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Part 1: #21-25 Part 2: #16-20 15. Joey Ortiz, SS 2026 Season Age: 27 Controlled through: 2029 Jason’s Rank: 19 | Michael’s Rank: 10 | Steve’s Rank: 20 Although Ortiz wasn’t quite able to fill the shoes of Willy Adames as the Brewers’ starting shortstop, he still has considerable potential as a player. As you recall, he came over to Milwaukee along with DL Hall from Baltimore in exchange for Corbin Burnes and carried high expectations as Baltimore’s eighth-ranked prospect in 2023. His rookie year lived up to the hype, posting 3.2 fWAR across 142 games while playing third base. Unfortunately, the sophomore slump was absolutely real for Ortiz. Depending on which defensive metric you look at, he was either outstanding (12 OAA, 10 FRV) or slightly below average (-2 DRS). His offensive production was less debatable with his 67 wRC+, the third-lowest mark of qualified MLB players. It would be surprising if his offensive struggles became a long-term issue, but it’d absolutely be a question mark for any teams that would consider acquiring him. He’s young, has plenty of team control left, and is capable of playing great defense, but the uncertainty surrounding his bat prevents him from being more valuable than some of the other young talents in Milwaukee’s system. 14. Chad Patrick, RHP 2026 Season Age: 27 Controlled through: 2031 Jason’s Rank: 13 | Michael’s Rank: 14 | Steve’s Rank: 14 Patrick may have exceeded your expectations in his rookie year. He was the return package from the Athletics in exchange for Abraham Toro, and his 2025 numbers alone might have been enough to classify that deal as a resounding success. He pitched to a 3.53 ERA with a 3.53 FIP over 119 ⅔ innings and placed seventh in NL ROY voting. He found immense success using a variety of fastballs but struggled to be as effective with his breaking or offspeed offerings. However, Stuff+ does grade his slider and changeup very highly. In fact, he had the highest Stuff+ (105) of any pitcher on the team with more than 100 innings. This may be surprising as his fastball velocity is average, but with tricky shapes and movement, he’s able to get by just fine. He’d be a strong addition to the rotations of most teams, but because of his inexperience, he may not be as compelling a frontline starter as some other arms on the Brewers’ pitching staff. At the very least, he should see an elevated role with the team in 2026, where he could continue to increase his player stock. 13. Abner Uribe, RHP 2026 Season Age: 25 Controlled through: 2030 Jason’s Rank: 7 | Michael’s Rank: 19 | Steve’s Rank: 12 Over the past few years, whispers have spoken of top-secret human experiments being conducted in Milwaukee to produce elite catching and pitching talent. This has been used to explain the sudden and unexpected turnarounds for defensively deficient catchers and down-on-their-luck pitchers. I can’t personally speak to the existence of such labbut it’s getting harder to deny that if nothing else, the Brewers sure know how to make a closer. Trevor Megill, Devin Williams, Josh Hader, heck, even Corey Knebel had a 1.78 ERA and 39 saves in 2017. It’s a suspiciously long run of high-leverage dominance from the bullpen, and Abner Uribe is the lab’s most recent product. After a shaky 2024 marred by injury and poor on-field antics, he locked back in by replicating his rookie year numbers over a larger sample size of 75 ⅓ innings. His peripherals are absolutely off the charts. The only Statcast metrics in which he doesn’t rank in the top decile of qualified pitchers are chase rate (28.3%), walk rate (9.1%), and extension (6.4). He only accumulated a few saves, but he primarily pitched in high leverage, and the Brewers are clearly grooming him to eventually take the ball in the ninth inning. He might need a little more time before he’s ready to join the current inner circle of elite closers, but he’d be worth quite a bit to many teams around MLB today. It also helps that he has one of the best save celebrations around. 12. Christian Yelich, OF/DH 2026 Season Age: 34 Controlled through: 2028 Jason’s Rank: N/A | Michael’s Rank: 8 | Steve’s Rank: 4 He’s far from being the MVP finalist he was in the late 2010s, but Yelich has been consistent over the past four years. He continues to be one of the more productive bats on the team, and 2025 seems like he was able to carry over some of the success he had in 2024 before being sidelined by injury. The most encouraging sign from this past season was his increase in power. His slugging percentage of .452 is the highest mark since 2019, albeit not by much. What’s more exciting is the 29 home runs he hit in 2025, the first time he’s crossed the 20-homer mark since 2019. Despite this small but important career resurgence, Yelich’s position as a trade asset is complicated by his age and remaining value on his contract. According to Cot’s Contracts, he’s still owed ~$72 million over the next three years, which is a hefty sum for any player, let