His playing time has been sparser the last two seasons (251 at-bats total in 2024 and 2025, compared to 282 in 2023). Williams brings a similar type of versatility and a more potent bat. Monasterio is eligible for arbitration after this season, and while he’s solid, his time may be running out. It's possible for Monasterio and Williams to coexist on the 26-man roster, and even on the same bench, but it sure seems unlikely. Joey Ortiz Ortiz will get a shot to redeem himself after a horrid 2025 at the plate. His outstanding defense at short kept him in positive WAR territory, per Baseball Reference, but the leash will be justifiably short. He could lose out (directly or indirectly) to Williams if the offensive struggles continue. The direct path is Williams taking over at shortstop, though few see him as a shortstop in the majors. Indirectly, Williams could take over second base as Brice Turang slides to the other side of the keystone, displacing Ortiz. Blake Perkins Perkins has been the Brewers’ fourth outfielder since the 2024 season. He’s a pesky switch-hitter with some speed, a little pop, and Gold Glove-caliber defense. He’d be a competent starter on some teams, but in Milwaukee, he’s backing up Garrett Mitchell—which could still mean a lot of playing time—and jostling with Jackson Chourio. Williams has more pop, and also plays a pretty good center field, which could edge Perkins out of Milwaukee. Garrett Mitchell Mitchell has a dynamic bat, excellent speed, and is a skillful defender when he’s on the field. The big problem for Mitchell is a series of injuries that have kept him off the field for large portions of the past three seasons, meaning a lot of his service time has come on the injured list. Another injury that costs Mitchell significant time in the offseason, and Williams could take over, providing the same dynamism, albeit as a right-handed hitter. Brandon Lockridge For Lockridge, it’s not about being on the major-league roster; that is not his biggest worry. The Brewers' 40-man roster is also quite crowded, and if and when Williams is added, it could squeeze Lockridge. Williams is the team’s seventh non-roster invite, joining Eddys Leonard as an infielder, but he also plays a competent outfield, and his bat is more dynamic than Lockridge’s. Depending on injuries and offensive performance, Lockridge could be the odd man out for the Brewers, even though they appear to like him quite a bit. Which player do you think should be the most nervous about Jett Williams’ arrival? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

After arm issues limited Charlee Soto's season to just three starts in 2025, he still looks like a clear breakout candidate in 2026 if healthy. View the full article

Earlier this week, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal name-checked three free agent pitchers that the San Diego Padres could be pursuing at this late stage of the offseason: Justin Verlander, Lucas Giolito, and old friend Nick Martinez. The rationale was primarily due to the cost, as each of them would require in the neighborhood of between $8 million and $12 million in average annual value (according to Rosenthal, at least). When you factor in that each could likely be had on a short-term contract, the appeal starts to gain some clarity. It certainly lends itself to a more realistic outcome than, say, a trade for Milwaukee's Freddy Peralta ever was. As such, let's talk about those three names in Verlander, Giolito, and Martinez. Each has a track record of success, but none of them are without questions. It's at least partially those questions that leaves them looking for a new team as the calendar prepares to flip over to February, with pitchers and catchers just a few weeks away from reporting to team sites. Nevertheless, there's a good deal of intrigue present with all three. Assuming all things are equal in the contract for the purpose of this exercise, which veteran pitcher is the best fit for the 2026 Padres? Justin Verlander An ageless wonder, the fact that Verlander will turn 43 before the start of the season hasn't slowed him down much. Across 29 starts with the San Francisco Giants last year, Verlander pitched to an identical ERA and FIP, at 3.85. His fastball still checks in at 93.9 MPH on average, and while his strikeout and walk numbers have come down from his peak, he still limits hard contact at a high level. His 37.0 percent hard-hit rate allowed finished in the 78th percentile last year. The issue with Verlander is obviously the age and recent injury history. He averaged 5 2/3 innings per start last year, but experienced a pectoral issue in May that resulted in a stint on the injured list. Prior to that, he battled neck and shoulder woes in 2024. It's unreasonable to expect him to handle a full season at this stage, even if the performance is still there when he does. If the Padres feel comfortable about their depth, though, it becomes a very easy deal to justify. Especially when you factor in the unquantifiable experience that he'd bring to the rest of the staff. Lucas Giolito Giolito's situation isn't all that dissimilar from that of Verlander, albeit without the Hall of Fame credentials and an even more recent injury history. Perhaps, in that case, it's quite different. When the performance is intact, he's flashed a level of dominance at time throughout his career. The issue is sustaining it. Giolito hasn't been the same pitcher since he bookended 2020 with a 5.2 fWAR in 2019 and a 4.1 in 2021 with the Chicago White Sox. But in 2025, he proved there's at least something left in the tank. Starting the season late after an internal brace procedure wiped out his 2024 season, Giolito pitched to a 3.41 ERA and a career-best 9.3 percent home run rate. The issue is that his strikeout rate plummeted from previous years (19.7 percent) and his 9.1 percent walk rate was just 30th percentile. Even the homer rate looks less appealing when you consider the fact that he pitched his home games at Fenway Park, which ranked 22nd in the league for home runs according to Statcast's Park Factors. His numbers also got progressively worse across the board as the season wore on. Nick Martinez After a pair of seasons serving as a swingman in San Diego, Martinez has spent the last two pitching for the Cincinnati Reds. His role there was much the same, as he made 42 appearances in 2024 (16 starts) and 40 appearances in 2025 (26 starts). The latter of the two represented his highest volume of starts in a season at the major-league level. The results were promising, too. Martinez doesn't offer the strikeout upside of Verlander or even what we've seen at Giolito's heights. But his 2025 campaign was indicative of the skill set he could provide the Padres with. Martinez pitched to a walk rate of just 6.1 percent (84th percentile) and was very adept at avoiding quality contact. He avoided barrels (6.9 percent) and posted an opposing hard-hit rate that fell in the 90th percentile (34.5 percent). That so much of his work came as a starter provided some optimism that he could handle bulk in a way that might've been questioned in years prior. The Verdict Consider where things stand for the Padres' current starting group. Nick Pivetta and Michael King are the only Opening Day locks. Joe Musgrove should return not long after. Beyond that, it's a collection of Randy Vásquez, Matt Waldron, Kyle Hart, Sean Boyle, and non-roster invitee Triston McKenzie. What the Padres need more than anything is stability. When you factor in Verlander's age and Giolito's shaky performance and own injury history in recent memory, Martinez may actually represent the most stable choice of the three, though he may be the most expensive after playing last year on the qualifying offer. Ultimately, though, it'd be hard to turn away any of the three given the upside they bring and the team's lack of mid-rotation certainty. View the full article

Last week, the Toronto Blue Jays signed two more players to minor league contracts, as reflected by the MLB.com transaction tracker: right-handed pitcher Connor Seabold and catcher C.J. Stubbs. Seabold, 30, has pitched for the Red Sox, Rockies, Rays, and Braves, as well as the Samsung Lions of the KBO. He owns a 7.79 ERA and 5.22 xERA in 119 MLB innings from 2021-25. The righty has experience as both a starter and a reliever. Stubbs, 29, made his MLB debut last year after five-plus seasons in the minor leagues. He played in the Astros organization from 2019-24 before he was released and signed with the Nationals. It was with Washington that he finally played his first big league game, starting at catcher (and going 0-for-3) on September 1, 2025. He was optioned back to the minors the next day. Neither Seabold nor Stubbs is likely to play a significant role for Toronto in 2026, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Seabold appear out of the bullpen at some point during the year. As for Stubbs, he'll be more of an emergency backup to the backup (to the backup); his most important job will be as a veteran presence at Triple-A Buffalo. Featured image courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images. View the full article

With the offseason near its completion (pitchers and catchers report in 15 days), the Royals' roster may be on its way to being finalized. While a minor move still may be on the horizon, the lofty hopes that Kansas City would acquire someone like the Red Sox's Jarren Duran or the Cardinals' Brendan Donovan may seemingly be shot. Regardless, the Royals have improved this offseason. Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas are much-needed additions who will help the Kansas City outfield on both the offensive and defensive ends. Matt Strahm, Nick Mears, and Alex Lange should give the bullpen more velocity, depth, and swing-and-miss ability. Lastly, the Royals should also see some internal improvement from players like Jac Caglianone and Jonathan India, who both struggled in their Kansas City debuts a season ago. One player worth watching in Spring Training and in 2026 is Nick Loftin. Selected 32nd overall in the 2020 MLB Draft out of Baylor, Loftin has shown flashes of promise at the MLB level, but hasn't put it all together to stick. In 427 career plate appearances, the 27-year-old utility player has a career .275 wOBA, 72 wRC+, and 0.2 fWAR. His main strength as a player is his plate discipline, as he has a career 14.8% K% and 0.59 BB/K ratio. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to show much else with the Royals since debuting in 2023, which explains why he is on shaky ground for the Royals when it comes to his Opening Day roster spot. Loftin still has a Minor League option remaining, so he has roster flexibility for the upcoming season. That said, the former Bear has nothing to prove in Triple-A. He needs to show he can produce at the plate and in the field if he wants to be not just a key part of this 2026 roster, but also beyond. Will that happen this season for Loftin? Let's look at what he did last year, what needs to improve, and what Royals fans should be looking for with him in Spring Training in Arizona. Mashing the International League (But not so much in the Majors) Last season with the Storm Chasers, Loftin did all he could to show that he belonged at the Major League level. In 43 games and 197 plate appearances, he posted a .415 wOBA and 145 wRC+. He also hit four home runs, scored 30 runs, collected 24 RBI, and stole 12 bases. Lastly, Loftin also had a 1.63 BB/K ratio and 16.4% O-Swing%. When looking at his TJ Stats metrics, he may have been the Storm Chasers' best overall hitter in 2025. There's a lot to like with Loftin's profile above. He ranked in the 90th percentile in above in O-Swing%, Whiff%, Z-Contact%, K%, and BB%. He also ranked in the 95th percentile in wOBA and 97th percentile in xwOBA. The latter demonstrates that his performance was legitimate and not just a product of "batted ball luck". Lastly, he launched the ball well with Omaha (79th percentile) and pulled the ball in the air effectively (89th percentile). Those kinds of batted-ball skills, combined with his plate discipline, are exactly what the Royals are looking for in hitters, especially under new assistant hitting coaches Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames. Unfortunately, things haven't clicked in Kansas City for Loftin yet, as they did in Omaha last season. In 67 games and 188 plate appearances with the Royals, Loftin posted a .279 wOBA, 73 wRC+, and 0.1 fWAR. He also hit four home runs, scored 17 runs, and collected 20 RBI. As expected with Loftin, the BB/K ratio was solid at 0.59. However, like in 2024 and 2023, he struggled to show much in the exit velocity, barrel, and hard-hit categories last year. That is clear in his TJ Stats summary below. With the Royals last year, his average EV ranked in the 23rd percentile, his barrel rate ranked in the 30th percentile, and his hard-hit rate ranked in the 15th percentile. As a result, despite solid plate discipline metrics, his wOBA still ranked in the 6th percentile, and xwOBA ranked in the 15th percentile. Those lackluster metrics explain why the Royals acquired Adam Frazier at the All-Star Break to serve in the utility role previously held by Loftin from May until early July. Some Signs of Encouragement from Loftin's Metrics Loftin got off to a hot start when he was called up, posting an .857 OPS in 14 plate appearances in May. That also included a game-winning hit at Kauffman Stadium against the Mets, where he drove in the winning run off of Mets pitcher (and former Royals draft pick) Sean Manaea. Unfortunately, things really nosedived for Loftin over the remainder of the season. From June to September, he posted the following OPS marks by month: June: .514 OPS (53 PA) July: .695 OPS (51 PA) August: .570 OPS (50 PA) September: .750 OPS (20 PA) He started showing signs of life in September. Unfortunately, by that time, it was too late, as Frazier had established himself as the Royals' primary utility man. Interestingly enough, Loftin's surge in September was no fluke, as his xwOBA rolling chart showed his best xwOBA came down the stretch. Interestingly enough, even though Loftin had a good start, his xwOBA at the start of the year didn't reflect that. His xwOBA was between the .220 and .240 range, which matched one of the worst marks of his career (which was back in 2023). That said, Loftin demonstrated solid progression in xwOBA trends, culminating with him being above the league-average by his 400th career plate appearance. Loftin showed more consistency in 2024 in xwOBA, though his metrics were even worse that year. In 57 games and 171 plate appearances, he posted a .242 wOBA, 51 wRC+, and -0.2 fWAR. Conversely, his BABIP was only .216, which explains why his actual numbers were so different from his xwOBA. The same story was true for Loftin last year, as he had a .223 BABIP. It will be interesting to see if the new Kauffman Stadium dimensions could result in more hits for Loftin, who hasn't gotten the most batted-ball luck in his career (.248 career BABIP). Below is his spray chart from last year, modified to Target Field, which should mirror the new dimensions at the K in 2026. With the new dimensions, Loftin would have had five home runs in 2025. Furthermore, it's possible that many of his field outs could've been hits as well, especially those at the warning track. Thus, that could be why the Royals are balking at bringing back Frazier or at looking for another utility type in free agency, like Austin Slater, Miguel Andujar, or Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Kauffman's new dimensions could help Loftin be more productive at home (though his 96 career wRC+ at home is 53 points better than his career wRC+ on the road, according to Fangraphs splits). What Does Loftin Need to Do in 2026? A positive about Loftin's profile is that he's been solid defensively, though he's not spectacular at one given spot. Last year, he produced a positive OAA (outs above average) value at every position except left field, which can be seen in the table below via Savant. When looking at detailed data on where Loftin was successful, it seemed like he was better on plays straight up, especially in the infield. In the outfield, it seemed like his range wasn't as great, especially toward the gap. The reality is that Loftin won't win a Gold Glove anytime soon. Furthermore, the infield seems set with Maikel Garcia at third base, Bobby Witt Jr. at shortstop, and Jonathan India and Michael Massey at second base. For Loftin to earn more playing time, improving his play in the outfield, especially left field, may be essential. In addition to improving outfield defense, Loftin needs to start hitting the ball with more authority. That doesn't have to mean more home runs, necessarily. Rather, seeing a trend upward in his hard-hit rate in 2026 would be a step in the right direction. At six-feet, 180 pounds, he has the ability to generate more hard hits, and his rolling chart last year showed that he made progress in this area. For the first time in his career, Loftin had a hard-hit rate above the league average (which was around the 230th-250th batted-ball mark). While he was slightly below average for the remainder of the year, he was between the 30% and 40% range, which was better than what he had been doing earlier in the year and in 2023 and 2024 as well. That said, generating a higher hard-hit rate can be easier said than done, especially in Loftin's case. The key to that happening depends on his ideal attack angle and his bat speed. Improving those two things can lead to more hard hits, more barrels, and, thus, more offensive production. Regarding the ideal attack angle, he showed encouraging progress last year. His attack angle rolling chart showed multiple instances when it was above the league average. In 2024, he only had one small stretch where it hovered above that league-average line, according to Savant. Conversely, his bat speed has lagged over the course of his career. His 69.4 MPH average bat speed ranked 19th of 23 Royals hitters last year with 10 or more plate appearances. Furthermore, his 6.6% fast-swing rate ranked 18th among Savant's rankings. When looking at his rolling chart for bat speed, the trend has been pretty consistent throughout his career, suggesting his bat speed may remain what it is going forward. Thus, Loftin's hard-hit rate may remain inconsistent unless he continues to show improvement in his attack angle at the Major League level. Nonetheless, the key to Loftin sticking in the Majors will hinge on his ability to get on base and his ability to play multiple positions defensively. Plate discipline and positional flexibility are two areas that manager Matt Quatraro seems to value highly. Loftin could be the fit off the bench the Royals need to improve upon their 2025 82-80 record. However, he needs to show progress immediately in 2026, especially if he comes out of camp on the Major League roster. There's nothing left Loftin needs to do in Omaha. He needs to show better and more consistent results in the Majors. Let's see if he can see that progress in hard-hit, barrel ability, and launch angle in the Majors in 2026 as he did in Triple-A last year. If he does, the former 2020 pick could be a long-term mainstay on the Royals roster. View the full article

Ahead of every spring exhibition season, a large number of non-roster invitees are announced. While the Chicago Cubs have yet to announce their full group, we can already spot some differences from the 2025 assemblage. Last year's Cubs brought 20 players into camp as non-roster invitees. It was a relatively productive group: Brad Keller was an essential bullpen contributor, and Reese McGuire provided key coverage behind the plate in Miguel Amaya's absence. But the context of that roster left that group little room to make an impact, particularly with respect to the positional depth. Generally, the non-roster path is an effective way to build out the back end of a bullpen and (as we'll discuss today) a bench. However, the 2025 Cubs had Gage Workman in camp as a Rule 5 draft pick; Jon Berti in on a guaranteed contract; and Vidal Bruján and Ben Cowles each also occupying spots on the 40-man roster. That meant the Cubs were, on some level, locked into evaluating those specific players for spots on the bench to start the year. Save McGuire, Nicky Lopez would be the lone non-roster invitee (who wasn't already an organizational prospect) to spend any amount of time at the major-league level with Chicago in 2025. It's hard to argue that the guys who clogged the 40-man in camp last spring helped the Cubs. None of Workman, Bruján, Berti, or Lopez made it through the summer. McGuire hung around given the need for catching depth, but there's also an inflexibility wrought by a third catcher on the roster. Had Amaya returned for more than one day between injuries, even McGuire probably would have been bumped. As such, it comes as no surprise that the team has adopted a different style of building a bench for 2026. As things stand, the Cubs have a full 40-man roster. At least five of those names could offer support in a reserve role in a way that we didn't see last year: Matt Shaw, Tyler Austin, Justin Dean, Kevin Alcántara, and, once again, Cowles. Unlike last year's set occupying the 40-man, you're not looking at a handful of players whose value lies purely in versatility (Bruján, Berti) or clinging to hope that some upside may actually still exist, despite all evidence to the contrary (Lopez). There's actual value for the team to deploy these guys in a reserve capacity this season. Shaw is the most obvious, given the upside flashed with both the bat and the glove in his rookie season. Barring a trade, the Alex Bregman signing pushes him into a role where he could see action four or five days a week, depending on positional rotation. If he's able to competently play the outfield, that only enhances his utility. On paper, he's a massive upgrade to the bench. While Austin has some much less versatility—he's on the roster to hit lefties and play a little first base—he's a younger and higher-upside version of Justin Turner, who filled that role last year. Dean brings speed (27 steals in 90 games in Triple A last year) on a level that the team was unable to find on their bench last season, which could push Alcántara into a full-time gig in Iowa. If not, Alcántara's theoretical upside is more than any reserve player from 2025. If the depth chart reaches Cowles, you're looking at a power bump from Bruján and decent speed lying within the versatility he adds. The team also has three non-roster invitees coming in on the positional side, in Scott Kingery, Christian Bethancourt, and Chas McCormick. While Kingery is no more or less than this year's Lopez, Bethancourt performed well in a short stint with the Cubs in 2024, and McCormick is two years removed from being a really promising outfielder. There's still coverage at catcher and the potential for an impactful fourth outfielder, if McCormick can regain any semblance of his old form. In short, while there is a certain level of rigidity inherent in a full 40-man roster, the Cubs haven't backed themselves into a corner. There might only be faint hope for real value from McCormick, but you can afford to roll the dice on a player like that when there's more certainty elsewhere on the bench. Being able to move Shaw to the bench gives the team better positional depth than it had last year. After the struggle to find any semblance of stability in that unit last season, Jed Hoyer and company have worked their way toward establishing something much more helpful for 2026. View the full article