alone one that is clearly past his prime. Nonetheless, he probably has a few more productive seasons left in him. 11. Trevor Megill, RHP 2026 Season Age: 32 Controlled through: 2027 Jason’s Rank: 9 | Michael’s Rank: 18 | Steve’s Rank: 10 It’s not easy being 6’8", or so I’ve heard. Megill makes it work somehow, and as a guy who regularly throws more than 100 mph with a hammer knuckle curve, it probably works to his advantage. After two rough years with the Cubs and Twins, Megill was acquired for a player to be named later and cash in April 2023. It took some time to figure it out, but after Devin Williams sustained an injury in 2024 and left for the Yankees in 2025, he stepped into the closer role, where he has done a great job. Unlike the younger pitching assets Milwaukee seems to have an excess of, Megill already has four years of service time, which means he has fewer years of team control but also has a good amount of big-league innings under his belt. Additionally, he was paid just under $2 million in 2025, a very team-friendly price for what they got out of him. He’ll earn more as he heads into his second year of arbitration, but he’ll still come cheaper than the other closer options of his caliber. Teams wanting a high-leverage arm out of the box could look at a Trevor Megill as a plug-and-play option that may not need the same development resources as someone less tenured. He may not be a totally baked cake at this point, but he knows what he’s capable of and what he needs to do to get there. View the full article

In part one of our Royals-based Steamer projections series, I looked at Royals hitters and identified five who could be due for impactful seasons in 2026. In this part, the focus will be on the Royals' starting pitchers and their projections. The Royals' starting pitching was a strength of this squad in 2025, and a primary reason why they finished 82-80, their second winning season since their 2015 World Series. Last year, Royals starting pitchers ranked seventh in ERA (3.80) and sixth in fWAR (13.8), according to Fangraphs. Unlike part one, where the focus was more on hitters who could break out, this post will look at two starting pitchers who could have strong seasons, and two who may be due for regression or "questionable" performances next year. For a complete look at Royals starting pitcher Steamer projections, check out the table below; the interactive table is available here (via Datawrapper). Hence, let's take a look at those four Royals starters that fans should be keeping an eye on next year, especially with Kansas City looking to return to the postseason after missing out in 2025. Kris Bubic, LHP In 155 Projected IP: 3.80 ERA, 22.5% K%, 14.4% K-BB%, 1.29 WHIP, 45% GB%, 3.83 FIP, 2.5 fWAR. Bubic's name has been a hot topic in Royals trade talks this offseason. The Royals are committed to keeping Cole Ragans this offseason, and rightfully so, as Steamer projects a 4.2 fWAR for Ragans in 2026. As a result, Bubic may be Kansas City's best trade chip, especially if they want to acquire a high-profile hitter like Boston's Jarren Duran or St. Louis' Brendan Donovan (whom the Royals have been connected to this offseason). Even though he missed most of the second half last year due to injury, Bubic was on his way to having a Cy Young-caliber season. In 20 starts and 116.1 IP, Bubic posted a 2.55 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 24.4% K%, and 3.3 fWAR. That performance helped him earn his first All-Star appearance. Steamer believes that Bubic will do more of the same, even with some expected slight regression. Bubic's projected ERA (3.80), K% (22.5%), K-BB% (14.4%), FIP (3.83), and fWAR (2.5) rank second for Royals starting pitchers in 2026, behind only Ragans. Steamer projects that Bubic will remain a strikeout machine, but still generate enough groundballs to be effective on the mound. His projected 45% GB% ranks second to only Stephen Kolek (51%). Health will be a concern with Bubic in 2026, especially since he missed significant time in 2023 and 2025, and was limited to the bullpen in 2024. Even though he will be a free agent after next season, Bubic could be the key to the Royals' pitching staff and the club's overall success in 2026, especially if he can pitch a full season. Thus, if the Royals can't acquire Duran or Donovan, they may be better off keeping him, given Steamer's optimistic outlook. Michael Wacha, RHP In 170 Projected IP: 4.39 ERA, 18.6% K%, 11.7% K-BB%, 1.32 WHIP, 37.7% GB%, 4.36 FIP, 2.2 fWAR. Wacha signed a three-year extension before the 2025 season, and he lived up to his new contract in year one. In 172.2 IP, the 34-year-old righty posted a 3.86 ERA, 3.66 FIP, and 3.6 fWAR. Even though he lost out on Royals Pitcher of the Year honors to Noah Cameron, Wacha's fWAR led all Royals starting pitchers last season, according to Fangraphs. The veteran succeeded despite not generating many strikeouts or swing-and-misses. His 17.6% K rate was 3.6% lower than in 2024, and his 24.9% CSW was 