This multi-part series talks about how the Brewers got to the World Series and offers a timeline of the 1982 campaign, including player profiles, game recaps, and other events that affected the season. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 World Series Preview: Milwaukee vs. St. Louis Milwaukee came from two games down to defeat the California Angels three games to two in the American League Championship Series to advance to the World Series. In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals earned a trip to the Fall Classic by sweeping the Atlanta Braves three games to none in the NLCS. The series was billed as the Brewers’ power versus the Cardinals’ speed. Milwaukee’s ‘Harvey Wallbangers’ led the major leagues with 216 home runs while the Cards were dead last with 67 jacks. The Cardinals, who played ‘Whiteyball,’ stole 200 bases (second to Oakland’s 232) while the Brew Crew stole 84, ranking 20th of the 26 teams. The Cardinals had an edge on defense with their overall team speed and had two Gold Glove winners: 1B Keith Hernandez and SS Ozzie Smith. For the Brewers, SS Robin Yount won a Gold Glove. Overall, it appeared that the Cardinals had a slight advantage on the mound. Their team ERA+ of 109 was tied for third in the majors while Milwaukee had a team ERA+ of 96, which ranked 21st of 26 teams. The Cards had a FIP of 3.68 (10th) while the Brewers were farther down the list with a 4.17 FIP, which ranked 22nd. The series was dubbed the ‘Sud Series,’ as both cities had major breweries in Miller (Milwaukee) and Anheuser-Busch (St. Louis). Let’s tap the keg for the opening game! Game 1: Molitor, Yount combine for nine hits in Brewer blowout Milwaukee (Mike Caldwell, 17-13) at St. Louis (Bob Forsch, 15-9) The Brewers scored twice in the first inning after Robin Yount singled and Cecil Cooper walked. After Ted Simmons struck out, Ben Oglivie hit a sharp grounder at Gold Glover Keith Hernandez, who let the ball get past him, scoring Yount. Gorman Thomas had an infield single, scoring Cooper. Caldwell cruised through three frames, allowing only a two-base hit to Darrell Porter in the second. In the top of the fourth, Charlie Moore led off with a double down the left field line. Jim Gantner dropped down a sac bunt that moved Moore to third. Paul Molitor hit a broken bat flare to short center, scoring Moore, but Molitor was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. If you were scoring at home, the play would have been 6-4. The Brewers led 3-0 when Simmons came to bat in the fifth. Simmons had received a standing ovation during pre-game introductions, but the crowd was quiet when ‘Simba’ blasted a 1-1 pitch from Forsch into the right field stands, giving Milwaukee a 4-0 lead. An inning later, Gantner and Molitor each singled with two outs and were driven in by Yount, who hit a bloop double down the right field line to make it 6-0 and send Forsch to the showers. Milwaukee finished the scoring in the top of the ninth with four runs, all after two outs. Don Money singled in Oglivie, who had walked. Moore singled to put runners at first and second before Gantner tripled to deep right-center, clearing the bases. Molitor capped the scoring with an infield single that scored Gantner. Caldwell put the side down in order in the bottom half and the Brewers celebrated a 10-0 whitewashing. ‘Iron Mike’ allowed three hits and one walk while inducing 14 groundball outs with his sinker. “I don’t think he missed the target all night,” right fielder Moore told the Wisconsin State Journal. “You will never see Caldwell pitch any better.” The Brewers were led by Molitor’s five hits, which set a World Series record and still stands today, although Albert Pujols of the Cardinals matched that feat in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series. Yount had four hits, along with two each by Simmons, Moore, and Gantner. Game 2: Cardinal bullpen the difference in 5-4 win Milwaukee (Don Sutton, 4-1) at St. Louis (John Stuper, 9-7) The Brewers once again got on the board first in St. Louis. With Roy Howell at second, Moore doubled to deep left-center to score Howell in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, Molitor scored on a groundout by Yount and two batters later Simmons hit his second HR of the Series to give Milwaukee a 3-0 lead. Sutton, who had set down six straight in the first two innings, ran into some trouble in the bottom of the third. Dane Iorg singled and was forced at second by Willie McGee, who promptly stole second. Ozzie Smith grounded out, moving McGee to third, and it looked like Sutton might weather the storm. But Tommy Herr had different ideas as he hit a one-hopper over the fence in right-center field for a ground-rule double to make it 3-1. Ken Oberkfell singled to right to drive in Herr to cut the Brewers lead to 3-2. In the fifth, Yount led off with a double to left to chase Stuper in favor of Jim Kaat. ‘Kitty’ was making his second appearance of the Series, and at age 43, was the second-oldest player to participate in the Fall Classic. Not respecting his elders, Cooper lined a single to left center off Kaat to score Yount for a 4-2 lead. Sutton got back in the groove, retiring eight straight after the third but with one out in the sixth, Oberkfell singled and then George Hendrick walked with two outs. Former Brewer Porter doubled down the left field line to tie the contest at four apiece. After Cooper doubled with two outs in the seventh, closer Bruce Sutter entered the game, replacing Doug Bair. Sutter walked Simmons intentionally and then got Oglivie to ground out. Lefty Bob McClure entered the game in the bottom of the seventh and got two quick outs by strikeout and then gave up a single and a walk before getting a Gene Tenace flyout. The score was still tied in the eighth when Hernandez walked and was forced at second by Hendrick. Porter singled to center, moving Hendrick to second. That was the end of the line for McClure, who was removed as Pete Ladd came on for Milwaukee. Ladd ran the count to 3-2 on Lonnie Smith and walked the hitter on a close pitch, one which players on both teams thought was a strike. “I thought it was there on the black,” Smith said after the game. “Was I surprised at the call?” Molitor asked. “I think everyone in this clubhouse was surprised at the call.” Ladd appeared to be rattled, then threw four straight balls to Steve Braun, scoring Hendrick for the 5-4 lead. Molitor led off the top of the ninth with an infield single but then was thrown out trying to steal second. Yount and Cooper were retired by Sutter, and the Cards evened the Series with a 5-4 victory. Cooper led the Brewers with three hits while Molitor and Moore each added two. The Series is tied at one win apiece. Check out Part 8 for the games (Games 3-5) played at County Stadium. View the full article

Taylor Rogers has accrued nine years and 145 days of MLB service time—just 27 days short of collecting his pension. The rest of the Twins’ projected Opening Day bullpen (Justin Topa, Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk, Eric Orze, Pierson Ohl, Travis Adams, John Klein) has 11 years and 83 days in total. About half of that time belongs to Topa, who sits at five years and 44 days, but three of those years (2021, 2022, 2024) he spent injured and threw 13 combined innings. Cole Sands has two fewer years of experience and eight more appearances. So, in terms of MLB experience not spent rehabbing, it’s closer to nine years between those seven bullpen arms. Put another way—Rogers has thrown 541 1/3 innings as a big leaguer. Those seven names, combined, have thrown 578 2/3 frames. If you want to throw one of the starting pitchers into a bullpen role, I don’t begrudge you, but David Festa only raises the service time count to 12 years and 135 days, then the innings count to 657 1/3. Rogers brings far and away the most experience in a bullpen stocked with players still wet behind the ears. Many players are slated to make their big-league debuts in the bullpen this season—like Klein, Marco Raya, or Connor Priellipp. It wouldn’t be surprising if some starters—like Festa, Mick Abel, or Zebby Matthews—spent time in the bullpen. Having someone like Rogers, a former All-Star closer, has value when dealing with this level of youth and inexperience. The nerds in the room may turn up their noses at such an idea. To many, it’s foolish to buy into the human element playing any role in a team’s success, but we have empirical evidence that these things matter. There’s a litany of organizational and managerial research that informs this, but there’s also been studies of MLB teams. In 2013, Jamal Shamsie of Michigan State and Michael Mannor of Notre Dame published a study analyzing MLB teams from 1985 to 2001 and attempting to measure tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge refers to knowledge that is difficult to communicate, because it’s gained through experience. A player can have all the skill and instruction in the world, but without experience, they cannot reach their full potential. They have to live to learn. One form of tacit knowledge that the researchers identified was discrete productive knowledge: knowledge gained from doing the work repeatedly—essentially, the more times you do something, the better you’ll understand it, and the better you’ll perform. This isn’t a practice-makes-perfect skill acquisition idea; it’s understanding your job better and being better able to react when things go awry, because you’ve done it before. How did the researchers quantify discrete productive knowledge? Pretty simple: years of experience. They even split it up into regular-season experience and playoff experience. They found, over the span of their study, that regular-season and playoff experience both contribute to team success. That is, teams with more experienced players tend to do better. These findings were similar to those of a 2002 study by Shawn Berman, Jonathan Down, and Charles Hill on tacit knowledge among NBA players. Obviously, there are easy criticisms to make of this methodology. Players who have played longer tend to be better players. You don’t see a bunch of guys playing 15 years while also being bad. But the researchers attempted to control for that as well. Beyond other types of tacit knowledge, like manager experience, tenure within a team, or the number of lineup changes in a year, the authors also controlled for previous years’ winning percentage, market size, and payroll. And they found that even beyond those effects, experience made a real difference. Having 'been there' matters. Rogers understands the game in a way his less-experienced colleagues do not. He knows how to navigate late innings in a way his teammates don’t, simply by dint of having done it before. By definition, he’s in a better position to navigate bullpen and late-inning life. Even if he’s regressed to a similar skill as someone like Funderburk, he has the background to help him outperform his sheer talent at age 35. Sands might be better than him at this point in his career, but Rogers has two 30-save seasons under his belt. He knows what it feels like to close a nailbiter out. He’s done it dozens of times. Given that experience, he can immediately step into a high-leverage role. That might just be keeping a high-leverage seat warm for one of the younger guys, but it’s an experienced presence that can anchor a bullpen. Of course, there’s also explicit knowledge. There are things that he can teach younger guys. Not just “throw a slider in this count” or “move your index finger a little to the left,” but he can be a resource for living the big-league bullpen life, because this will be his 11th year doing it. Many pitchers struggle with finding the right weight-lifting and throwing routines to navigate the unpredictable schedule of a reliever's work. Some aren't as sharp as they need to be when they enter the game, because their preparation in the pen itself before entering is imperfect. Applying scouting and analytical data about opposing hitters is a skill that requires development. Rogers can help with all of that. A player can communicate some of their experience to others. It’s not all locked in their head, tacit and uncommunicable. A good veteran has both types of knowledge to share. Berman, S. L., Down, J., & Charles W. L. Hill. (2002). Tacit Knowledge as a Source of Competitive Advantage in the National Basketball Association. The Academy of Management Journal, 45(1), 13–31. Shamsie, J., & Mannor, M. J. (2013). Looking inside the dream team: Probing into the contributions of tacit knowledge as an organizational resource. Organization Science, 24(2), 513-529. View the full article

While most of Boston Red Sox Nation frets over the lineup, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow got to work building a super rotation. This offseason alone, the third-year executive added right-handers Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo via trades, later signing left-hander Ranger Suarez to a five-year deal. Before diving in deeper, here's how the 2024 Opening Day rotation compares to the projected one for 2026: 1. RHP Brayan Bello | LHP Garrett Crochet 2. RHP Nick Pivetta | RHP Sonny Gray 3. RHP Garrett Whitlock | LHP Ranger Suarez 4. RHP Kutter Crawford | RHP Brayan Bello 5. RHP Tanner Houck | RHP Johan Oviedo The only constant in the two rotations is Bello, though Crawford remains with the organization. As a result of the turnover, just reading the names does little to emphasize the improvement, if not for Bello. The 2024 Opening Day starter went from de facto No. 1 to the No. 4 in two seasons. Even after a campaign in which he produced a 3.35 ERA, the 26-year-old once dubbed "Baby Pedro" has more people clamoring to trade him than vouching for him as a candidate to further break out in 2026. That's the rotation Breslow built this winter. One that FanGraphs projects as the No. 1 rotation in all of Major League Baseball. Yes, including the superteam Los Angeles Dodgers. Why is that? After all, the Dodgers have World Series hero Yoshinobu Yamamoto, two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, as well as All-Stars Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow. Well, let's go down the line of what each Red Sox pitcher accounted for in these projections. Garrett Crochet -- 5.7 Projected fWAR The 2025 American League Cy Young runner-up isn't just elite for the American League. He's actually projected 2.1 fWAR higher than the best Dodgers arm, Yamamoto. The southpaw is a jack of all trades in modern baseball. Long gone are the days of guys pitching 300 innings, or even 250. Honestly, even 200 is a stretch for most guys. But in 2025, Crochet matched dominance to volume, with a 2.59 ERA in 205 1/3 innings. Sure, there were signs of fatigue in the second half, but that was unchartered territory for him. He still reached back for a 101-mph fastball on Pitch 117 in his postseason start against the Yankees. If not for Tarik Skubal, there's a real argument for Crochet as SP1 in baseball, potentially over right-hander Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Sonny Gray -- 3.9 Projected fWAR Like Crochet, Gray is also projected more fWAR than the highest Dodger, by 0.3. This one is a shock to most, which makes sense given his 4.28 ERA in 2025. But in spite of his 4.28 ERA, he posted 3.6 fWAR in 2025 on account of his 3.39 FIP and 21.6% strikeout-to-walk rate. This is why projection models love the 36-year-old despite the homer-proneness and velocity drop. He is a crafty right-hander who gets a lot of chase, whiff, and strikeouts in addition to avoiding "ball four". Ultimately, you can live with home run issues if you're not also a walk liability. Gray forces opposing hitters to beat him. They did at points in 2025, but he remains ridiculously efficient on the mound. It wouldn't shock me if Gray still underperforms his peripherals in 2026 in large part due to his home run issues, but his results will remain strong so long as he doesn't change who he is as a pitcher. Ranger Suarez -- Projected 3.3 fWAR Suarez is the first Red Sox starter not projected as high as the Dodgers' ace, but he's tied with Snell for second! Suarez is a hound, even if you have to contend with a month of missed starts. His biggest deterrent, in addition to lingering velocity struggles, is his availability. So, when the Red Sox commit five years, $130 million, and lose a draft pick to sign him, it raises some eyebrows. But he's super talented. His secondaries are second to none in baseball. He ranked in the 88th percentile for breaking ball run value, and 90th percentile for off-speed. He misses barrels, he limits hard contact, and he gets hitters to expand the zone. He's super crafty, a stark contrast to Crochet, but he's a different kind of dominant. There's a reason he's SP14 for fWAR since 2023, despite being tied for 47th in starts. The Red Sox will need him to be healthy, especially for October, but he's among the best bang-for-your-buck arms in the game. Brayan Bello -- 1.8 Projected fWAR Projection models don't love Bello to repeat his 2025 success, and that makes sense. But he's still someone who limits runs and eats innings. What makes Bello so effective is his ability to keep the ball on the ground. When he couples his grounder proficiency with strong command, he gets deep into games. The Red Sox are hoping he can put it all together with volume and strikeouts, but the man they got a year ago was certainly anything but disappointing. Reminder, this is their No. 4 starter. Johan Oviedo -- 1.2 Projected fWAR Depending on who you ask, Oviedo is one of the more intriguing arms in the building for the Red Sox on Day 1 of camp. The truth of the matter, however, is there's not a whole lot to point to in his MLB career that portends elite production. Projection models like him slightly more than Bello by run prevention, but considerably less volume. He's a talented arm, but will be in his first full year removed from elbow surgery rehab. He can light up the radar gun and is obviously a physical specimen. Patrick Sandoval -- 0.6 Projected fWAR Sandoval signed with the Red Sox last offseason and suddenly doesn't have a guaranteed spot in the rotation. However, he's someone with past big-league success. In 2022, he posted a 2.91 ERA for the Angels. That year, he also exceeded 150 strikeouts. While he's a few years removed from being a viable member of a rotation, he's still a guy with a plus changeup. At 29 years old and making roughly $13 million in 2026, it's reasonable to assume the Red Sox will listen to trade offers for him. But should he factor into the mix this season – he's an effective pitcher when healthy. Connelly Early -- Projected 0.6 fWAR Early blossomed in a brief MLB stint last season and put a bow on what was a tremendous year for his stock as a prospect. His secondaries give him a complete arsenal, which is rare for someone his age, especially for someone who ascended through the prospect ranks so quickly. He has a smooth delivery and appears to be ready for the moment. It's no surprise teams want him badly in a trade for productive hitters. We've seen reports that Arizona wanted him in a potential Ketel Marte trade, and the same for Houston with Isaac Paredes. Kutter Crawford -- Projected 0.5 fWAR Crawford is someone I'm excited to see in 2026 for a few reasons. First, he's a talented pitcher. We saw it in the first half of 2024, his ability to command the zone and chew up innings. He ran out of gas, especially considering he was pitching hurt in the second half, but he's still someone with a decent track record in MLB. As a swingman, I think he can be a vital piece of the Red Sox's pitching staff. In a lot of ways, similar to his 2023 self, where he emerged as one of the most intriguing arms in the organization. What will be pivotal for him to get back to that level is a resurrection of his fastball, which dropped from the 91st percentile to 50th in run value. If he can unlock the heater, he's got potential to be a Swiss Army knife for the Red Sox in 2026. Payton Tolle -- Projected 0.4 fWAR Tolle got a cup of coffee in 2025 and immediately put the league on notice. Overall, his numbers didn't reflect the hype, but we learned there's something special about that man's fastball. If he can develop even one off-speed pitch into a plus offering, he and Crochet might take the league by storm as a 1-2 punch for the next half decade. Right now, his safest bet would be the MLB bullpen or as a Triple-A starter, but he will be an important member of this team's journey. Kyle Harrison -- Projected 0.1 fWAR Rounding out the accounted-for starters is Harrison, the headlining piece of the Rafael Devers trade last June. In limited exposure for Boston, he did alright in 2025. He made one strong relief appearance against the Athletics, and a so-so start against the Detroit Tigers in Game 160. His fastball is his primary offering, and it's far and away his best pitch. It's no surprise people like him as a left-handed reliever in 2026. There's precedent for the Red Sox doing that to get their talented arms into big-league action; Tanner Houck in 2021 and 2022, Crawford in 2023, even Tolle last year. They could go that route with Harrison, as that would be a great way to recoup some value lost in the trade already. Overall Outlook -- Projected 18.3 fWAR FanGraphs projects the Red Sox to finish with the most fWAR, lowest FIP, and third-best ERA in baseball in 2026. It makes sense, as they're the only team in baseball with a starter projected for 5.0 or more fWAR alongside another arm projected over three wins. And they have two of those! Say what you want about the Red Sox's lineup, but the rotation is an enviable strength of the team. They'll obviously need to prove they can score to be a real threat to win it all, but their pitching staff is certainly up to snuff on paper. View the full article

Construction inside Rogers Centre is nearing completion as February approaches. From behind the plate to the upper decks, tarps and scaffolding stretch from dugout to dugout. The parallels between the stadium upgrades and the roster overhaul are hard to miss. High‑end amenities cost money, and so does a roster built to finish what last season started. In an elevator down to field level, I mentioned to a team executive that Opening Day is just around the corner, even though Game 7 feels like it happened yesterday. He smiled and nodded. The momentum from last season’s success, combined with an active offseason, keeps the Blue Jays in the conversation as one of the strongest teams on paper heading into 2026. Toronto pursued many of the top free agents, and there is still a sense the club may not be finished. The remaining free agent market is thin, and only a few available players would address areas where the Jays could still improve. The needs include infield depth, a power bat and a high‑leverage reliever. The starting infield appears set after the signing of Kazuma Okamoto. He is projected to adjust quickly to major league pitching, but if he needs time, the Jays will have to shuffle pieces. There is also a chance he platoons with Addison Barger at third base. Unlike the Garth Iorg–Rance Mulliniks platoon of the 1980s, an Okamoto‑Barger tandem would bring legitimate power to the lineup. A key question is whether Ernie Clement can repeat his breakout 2025 season. If he can, manager John Schneider will find ways to keep him in the lineup. If he regresses, second base becomes a concern. At the moment, Davis Schneider and Leo Jiménez are the only true backup options. Free agent Luis Arraez could be a good fit. He is a high‑contact, high‑OBP hitter, but he does not offer power and is limited defensively to first and second. He would bring veteran presence and left‑handed balance, but his lack of versatility lowers his overall value. At the right price, he remains an interesting option. Injuries happen, so the Jays are likely exploring infield depth both externally and internally. They’d presumably prefer players who can handle multiple positions and fit their contact‑first approach. Josh Kasevich, a shortstop who spent 2025 in Triple A, posted solid numbers and is ranked 11th in the organization. He is likely to see major league time in 2026. If Andrés Giménez struggles or gets injured, both of which occurred last season, Kasevich could be called upon. Clement and Jiménez are also capable shortstop options, with Schneider able to play second as needed. Signing Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger would have created roster complications. A healthy Anthony Santander should occupy a corner outfield spot and allow George Springer to see more regular DH time. Springer’s strong 2025 season was due in part to staying healthy, helped by spending more time at DH than in the field. Daulton Varsho enters 2026 as the Jays’ starting centre fielder. Barger has earned the right field job to open the season. Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw and Schneider will rotate in as needed. Those three depth outfielders have surfaced in trade speculation, but none would fetch a major return on their own. They would be secondary pieces in a larger package. Straw, in particular, is less attractive due to his contract; he'll make $7.4 million in 2026, with an $8 million club option (with a $1.75 million buyout) for 2027. While the focus is on 2026, the outfield picture becomes unclear after this season. Both Varsho and Springer are free agents next winter. Each brings value and is a fan favourite, but both could also bring meaningful returns if the Jays pivot. There was chatter last year about a potential trade for Steven Kwan, but he signed a one‑year deal with Cleveland to avoid arbitration. He would bring elite contact skills and leadership, but he does not offer anything Varsho or Springer do not already provide, nor would he solve the long‑term outfield issue; Kwan will be a free agent after 2027. A surprise trade is always possible, but for now, the front office appears comfortable with its infield and outfield pieces. The biggest upgrades this offseason came in the starting rotation. Dylan Cease, the club’s marquee signing, will headline a staff that should rank among the best in baseball. Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage could arm wrestle for the No. 2 spot. Both have something to prove: Gausman is entering a contract year, while Yesavage wants to show his rapid rise in 2025 was no fluke. Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce, José Berríos, Eric Lauer and Bowden Francis round out the rotation depth chart, with Ricky Tiedemann another option to start at some point down the line. Bieber will also be part of the conversation for the No. 2 spot, but right now, his health is a bit up in the air. Regardless, there is a surplus of capable starters, which suggests the Jays may be open to moving one or two pitchers in the right deal. The bullpen has evolved with the additions of Tyler Rogers and Chase Lee. The questions now are whether Jeff Hoffman and Yimi García can return to form, whether Louis Varland, Braydon Fisher and Mason Fluharty can continue progressing, and if Rule 5 picks Angel Bastardo and Spencer Miles can stay in the mix. If the rotation performs as expected, the bullpen could be even stronger. A lightly-used and healthy relief corps late in the season would position the Jays well for another deep playoff run. Every contending roster needs redundancy to survive a long season filled with slumps and injuries. In 2025, the Jays stayed relatively healthy, though Santander, Varsho, Giménez, Berríos and more spent time on the injured list. This offseason has been dramatic and, at times, frustrating. Missing out on Tucker, Bellinger, and Bo Bichette stings. But the team remains strong, the market remains open and the front office is clearly exploring options. In negotiations, leverage is everything, and right now, the Jays have it. They do not need to make another move. But the right move could further improve the team and fill those new premium seats between first and third well into October as the Jays chase that elusive championship. View the full article