1.3% lower. Thus, Wacha seemed to benefit from some batted-ball luck in 2025, and his .287 BABIP and 6.6% HR/FB rate seemed to illustrate that. Therefore, it's not surprising that Steamer projects Wacha to see a return to earth in 2026 after posting back-to-back with ERA marks under 4.00. Steamer projects Wacha's ERA and FIP to bump to 4.39 and 4.36 in 2026, respectively. A big reason for that is another K rate below 20% and a K-BB% below 12%, both of which happened last year. His GB% is projected to be 37.7%, a 0.5% increase from a year ago. However, it still lags behind his 38.6% GB% from his first season in Kansas City. Wacha should continue to be productive in the Royals' rotation in 2026. Steamer projects a 2.2 fWAR, which is the third-best mark of Royals starters next year. Steamer also projects 170 IP from Wacha, thus confirming his status as an innings-eater in the Kansas City rotation. That said, after back-to-back seasons of fWAR marks over 3, it seems like 2026 may be his worst season yet with the Royals, unless something dramatic happens in his K% or GB%. Seth Lugo, RHP In 161 Projected IP: 4.38 ERA, 19.8 % K%, 12.3% K-BB%, 1.35 WHIP, 41.3% GB%, 4.29 FIP, 1.9 fWAR. After finishing second in the AL Cy Young race in 2024, Lugo took a bit of a step back in 2025. After posting a 3.00 ERA and 4.6 fWAR in 206.2 IP in his first year in Kansas City, he ended up putting up a 4.15 ERA and 0.5 fWAR in only 145.1 IP last season. Despite this regression, GM JJ Picollo still gave Lugo a contract extension right before the Trade Deadline to keep him in Royals blue until 2027. Many fans questioned Picollo's decision to keep Lugo, especially since he was getting some trade buzz at the Deadline last summer. However, Steamer is optimistic that Lugo can return to a productive form in 2026, even if he won't match the numbers he posted in 2024. Steamer projects that Lugo will post a 4.38 ERA and 4.29 FIP in 161.3 IP. While the ERA is a 23-point increase, his FIP is actually an 80-point decrease. When it comes to predicting performance, FIP is a much better indicator for future success than ERA. Thus, seeing Lugo projected to outperform his FIP from a year ago by so much is a step in the right direction for him in year three in Kansas City. A few factors contribute to Lugo's projected bounce back next year. Steamer projects his K-BB% to be 0.8% higher, his walk rate to be 1.5% lower, and his HR/9 to drop 45 points. Giving up fewer walks and home runs will be key for Lugo in 2026, especially since his 1.67 HR/9 last year was his highest mark since 2020 (when he was with the Mets as a reliever) and his 9.0% walk rate was his highest mark since 2021 (also with the Mets). Seeing those two numbers stabilize a bit should help him be more effective overall in 2026. Even though the ERA and FIP are projected to be over four, his 1.9 fWAR would be a 1.4 fWAR improvement from 2025. Thus, Royals fans should be optimistic that Lugo could be an effective No. 2-3 starter for the Royals next year, especially if he's able to surpass his 161 IP projection. Ryan Bergert, RHP In 68 Projected IP: 4.65 ERA, 19.1 % K%, 10.1% K-BB%, 1.41 WHIP, 38% GB%, 4.61 FIP, 0.3 fWAR. Bergert came over with Kolek in the Freddy Fermin trade at the Trade Deadline. Initially, it looked like Bergert seemed to be a lock in the Royals' rotation in 2026 and beyond. In his first six starts with the Royals, he posted a 2.43 ERA, an 8.37 K/9, and 2.97 BB/9 in 33.1 IP. However, in his last two starts before going on the IL for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder injury, he posted a 13.50 ERA, 9.82 K/9, and 7.36 BB/9 in only 7.1 IP. The former Padres righty probably wasn't as bad as his last two starts. His .536 BABIP allowed and 3.43 FIP illustrate that he was perhaps a bit unlucky in those two games. Conversely, he also wasn't as good as his first six starts in Kansas City either. During that month-long stretch from August 5th to September 3rd, his FIP was 3.83, and his BABIP was .209. Therefore, it's not a surprise that his overall FIP was 3.75 during his 40.2 IP sample with the Royals in 2025. While his FIP outperformed his ERA (4.43) last year, Bergert doesn't project well in Steamer's latest set. Steamer projects Bergert to accumulate only 68 innings, and his numbers look mediocre in that limited sample. His 4.65 ERA and 4.61 FIP are both higher than his numbers in 76.1 innings with the Padres and Royals last year (3.66 ERA and 4.00 FIP). They are also projecting a 3.5% decrease in K% and a 1.7% regression in K-BB%. As a result, Bergert has the profile of a spot starter who may be used more in long relief in 2026 than as a full-time starter. His 25.3% CSW last year doesn't help, and this lackluster skill could be a reason why Steamer projects such a massive decline in strikeout rate next year. Bergert is a talented pitcher with upside when healthy, as he is only 25. That said, Steamer doesn't paint a rosy picture of Bergert in 2026. Thus, Royals fans probably need to keep their expectations of him modest for now. View the full article