After an active winter that saw several departures and just as many arrivals, the Cubs enter 2026 with good bullpen depth. However, there are a handful of unclaimed spots on their pitching staff, and spring training should yield a lively competition for them. To better understand that free-for-all, let's examine each of the candidates and the ways they might best mesh. We'll consider the right- and left-handed relievers separately, to make the project a bit more manageable. It would be hard to properly evaluate the candidacies of each player hoping to win a job in the bullpen without first mapping out what the end result of those evaluations should be, so let's start there. Most modern bullpens include eight pitchers, and for simplicity's sake, we'll assume that the 2026 Cubs will hew to that norm. They might well use a six-man rotation for some stretch of the season, which would shorten the pen to seven, but that variable can be saved for later. Of the eight in the pen, five or six are usually right-handed. It's great to have lefties who can neutralize dangerous pockets of opposing lineups that include multiple dangerous lefty sluggers, but with the three-batter minimum in place since 2020, it's hard to carry more than a couple of lefties without eventually being compelled to expose them to bad matchups. An especially split-neutral lefty can ameliorate that problem, but the Cubs don't have such a pitcher on their staff at the moment. Let's again use a simplifying assumption to clarify our discussion, and say that Caleb Thielbar and Hoby Milner will be the only lefties in the eight-man pen on Opening Day. That leaves six spots to fill with northpaws. Deciding who those six should be starts, of course, with considerations of quality. Before getting to the nuances and the nitty-gritty of roster-building, you can get a long way by focusing on the fact that good pitching staffs are made up of good pitchers. The Cubs' relief ace is Daniel Palencia, and they'll lean heavily on the two setup-quality righties they brought in this winter: Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey. When all three are healthy, those will probably be the top three righties on the relief depth chart. In fact, there are basically five righties who belong in this conversation and will absolutely be on the roster on Opening Day, unless they're hurt. In one case (Colin Rea), that doesn't necessarily mean the bullpen, but all five will be around when they're available. That group is Palencia, Maton, Harvey, Rea and Jacob Webb. Of the set, only Palencia has the ability to be optioned to the minors, and the Cubs won't want to do that, unless he has an unforeseeably disastrous spring. There are two key considerations, beyond pitcher quality, that constrain every discussion about the makeup of a bullpen: minor-league options and 40-man roster status. Teams adore players who can be optioned to the minors, because in theory, they give the roster greater fluidity and flexibility. They like to sign credible big-league pitchers to minor-league deals during the offseason, because by doing so, they save space on the 40-man roster. Once those guys are added to that reserve list, though, they have to be in the majors, and many of them come with opt-out clauses in their contracts that allow them to elect free agency if they're not added to the roster. Here are the 15 right-handed pitchers the Cubs will bring to camp with a shot to make their bullpen. I've highlighted in gold the ones who have options, and I've cast the ones not currently on the 40-man roster in gray. A lot of the information you need to project their Opening Day pen is right here. I put a blue fence around the five names we've already discussed, because they're not really part of the competition for space on the roster. For that matter, we don't know whether Rea will end up as part of this mix, even though we know he'll be on the team. If one of the team's incumbent starters gets hurt during camp, Rea would be first in line to step into the back end of the rotation. Let's assume that there are two more spots to assign to members of the cohort outside that blue box. Injuries could create a second slot fairly easily. That means that Javier Assad, Ben Brown, Porter Hodge, Gavin Hollowell, Jack Neely and Ethan Roberts are in the mix for spots, but the team can theoretically keep any of them by simply optioning them to the minors. Jeff Brigham, Corbin Martin, Collin Snider and Trent Thornton aren't on the 40-man roster, and if added, they wouldn't be eligible to be sent back to the minors. The flip side is that if they aren't added, they might not be long for the organization. From a roster-juggling perspective, those considerations can almost come out in the wash. Brown and Assad feel pretty safe, because they both have some big-league success under their belts; the ability to stretch out and work multiple innings at a time; and a bit of upside left in their profiles. They won't be traded (unless as part of a fairly significant deal) or designated for assignment. However, Hodge, Hollowell, Neely and Roberts need to have strong camps to hold onto their roster spots. It's nice that they can be sent to the minors, but if the team needs to open a roster spot for one of the four guys on minor-league deals, losing one of those four isn't going to keep the front office up at night. This is why, even in the era of big data and extremely refined player evaluation, spring training battles are very real. If you're Brigham, Martin, Snider or Thornton, you have to come to camp and be better than one of Hodge, Hollowell, Neely or Roberts—and not just better, but better by a wide enough margin that the team feels reasonably confident you'll stick on the roster for a couple of months, to make up for the roster flexibility lost by swapping out an optionable hurler for a roster-locked one. Finally, there's the more fun, on-field set of questions about building a bullpen. In the array above, I used snapshots from Baseball Savant to give a sense of both the arm slot and the pitch shapes of each hurler, so we can see how the team has accumulated diversity (and where redundancy exists). We've come full-circle, here, in that I need to stress that a team shouldn't cultivate diversity in shapes at the expense of quality; some pitch shapes are better than others. Where possible, though, it's good to have guys who throw from varying arm slots and have varying pitch mixes, so that the manager can manipulate matchups as well as possible. Referring back to that image, then, we can see one more reason why Assad is secure in his place on the roster: that high arm slot. He offers hitters a different look than just about any other Cubs righty, so he'll be a change of pace no matter when he pitches. One reason why Webb appealed to the Cubs and merited a big-league deal is the unique interplay of his fastball and changeup, with the latter running arm-side quite a bit but not having much depth. A wrinkle like that helps a pitcher stand out, and makes them more important to a team that doesn't have much of that particular trait. Palencia's velocity is another, related outlier trait, in what is otherwise a relatively soft-tossing pen. Hollowell, Roberts and Snider each offer some lesser variation on what Maton does, with low arm slots and a wide horizontal movement spread. However, the team probably doesn't need all four of those guys. Hollowell and Roberts combined to spend about 75% of their season in Iowa last year. If Snider comes to camp and shows as well as the Cubs expect, he's a good candidate to snare a roster spot, at the expense of one of those two pitchers. Martin's profile is similar to Harvey's, and because Harvey is often injured, the Cubs would probably prefer to keep both pitchers—but ideally, that would be either because Martin is willing to stick around in the minors or because Harvey is on the injured list when the campaign begins, leaving another spot open on the 26-man roster. If Martin has a great spring and the team wants to keep him, but Harvey is healthy, they'll have a bit of redundancy in profiles in middle relief. However, it wouldn't hurt them terribly to add him to the 40-man, because his profile is also somewhat similar to those of Neely and Hodge. Those, again, are pitchers the Cubs didn't trust for most of 2025, and Martin would give them much of what they'd lose by waiving either. If the Cubs landed Thornton without granting him an opt-out or upward mobility clause (which is plausible, because he's still recovering a bit from an Achilles injury last summer), he could be the most valuable pitcher in this set. As we discussed last week, he looks like a terrific candidate to add a kick-change to his arsenal, and if he develops one, he'll have a pitch mix much like those of Rea or Assad. He doesn't have quite as much capacity to pitch multiple innings as they do, but he's a nice piece to have as backup for either one. If he can leave at the end of spring, though, he's a much tougher fit, and might be destined to land elsewhere in a March trade. Finally, there's Brigham. His cutter is a unique pitch, but not an especially good one. It sits halfway between his rising four-seamer and a solid sweeper, but doesn't engender the confusion one might hope for. That makes him the wrong kind of redundancy; he doesn't really protect the team from injury. With a tweak or two, he could be similar to Hodge, but Hodge can be optioned to the minors. Brigham would have to embrace some significant changes in camp to merit a place on the 40-man roster, knowing he'd likely be last in the bullpen pecking order and would soon have to be replaced. This isn't even the exhaustive list of guys who could theoretically pitch for the team early in 2026. They'll also get looks at non-roster righty Zac Leigh, and they've signed Yacksel Rios as another non-roster invitee. These 15 will be the most interesting names to watch, though, and the way they fit together—who could replace whom, and who makes a nice complement to the rest of the group—will be the final determinant of the team's choices two months from now. View the full article

If the Twins' offseason feels unfinished, that's because it is. With roughly three weeks remaining before players report to Fort Myers, the front office has made it clear that the current roster is more of a foundation than a final product. Minnesota is comfortable waiting, watching, and pouncing when the right opportunity presents itself. That mindset was reinforced again over the weekend, when general manager Jeremy Zoll spoke openly about the next phase of roster building. “I think that feels like the most obvious opportunity for us to find ways to raise the floor and improve the club,” Zoll said, “so we’ll keep working on that and figure it out.” “There’s also obviously trade opportunities that could come about, so I think the trade market is starting to open up more as some of the dominoes are falling across the rest of the league,” said Zoll. “So whether that is free agency or trade, we’ll just have to see as we keep working through these next couple weeks.” The key phrase there is "raise the floor". This is not a front-office hinting at a blockbuster. Instead, the Twins appear focused on incremental improvements that stabilize the roster and protect against the volatility that defined last season. Bullpen depth remains the most obvious need, but it is far from the only one. Zoll also made sure to remind everyone that patience has paid off before. Last winter, three major-league signings came after TwinsFest, well into the portion of the calendar where many fans assume the heavy lifting is done. Under the Derek Falvey-led front office, there have been many winters when the team’s biggest moves came late in the game. For fans, it can be tough to see the long-term vision, but there have been positive late additions in recent years. “We're really optimistic that we're going to have some good chances to be opportunistic here over these next few weeks before we head down to Fort Myers, to keep finding ways to supplement the club, complement it, strengthen the bullpen, and find any other creative ways to put the best team on the field for this year,” he said. That optimism matters, especially given the constant questions surrounding payroll. While exact numbers remain murky, both Zoll and primary owner Tom Pohlad strongly suggested the Twins are not locked into their current spending level. “We’re going to continue,” Pohlad said. “The clock doesn’t stop until Opening Day, right? For better or worse, Derek and Jeremy have a history of adding pieces late. I’m sure you are going to continue to see that. We know that we have to continue to improve the bullpen, and we’re going to continue to be opportunistic about creative pieces that can improve this team across the field.” 'Creative' is doing a lot of work there, and it offers a clue as to how the Twins may operate. Rather than simply adding salary, Minnesota is well-positioned to trade from its areas of strength. Starting pitching depth is an obvious example. Even after injuries and innings management are considered, the organization has more viable arms than rotation spots. That depth can be leveraged to address needs elsewhere, without weakening the core. Another area to watch is left-handed-hitting corner outfielders. The Twins have an abundance of similar offensive profiles, particularly from the left side, and not all of them will have everyday roles. Trevor Larnach seems like an ideal trade candidate, but other names (like Matt Wallner) might have more trade value. Packaging from that surplus could help bring back bullpen help or versatile depth pieces that fit the front office’s preference for flexibility. All of these messages point to a familiar Twins approach. The roster that reports to Fort Myers will not look drastically different, but it likely will not be identical, either. Small additions, depth moves, and calculated trades have long been a part of this regime’s playbook, especially late in the winter when prices soften and options expand. Do you support the front office’s strategy? What moves do you think fit within their payroll flexibility? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Spring training is always about optimism, but it is also about information. The Minnesota Twins added a healthy dose of both on Friday when they announced their internal non-roster invites for major league camp. These are players already in the organization but not on the 40-man roster who will get a chance to share fields, lockers, and moments with the big-league group in Fort Myers. The headliners are impossible to miss. Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper are two of the most important position players in the system, and both arrive with plenty of helium. Jenkins continues to look like the rare prospect who forces timelines to move, not because of need but because of undeniable talent. He finished last season at Triple-A after posting a 154 wRC+ at Double-A. Culpepper took a massive step forward last season, showing he can impact the game with his bat while sticking at shortstop. In 113 games, he posted a 138 wRC+. The organization named him the minor league player of the year, and he enters 2026 as a consensus top-100 prospect. His presence, along with Jenkins's, guarantees that early-morning workouts will draw extra eyes. The list also rewards performance: Kala'i Rosario and Kyler Fedko were among the system’s most productive hitters last year. Spring training is typically where that type of momentum earns recognition. Rosario brings loud contact (25 homers, 131 wRC+) and improved plate discipline, while Fedko made his mark on the bases (38 steals, 130 wRC+). Neither is expected to break camp, but both gain from time around the major league staff early. Beyond the marquee names, this group offers a little of everything. Trent Baker and Cory Lewis provide rotation depth and a chance to evaluate arms against higher-level competition, while Christian MacLeod continues his push back into the picture after showing signs of life last season. Meanwhile, Ricardo Olivar and Noah Cardenas give the catching group extra reps and flexibility during long camp days. On the position player side, Aaron Sabato, a former first-round pick, remains one of the more fascinating cases in the system. The power is real, and spring training offers another opportunity to show progress in the rest of his game. Tanner Schobel and Patrick Winkel are solid organizational performers who do many things well and help keep the environment competitive. Non-roster invites rarely tell a complete story on their own, but together these players offer clues about the Twins’ current priorities. By bringing in their best prospects, recent standouts, and valuable depth, the Twins reinforce that spring training isn’t just about preparing the Opening Day roster; it’s also about developing the next wave by giving them firsthand experience of what it takes to succeed. View the full article