The half-century history of MLB free agency has produced plenty of excess but also moments where a single signing reshaped a franchise. The Minnesota Twins have rarely been a team that chased the most prominent names or set the market. Instead, their relationship with free agency has been deliberate, cautious, and occasionally brilliant. Modern free agency traces back to a turning point in the winter of 1975 when arbitrator Peter Seitz ruled in favor of pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally. By playing a full season without signed contracts, the two exposed the weakness of the reserve clause and cracked open a system that had bound players to teams indefinitely. The decision completed the work long championed by Marvin Miller and Curt Flood and forever changed the balance of power in Major League Baseball. Owners warned of chaos and competitive ruin, but what followed was simply a new path for roster building. Teams willing to spend wisely could supplement their cores without waiting years for internal development. For a market like Minnesota, that opportunity mattered even if it was rarely pursued aggressively. Working backward here is a countdown of the best free agent signings in Twins history, judged solely on what those players did after arriving in Minnesota. 10. Shannon Stewart, OF Contract(s): 3-years, $18 million 2004-2006 Seasons: 2.3 WAR, .287/.347/.405 (.752), 97 OPS+ Stewart came to the Twins at the 2003 trade deadline as a pending free agent. He was a catalyst for that club’s division title, so Minnesota re-signed him as a free agent and became one of the most reliable hitters of the early 2000s. He hit for average and set the table at the top of the lineup, and provided steady outfield play across multiple seasons. 9. Carlos Correa, SS Contract: 1-year, $35.1 million (3 years, $105.3 million with opt-outs after Year 1 and Year 2) 2022 Season: 5.3 rWAR, .291/.366/.467 (.834), 138 OPS+ The first Correa contract lands in the Top 10 largely because of its brevity. Even so, his lone season in Minnesota featured elite defense at shortstop and middle-of-the-order production when healthy. It was arguably his most productive season in a Twins uniform. The opt-out capped the long-term value, but the short-term impact was undeniable. 8. Phil Hughes, SP Contract(s): 6-years, $66 million 2014-2018 Seasons: 5.7 rWAR, 4.53 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 95 ERA+ The Minnesota Twins signed Hughes in December 2013, hoping to revive his career in a pitcher-friendly park. After a record-setting 2014 season (16-10, 3.52 ERA, MLB-best K/BB ratio), they extended him in December 2014 for five years and $42 million, totaling $66 million over six years, though injuries later hampered his performance. The first deal was good, but the extension aged poorly. 7. Juan Berenguer, RP Contract(s): 4-years, $2.03 million 1987-1990 Seasons: 6.4 rWAR, 3.70 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 115 ERA+ Berenguer gave the Twins durability and effectiveness out of the bullpen for years. Relievers rarely draw much attention, but his consistency and workload made him a quiet asset during an era when stability mattered. He became a cult hero during the team’s 1987 World Series run, and the Twins continued to invest in him for multiple seasons. 6. Paul Molitor, DH/3B/1B Contract(s): 3-years, $9.775 million 1996-1998 Seasons: 5.2 rWAR, .312/.362/.432 (.794), 104 OPS+ Molitor arrived at age 39 and immediately authored one of the greatest late-career seasons in franchise history. In 1996, he hit .341/.390/.468 (.858), led the AL in hits, and reached 3,000 hits. The hometown Hall of Famer helped revitalize the Twins in the late 1990s and eventually returned to coach in the organization after his retirement. The Twins have never built their identity around free agency. Still, these signings show that when timing and opportunity align, the open market can deliver franchise-defining moments. Even in a cold-weather market, sometimes the right bat or arm can change everything. Do you agree with the rankings above? Which names do you expect to be in the top five? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

A few weeks ago, Padres fans were celebrating the team’s announcement that they weren’t planning to shed salary for the 2026 season. Instead, San Diego intends to operate with a payroll similar to last year’s. That opened the door to all sorts of exciting hypotheticals about what the Padres could do with their remaining money. Since then, San Diego has made two free-agent moves that put the 2026 payroll at $219 million - just $2 million less than the 2025 figure: re-signing star pitcher Michael King (3 years / $75 million) and adding Japanese talent Sung-Mon Song (4 years / $15 million). Based on the idea of maintaining a similar payroll, it looks like general manager AJ Preller has about $2 million left to spend. The roster still needs at least one more lefty