Depth is something every organization tries to create, whether through the draft, international free agency, or even minor-league free agency. Let’s take a look at how the Twins’ system stacks up at various positions. I’ve looked at catchers and first baseman and am working my way around to other positions. Second base is interesting because often, second baseman are former shortstops who have been moved over for one reason or another. As mentioned, second basemen typically played shortstop and moved to the right side of the infield, whether that be due to arm strength, or because of it being a better fit due to team need. A few examples in Twins history who were known as second baseman who played other positions include Brian Dozier, Luis Rivas, and more recently, Jorge Polanco. Here is a list of second base 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. Jake Rucker Acquired: 2021 Draft, 7th round Highest Level in 2025: Double-A A mid-round selection out the University of Tennessee, Rucker was a high OBP guy who showed a little more power in his final college season. Since being drafted, he has had limited power but walked at a decent clip and has cut down on his strikeouts over the past two seasons as well. He’s played the past three seasons at Double-A, and he will be playing his age-26 season in 2026, so he will have to make some improvements to avoid being relegated to organizational depth. He’s been tried all over defensively but has mostly settled into playing second base and third base over the past two seasons. He will need to hit to carve out a role for himself. Jorel Ortega Acquired: 2022 Draft, 6th round Highest Level in 2025: Double-A Also, a mid-round selection out of the University of Tennessee, Ortega has taken a different path than Rucker since being drafted. He strikes out at a higher rate but also walks at a higher rate (11.4% in 2025). He has shown some defensive versatility since being drafted, playing in left field, center field, and all infield positions beside catcher. He’s mostly played second base but has extensive time at first base and third base as well. He’ll need to hit for a bit more power to make more noise. His OPS in 2025 was .667, so he will likely repeat Double-A for a third time, hoping to make a break through offensively. Kyle DeBarge Acquired: 2024 Draft, Round 1 Highest Level in 2025: High-A Another college bat, DeBarge was drafted 33rd overall in 2024 out of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he hit .339/.406/.699. While he hasn’t hit quite to that level in the minors, DeBarge has done quite well in his first taste of professional ball. At 21 years old, he hit for a .709 OPS over the first full season with High-A Cedar Rapids. While not very imposing at just 5 foot 9, 175 pounds, DeBarge started to show a little more power in 2025, hitting eight home runs over 121 games at High-A Cedar Rapids. While still a few years away, DeBarge is ranked #16 in the Twins Daily prospect rankings and will be an interesting prospect to keep an eye on how he develops. DeBarge has played the majority of his games at second base since being drafted, he has also been tried at shortstop and in center field, so that positional versatility will be a thing to keep an eye on as well. He is an exciting young prospect and if things go well, he will get his first taste of the upper minors in 2026. Jose Salas Acquired: Trade, Miami Marlins, January 2023 Highest Level in 2025: Double-A Acquired along with Pablo Lopez in the trade that sent Luis Arraez to the Marlins, Salas has slowly climbed up the minor league ladder, making his Double-A debut in 2025. Salas was injured at the beginning of the year, did a rehab assignment at Single-A and then was activated at High-A Cedar Rapids, where he hit for a .892 OPS over 16 games, earning him a promotion to Double-A. He didn’t hit quite to that level in Double-A but has shown pretty solid positional versatility. He has played all infield positions beside catcher, as well as getting time in the outfield as well. His defensive versatility could be what helps him carve out a role in the future. Salas is going to have to hit, but he is someone that many Twins fans will want to know how he does, since he was traded for a popular player in Arraez. Dameury Pena Acquired: International Free Agency, 2023 Highest Level in 2025: Single-A Pena was signed in 2023 out of the Dominican Republic, he played his first year of professional ball in the Dominican Summer League at 17 years old where he hit for a .949 OPS. A bat first prospect, he played at Single-A Fort Myers in 2025 at age 19. He played the majority of his games at second base but was also tried in left field as well this past season. He struggled a bit offensively, like many young players do, but he still has some upside and is someone to keep an eye on, as he is playing his age 20 season in 2026. Ramiro Dominguez Acquired: International Free Agency, 2024 Highest Level in 2025: Complex League Dominguez got his first taste of professional ball in 2024 at age 17 and played his age 18 season in 2025 in the Complex League. Dominguez was 1.5 years younger than the average player at that level and he held his own, hitting for a slash line of .248/.366/.414. Still early in his development, 2025 was a good launching point for his professional career and Dominguez has a change to make even more noise this coming year. Jose Barrios Acquired: International Free Agency, 2025 Highest Level in 2025: Dominican Summer League I know, seeing this name reminds you of a former Twins pitcher. Barrios was signed this past year out of Venezuela and, like many international signings, played his first professional games in the Dominican Summer League. Over 37 games played, Barrios hit for a slash line of .254/.352/.205. He’ll be just 18 in 2026, so seeing if he is able to develop as a hitter this next season. View the full article

Samad Taylor, an infielder-outfielder who has seen MLB action with two teams, has reportedly signed a minor-league contract with the San Diego Padres. Taylor also received a non-roster invite to spring training. The 27-year-old was a 10th-round draft choice by Cleveland in the 2016 draft out of Corona High School, about 90 minutes north of San Diego. Taylor was recently designated for assignment by the Seattle Mariners and elected free agency. Taylor has appeared in 38 MLB games, including seven over the past two seasons with the Mariners. He made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Kansas City Royals, playing in 31 games. Taylor has a career slash line of .205/.272/.260 with no homers, four RBIs, and eight stolen bases. He was dealt by Cleveland at the 2017 trade deadline, with left-hander Thomas Pannone to the Toronto Blue Jays for right-hander Joe Smith. At the 2022 deadline, he was shipped to the Royals with right-hander Max Castillo for second baseman Whit Merrifield. Taylor was on the move once again in January 2024, going from the Royals to the Mariners for a player to be named, which became right-hander Natanael Garabitos. Taylor will battle for the last outfield spot on the Padres' roster with the likes of Tirso Ornelas. View the full article

The question everyone asks when a trade like this happens is pretty simple: Was this the right move for the team? Some deals cut a little deeper, and this one definitely feels like one of those. But this is how the Milwaukee Brewers operate, regardless of whether you agree with the strategy. On Wednesday, the Crew traded ace right-hander Freddy Peralta. They sent him and an expendable piece, right-hander Tobias Myers, to the New York Mets for two of their top-five prospects: infielder-outfielder Jett Williams and right-handed starter Brandon Sproat. One of the first negative reactions I saw on social media was something from a national baseball writer to the effect of "The Brewers, not the Dodgers, are ruining baseball because they can't afford $8 million." That is certainly a take. Very wrong, but certainly a take. The Brewers were more than willing to pay Peralta $8 million for 2026. The reason behind the trade is what comes after 2026. No, I'm not talking about whatever happens related to a lockout or strike or anything related to the collective bargaining agreement. Instead, it has to do with Peralta's future. He will be a free agent following the 2026 World Series. Peralta enters his age-30 season in a prime position to cash in. After a team-friendly five-year, $15.5 million contract extension that then became a seven-year, $31.6 million deal with two club options that bought out two free-agent years, Peralta is due a payday. He has earned it. Remember that Peralta came to the Brewers as one of three wild cards as they dealt first baseman Adam Lind to the Seattle Mariners following the 2015 season. Peralta hadn't played any higher than the complex league in Arizona at that point and was 19 years old when he joined the Crew. In the 10 years since, Peralta has been a self-made pitcher. Sure, the Brewers gave him all the tools they could, but it was Peralta who put in the work and rose from obscurity to MLB All-Star and Cy Young Award contender. And the Brewers reaped the benefits of that and took advantage of the salary-suppression system MLB employs to get more value out of their investment in Peralta. No longer is he Fastball Freddy, the youngster who could only throw a variety of fastballs. Now he features three offspeed pitches in a changeup, slider, and curveball to go along with a four-seam fastball. Since his stunning 13-strikeout MLB debut on that Mother's Day in Colorado in 2018, Peralta has been an integral part of the Brewers' success. Since joining the rotation full-time at the beginning of the 2021 season, Peralta has been a rock in the rotation, even if he wasn't spectacular for most of that. He started 139 of 141 games with a FIP of 3.65, an ERA of 3.30, and an ERA+ of 126. That ERA+ means Peralta was 26% above the average MLB pitcher. That number was certainly boosted by his 2025 performance, where he posted a 154 ERA+ and finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting. The Brewers' philosophy of baseball business is not to overpay. They don't want to hand out exorbitant salaries that could weigh down their roster at the back end. The Brewers are approaching that situation with Christian Yelich, who has three more years at about $24 million each before a mutual option at $20 million for 2029 (those are usually declined). Peralta will certainly clear what Yelich, technically the Crew's highest-paid player*, is making, perhaps even approach $30 million a year. It is his market value at this moment. The Brewers would have given Peralta a qualifying offer (probably around $23 million for 2027), which he would have declined and netted the Brewers one single draft pick. That was the situation Brandon Woodruff was in this offseason. Woodruff accepted the qualifying offer and returned on a $22.025 million contract for 2026. That is on top of the $10 million mutual option buyout the Crew paid Woodruff instead of a $20 million contract. So Woodruff is really making $32.025 million this season* (thus the mythical highest-paid Brewers player). Could the Brewers afford Peralta's $8 million for 2026? Of course. That was never in question. But the Brewers, like they did with closer Josh Hader, starter Corbin Burnes, and closer Devin Williams, sold high on the player in question. Burnes netted shortstop Joey Ortiz, left-hander DL Hall, and a draft pick that resulted in first baseman Blake Burke from the Baltimore Orioles. Williams brought back third baseman Caleb Durbin and left-handed starter Nestor Cortes. Hall hasn't panned out yet, and Cortes flamed out due to injury. Ortiz and Durbin are the starting left side of the infield. Time will tell on Jett Williams and Sproat, but their pedigree is higher than that of the others acquired in those other two deals. This is how the Brewers churn their talent. This is part of the secret sauce they have used to win three straight NL Central titles. I am on record as saying Peralta was the perfect player for the Brewers to invest in. He epitomizes what they do, taking a ball of clay and molding it into something useful. But I also understand the Brewers' philosophy and agree with it to a certain extent. Players should get paid what they are worth, and teams also have the right not to make a bad investment. Hader cashed in. Devin Williams got his payday. So did Burnes, who then got hurt. Peralta, barring the unforeseen, will get his next offseason. Just not from the Brewers, who sold Peralta at his peak and now instead have two good prospects, bolstering an already-burgeoning farm system. Was this the right move for the team? Yes, it was. View the full article

The Kansas City Royals' farm system has always been a polarizing one over the past five seasons, especially after the graduations of top prospects like Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Maikel Garcia. While Kansas City has seen many homegrown products receive regular playing time at the MLB level (according to Roster Resource, the Royals have 19 homegrown players on their 40-man roster), it has struggled to rank highly in farm system rankings from most major publications. Fangraphs has the Royals ranked 28th in their farm system rankings, which assign dollar values to prospects based on their future value (FV) rankings. Furthermore, Kansas City ranked 25th in MLB Pipeline's midseason rankings last season and 26th in USA Today's 2026 Farm System rankings. Thus, based on these rankings, it's easy for Royals fans to become pessimistic about this system, as was the case in a recent Royals Review article. Probably one of the most polarizing prospects in the Royals' system is Blake Mitchell, the Royals' 2023 first-round pick who went 8th overall. Mitchell and the Royals received a lot of heat in that draft, especially since the prep catcher from Texas was drafted ahead of infielder Matt Shaw and catcher Kyle Teel, college prospects who had more buzz among Royals fans at the time. To be fair, Shaw and Teel have been able to show some success at the MLB level already, while Mitchell has not advanced beyond High-A ball yet in his career. That said, it seems like some Royals fans are ready to identify Mitchell as a bust at 21-years-old. Here's a snippet from Review's piece that implied that, along with other former Royals first-round picks. I understand where Matthew Lamar (who wrote the article) is coming from with the comments about Lacy, Mozzicato, and Cross, though I think more context is needed. Lacy has been a bust for injury reasons (though many first-round picks in that 2020 MLB Draft have NOT fared well either), Mozzicato wasn't a pure first-round pick, but an under-slot selection that allowed them to draft Kudrna and Carter Jensen, who is now a top a prospect in the Royals system and had a sensational MLB debut (arguably better than Teel's). Cross hasn't been great, but he's had some weird health issues (he got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in 2023), and he was the last pick of not just the Dayton Moore era, but also of Lonnie Goldberg, who was the scouting director at the time. Brian Bridges has been in charge of the draft since 2024, and the results have been much better over the past two years (Danny Ontiveros was in charge for one year, which is the Mitchell draft). I agree that Lacy, Mozzicato, and Cross have lost some trade value, though I question how much they ever had to begin with, considering their circumstances. Conversely, I don't believe that statement applies to Mitchell, who I think hasn't lost much, if any of his trade value. Furthermore, he may still be a top prospect not just in the Royals system, but in baseball. And yet, Royals fans don't seem to view him that way. In this post, I am going to look at why fans have that perspective, the concerns with Mitchell's outlook, and why people should be more bullish about his projection, not just in this upcoming season but beyond. Why Royals Fans Aren't High on Mitchell When it comes to many Royals fans' feelings about Mitchell, I do think a lot of it has less to do with the 21-year-old catcher and more to do with who the Royals did NOT select in the draft. In 2023, the Royals were in the midst of a brutal season in JJ Picollo's first year as GM and Matt Quatraro's first year as manager. They were 26-65 at the All-Star Break, and many fans were hoping that Kansas City would select someone who could move quickly in the farm system and matriculate to the Majors in two to three years. Shaw and Teel fit that bill, while Mitchell did not. That said, Mitchell was still seen as a prospect with some unique upside, as talked about on draft night. As mentioned in the video above, prep catchers have a poor reputation in the draft, especially those who are selected in the first round. That said, Mitchell profiles as more athletic than the typical high school catching prospect, and LSU head coach Jay Johnson, who recruited Mitchell to LSU, recognized that and talked about his ability to move to the mound if necessary, due to his solid throwing ability. Still, the reputation of high school catchers in the draft and the Royals' decision not to pick Shaw or Teel seemed to color Royals fans' opinions of Mitchell from day one, even as he has shown progress as he has moved up in the system. In 2024 with the Low-A Columbia Fireflies, he posted an .815 OPS and hit 18 home runs in 466 plate appearances. Last year in Quad Cities (High-A), despite breaking his hamate bone in Spring Training and missing a good chunk of the Minor League season, he still posted a .372 OBP, 20.8% BB%, and 103 wRC+ in 216 plate appearances. The power wasn't quite there (.089 ISO), but he showed a mature eye at the plate for a 20-year-old. It also doesn't help that Mitchell is overshadowed by Jensen, especially after Jensen's phenomenal 2025 campaign that saw him debut with the Royals in September. That said, as noted by Tobey Schulman of Inside the Diamond and Just Baseball, Mitchell's skills shouldn't be slept on. Has Mitchell been phenomenal since debuting professionally? Not quite. However, he's been good and seems to get grief for what he's NOT (i.e., Shaw or Teel) than for what he is, which is still a very good prospect ranked as the 10th-best catching prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. What Are the Legitimate Concerns with Mitchell? Now, I am not saying Mitchell is a Jensen-level prospect just yet. While Jensen and Mitchell both struck out and walked a lot as prospects, Jensen's strikeout rates have always been more tolerable than Mitchell's. In his first exposure in High-A in 2023, he sported a 24.1% K rate, 0.77 BB/K ratio, and 76.5% contact rate. When he started the year in 2024 with Quad Cities, he had a 22.1% K rate, a 0.69 BB/K ratio, and a 74.2% contact rate. As for Mitchell in Quad Cities last year, he had a 32.9% K rate, 0.63 BB/K ratio, and 66.9% contact rate. Thus, Mitchell's K rate has been, on average, 10% higher than Jensen's in the Quad Cities, and his contact rate has been nearly 10% lower. It's one thing to have a sub-80 percent contact rate in the Minors, which was the case for Jensen. He had the discipline and power to make up for that mediocre tool. Conversely, a sub-70 percent contact rate, the case for Mitchell, is alarming and could prevent him from reaching his true ceiling as a player. In the Arizona Fall League, Mitchell had a nice bounce-back campaign, seemingly fully healthy. He didn't hit for average (.234), but he had an excellent OBP (.434), and he seemed more comfortable at the plate as he got more at-bats in Arizona. That culminated in him becoming a key player on the AFL Champion Surprise Saguaros. That said, the contact rate, especially on pitches in the strike zone (Z-Contact%), was still lackluster in the AFL this fall, as illustrated in his TJ Stats summary. Mitchell's Z-Contact% ranked in the ninth percentile, his whiff rate ranked in the 10th percentile, and his K rate ranked in the 28th percentile. On the flip side, he pulled the ball well (95th percentile), barreled the ball effectively (72nd percentile), and posted an xwOBA (74th percentile) that looked much better than his actual wOBA (50th percentile). With more at-bats and games, Mitchell's stat line could've been even better. Still, the struggles in contact should be worth watching in 2026 with Mitchell. On a positive note, MJ Melendez showed even worse contact issues in the lower levels as a catching prospect out of high school. In Low-A Lexington in 2018, he had a 62.4% contact rate. In 2019, in High-A Wilmington, it was even worse at 55.2%. However, with some help from the Royals hitting development team (then led by Alec Zumwalt), he improved his contact rate to 73.6% in Double-A in 2021 (remember, there was no Minor League ball in 2020 due to COVID). There's no reason to think that Mitchell could see the same kind of improvement, especially with the recent shuffling in hitting coordinators this winter. Furthermore, Mitchell has a lot more upside than Melendez, especially on the defensive end. Will Swinging More Help Mitchell in 2026 and Beyond? One of the positive developments to see from Mitchell in the AFL was his 74 percent Z-Swing%, which ranked in the 86th percentile. He has long been known for his solid plate discipline, and he showed that in Arizona with a 15.8% O-Swing%, which ranked in the 89th percentile, according to Statcast data. However, one critique of his approach at the plate as a prospect has been his passivity. Last year, in Quad Cities, he had a 49.5% F-Strike% and 29.4% CSW (called-strike plus whiff) rate. He also only had a 41.2% swing rate, which was 1.3% lower than his mark in Low-A Columbia. Surprisingly, Jensen and Melendez also had similar passive approaches in High-A ball, as seen in the table below. The big difference is that Jensen had much better contact skills than both Mitchell and Melendez. However, Mitchell's F-Strike% and Swing% data were nearly identical to Jensen's metrics in 2023 and 2024 with the River Bandits. For context, let's look at Jensen's metrics at the MLB level in his September debut to get a sense of what Mitchell could become if his contact ability sees slight improvement. Jensen still whiffed a good amount in his MLB debut in 2025 (47th percentile Whiff%). However, he didn't chase (74th percentile), and he was aggressive on pitches in the zone. Those two skills helped amplify his natural power, as demonstrated by his hard-hit% (100th percentile), LA Sweet-Spot% (97th percentile), and Barrel% (98th percentile). Mitchell's launch may need work (26th percentile in the AFL), but his other power metrics from the AFL mirror what Jensen did with the Royals last September. Thus, I would like to see Mitchell continue to transition that selectively aggressive approach from the AFL to High-A and/or Double-A ball in 2026. A little drop in that F-Strike percentage could help him get into better, more hitter-friendly counts, which, in turn, could boost his overall production, especially in the power department. Mitchell is not Jensen 2.0, but their paths up to High-A ball have been similar. That should make Royals fans optimistic that not only could he be a viable option at the MLB level for the Royals in a couple of years, but he could help them forget that draft day disappointment from 2023 that has dogged Mitchell for his entire professional career thus far. View the full article

For months, the Twins bullpen has felt less like a plan and more like a collection of possibilities. That changed this week. The Twins made an important move on Thursday by reportedly reuniting with former All-Star reliever Taylor Rogers on a one-year, $2 million deal. It is a step in the right direction for a team that desperately needed bullpen help after trading away its top five relievers last summer. More work is needed, but Rogers is a meaningful addition, even if he is not the pitcher he was during his first stint in Minnesota. This move finally gives Minnesota a foundation. While not dominance or certainty, it’s a framework to build upon, a departure from the question marks that plagued this group. The bullpen now has a starting point, but not yet a solution. As things stand right now, here is a realistic snapshot of the current bullpen picture. Locks: Rogers, Cole Sands, Justin Topa On the fence: Eric Orze, Kody Funderburk Wild cards: David Festa, John Klein, Travis Adams With the Rogers addition, Connor Prielipp gets bumped out of the projection. It seems unlikely that the Twins will elect to carry three lefties. Prielipp could certainly take the place of one of the wild cards, but roster math alone works against him. That does not diminish the upside. Prielipp, Twins Daily’s No. 6 prospect and reigning minor league pitcher of the year, seems like a long shot for Opening Day but a very real bullpen factor in 2025. Injuries limited him both at Alabama and early in his pro career, but he stayed healthy enough last year to throw 82 2/3 innings and strike out 98 batters. Already 25 years old, he profiles as a potential high-impact bullpen arm if his health finally stabilizes. Derek Falvey has already mentioned both Prielipp and Marco Raya as candidates for bullpen transitions this winter, indicating the organization is open to internal conversions. Raya has been one of the team's top pitching prospects for multiple seasons. Minnesota pushed him aggressively up the organizational ladder with him reaching Triple-A during his age-21 season. However, his workload has been monitored and controlled by the organization's development staff. Last season, he struggled in St. Paul with an ERA north of 6.00 with a 22.6 K% and a 12.6 BB%. His pitch mix and dominant curveball could make him an intriguing bullpen option. Beyond the prospect group, it feels increasingly likely that at least one of the Twins’ young starting pitchers will be shifted into a relief role. That list includes Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews, Mick Abel, and Taj Bradley. Festa feels like the cleanest fit right now, given his shoulder issues last season and how his stuff could play up in shorter stints, but Bradley also stands out as a logical candidate. With nearly 400 major league innings already on his arm, the starter evaluation phase may already be complete, and a power relief role could unlock a new version of his value. For the long relief side, Pierson Ohl (if he clears waivers) and Travis Adams feel like the most natural mop-up options, with Andrew Morris also fitting that profile if needed. These are the innings eaters, the bridge arms, the guys who make the rest of the bullpen functional, even if they are not headline names. The bullpen is now more coherent than before, but it’s not yet dependable. That gap is what the Twins must close if they want real stability. If you squint, you can see the outline of something workable. To improve the bullpen, add a legitimate late-inning right-hander and replace one or two fringe arms. Doing so would make the group resemble a true eight-man bullpen rather than a developmental experiment. That is why, even after these moves, free agency still matters here. Fortunately for Minnesota, veteran options remain available on the free agent market. David Robertson, Liam Hendriks, Paul Sewald, Michael Kopech, Scott Barlow, Hector Neris, and Ryan Brasier all represent different levels of risk and upside. Each would bring something the current bullpen lacks: experience and a track record of handling leverage. None of these names is perfect. Some come with age, some with injury risk, some with volatility, and some with all three. But the Twins do not need perfection. They need someone competent and reliable who can pitch the seventh or eighth inning without making the game feel fragile. Outside of free agency, Minnesota should consider trading one of its surplus left-handed hitters for a controllable bullpen arm. This targeted move addresses both roster imbalance and bullpen needs while preserving top pitching prospects and keeping payroll steady. At the end of last week, Twins radio broadcaster Kris Atteberry was part of a Winter Caravan group that stopped in Fargo, ND. At this stop, a fan asked Glen Perkins about who was going to be the closer for the 2026 Twins. Perkins responded with a few names, like Sands and Rogers, without overcommitting to one name. However, Atteberry interjected that the current bullpen picture isn’t complete. He told the crowd that the Twins will have multiple other bullpen options on the roster before the team heads to Fort Myers next month. Adding one veteran reliever or trading for a proven arm is the difference between a bullpen that’s a liability by default and one that can support Minnesota’s rotation all season. Rogers is the start, not the finish. Real functionality demands another move. The Twins now face a crucial decision: settle for a bullpen with fragile upside or take clear steps to build a group strong enough for contention. The structure is emerging and the challenge is to finish it. How will the Twins complete their bullpen? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

UPDATE: Darvish has announced that he has not made any final decisions on his retirement or contract, and that he is purely focused on his rehab process. Original article as follows. Amidst unceasing rotation depth question and financial constraints, one of the looming questions hanging over the San Diego Padres was the future of Yu Darvish. The 39-year-old underwent elbow surgery earlier in the offseason and wasn't expected to pitch at all in 2026. However, the plans have changed. Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Darvish is officially retiring from Major League Baseball. Though nothing is official yet, it appears as though the veteran right-hander may be prepared to leave his salary on the table, which could be huge for the Padres' hamstrung budget. Darvish, who is attached to an $18 million AAV, was owed a $16 million salary in 2026 and $15 million checks in 2027 and 2028. That's a lot of money to work with, particularly if A.J. Preller still plans to address needs in both the rotation and infield. A lot of the marquee free agents on the market have already signed, but this kind of wiggle room could make a trade far easier to execute. The immediate impact from this decision is that the Friars will now have an extra 40-man roster spot to work with; they were always going to have it once Darvish went on the 60-day IL, but that can't happen until just before the regular season. In essence, the Padres are gaining early access to that rostering advantage. Once his retirement in finalized, San Diego's 40-man roster will stand at 37. This does pose some difficult questions for 2027 and beyond, since Darvish was a locked in rotation member even at his advanced age. If Michael King and Nick Pivetta opt out of their respective deals, the Padres' starting five may be completely unrecognizable in a year's time. Likewise, Darvish was a revered clubhouse presence and a renowned leader. Even though he's declined as a pitcher and wouldn't have made an appearance this season, losing his voice and experience will be painful, especially with a rookie manager in Craig Stammen. One can only hope that he'll stay attached to the Padres in some way after riding off into the sunset. Across his legendary 13-year career, Darvish recorded a 3.65 ERA and 2,075 strikeouts in 1,778.0 innings. He slowed down some with the Friars — his 3.97 ERA was his worst at any of his four career stops — but he was a stabilizing force atop every rotation he was a part of since coming over from Japan. A five-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young runner-up, Darvish's career will go down as one of the best for any NPB convert. Padres Mission wishes Darvish nothing but the best in retirement, as well as a return to full health. View the full article

Amidst unceasing rotation depth question and financial constraints, one of the looming questions hanging over the San Diego Padres was the future of Yu Darvish. The 39-year-old underwent elbow surgery earlier in the offseason and wasn't expected to pitch at all in 2026. However, the plans have changed. Per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Darvish is officially retiring from Major League Baseball. Though nothing is official yet, it appears as though the veteran right-hander may be prepared to leave his salary on the table, which could be huge for the Padres' hamstrung budget. Darvish, who is attached to an $18 million AAV, was owed a $16 million salary in 2026 and $15 million checks in 2027 and 2028. That's a lot of money to work with, particularly if A.J. Preller still plans to address needs in both the rotation and infield. A lot of the marquee free agents on the market have already signed, but this kind of wiggle room could make a trade far easier to execute. The immediate impact from this decision is that the Friars will now have an extra 40-man roster spot to work with; they were always going to have it once Darvish went on the 60-day IL, but that can't happen until just before the regular season. In essence, the Padres are gaining early access to that rostering advantage. Once his retirement in finalized, San Diego's 40-man roster will stand at 37. This does pose some difficult questions for 2027 and beyond, since Darvish was a locked in rotation member even at his advanced age. If Michael King and Nick Pivetta opt out of their respective deals, the Padres' starting five may be completely unrecognizable in a year's time. Likewise, Darvish was a revered clubhouse presence and a renowned leader. Even though he's declined as a pitcher and wouldn't have made an appearance this season, losing his voice and experience will be painful, especially with a rookie manager in Craig Stammen. One can only hope that he'll stay attached to the Padres in some way after riding off into the sunset. Across his legendary 13-year career, Darvish recorded a 3.65 ERA and 2,075 strikeouts in 1,778.0 innings. He slowed down some with the Friars — his 3.97 ERA was his worst at any of his four career stops — but he was a stabilizing force atop every rotation he was a part of since coming over from Japan. A five-time All-Star and two-time Cy Young runner-up, Darvish's career will go down as one of the best for any NPB convert. Padres Mission wishes Darvish nothing but the best in retirement, as well as a return to full health. View the full article

MassLive’s Chris Cotillo has reported that the Boston Red Sox have announced a rather large group of non-roster invitees to spring training this year. INF Mikey Romero could be pushing for playing time in Boston later in 2026, so it’s not surprising to see his name included here nor is it shocking to see so many catching options. The team has long been rumored to still be looking for a way to upgrade the backup catching position this offseason so putting their top-level catching options through their paces at spring training makes sense. On the pitching side, Noah Song is the name that should jump out the most to Sox fans. Song has a very interesting path to the majors and finally looked like a contributing member of the organization during his quick rise to Triple-A Worcester last season. Once he arrived there, he left quite a bit to be desired but it was his first full, healthy season in pro ball since he finished his military commitment. These 14 guys are being given a chance to stake their claim at big league camp. It will be interesting to watch how they perform. Other names are likely to be added as non-roster invitees as we get closer to pitchers and catchers reporting to Fort Myers on February 10. View the full article

The San Diego Padres have a new top prospect. At least according to MLB Pipeline. Kruz Schoolcraft, the 6-foot-8 left-handed starting pitcher who was the Friars' top pick in last summer's draft, was named the No. 88 prospect in all of baseball as revealed on MLB Network on Friday. Schoolcraft was the only Padre on the Top 100 list. He was ranked 95th in the season-ending rankings by MLB Pipeline. Selected with the 25th pick in the first round out of Sunset High School in Portland, Ore., the 18-year-old pitched in just one game after being drafted, getting his feet wet with the Low A Lake Elsinore Storm. That would be the likely starting spot for Schoolcraft for the 2026 season. Schoolcraft was also a first baseman in high school, but he is focusing on pitching to begin his pro career. Catcher Ethan Salas, the Padres' top prospect after the trade of Leo De Vries to the A's in the Mason Miller deal, fell out of the Top 100 after being No. 77 at the end of 2025. In 2024, Salas was MLB Pipeline's No. 8 prospect in all of baseball. View the full article