starter and some offensive reinforcements. If the Padres want to fill every hole, ownership will probably have to go over last year’s number - especially if they plan to pursue a big-name southpaw free agent like Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez. That said, Preller still has options. There are affordable players available that could fill at least one gap with the remaining $2 million. San Diego can also use the trade market to reallocate bad contracts and farm system assets to add talent without increasing payroll. The prospect depth is as thin as ever, but it doesn’t look like Preller is starting a rebuild, so we can assume he’ll operate the same way he always has: without regard for the farm’s strength. I’m not saying I support that strategy, but it’s the realistic outlook. As long as Preller is trying to compete, the farm system will be used to improve the MLB roster. Budget-Friendly Fillers Assuming the front office doesn’t shell out the cash needed for Valdez or Suárez, their best bet is finding a cheap lefty starter in free agency and using trade assets to retool the lineup. They also have JP Sears under contract, so they could test their luck with Sears plus another arm and see if one of them clicks. This role could be filled by several available pitchers, but these would be my top options. Martin Pérez The former Padre pitched very well during his half-season in San Diego in 2024, so a return would make sense. He was an All-Star in 2022 and posted a 3.54 ERA / 4.90 FIP in 56 innings with the White Sox last season. Patrick Corbin It’s been a rough stretch for Corbin since his championship run in Washington, but he still brings experience, health, and innings - all things the Padres lack. He’s also due for a year where the BABIP luck falls his way. He’s thrown 150+ innings every season since the 2020 Covid year and showed signs of life with a 4.40 ERA / 4.25 FIP in 2025. If the Padres decide to spend more on pitching than those two options, Preller may instead look for cheap offensive help. If that’s the route, here are a few possibilities. Justin Turner This will be unpopular, given Turner’s rough year with the Cubs and his status as a former Dodger. Still, he’ll be cheap and fits the lineup if money is tight. He posted a 112 wRC+ against lefties in 2025 and could platoon effectively with Gavin Sheets. Ty France I know these names aren’t mouthwatering, but they offer cost-effective upside. The 2022 All-Star should still have some production left. He hasn’t posted a wRC+ over 100 in the past two seasons, but when he’s right, he mashes lefties. He’d be another solid bench bat to pair with Sheets. Trade Opportunities Some players on the Padres’ roster simply aren’t playing up to their contracts. If the team genuinely wants to compete, they’ll need to use assets to move off these deals and redirect that money toward upgrades. They should avoid trading budget-friendly talent like Jackson Merrill and Mason Miller. Superstars Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. also project as strong values on sub-$30 million contracts, so I wouldn’t move them either. Xander Bogaerts This deal just hasn’t worked. Bogaerts will be making $25 million annually through 2032, and if Preller can find a way to move him, he should take it. A team like the Yankees could be tempted, given how terrible Anthony Volpe has been. Cover some of the money and include a top-five prospect to get bullpen depth in return. Finding a suitor would be difficult, but this is the clearest path to opening up payroll space. Yu Darvish Another complicated situation. Darvish won’t pitch in 2026 and isn’t particularly appealing to other teams, but perhaps a buyout could be structured to free up some money. He’s making $16 million this year and won’t even have a chance to bounce back. Getting Darvish off the books would require a sacrifice from ownership, but it would create so much more flexibility. Yuki Matsui Despite being one of the weaker arms in the bullpen, Matsui is one of the highest-paid relievers on the staff. His $6 million contract will only become more expensive over time, and it’s hard to project his future production. It’s not a franchise-altering move like shedding Bogaerts or Darvish, but the Padres could likely find a team willing to take on his full contract and get something in return. That freed-up money could help fill another hole or open additional trade avenues. The Bottom Line The best part of San Diego’s complicated financial situation is that they don’t have any truly outrageous contracts (outside of Bogaerts). Machado and Tatis should both earn their salaries, and none of the starters are tied to disastrous deals. Instead, the payroll is spread across the roster. There isn’t a clear path to financial freedom in San Diego, but one thing is certain: Preller has options. View the full article

Baseball trade trees are fun. I’ve previously outlined two of the biggest in Twins history, one positive (A.J. Pierzynski) and one negative (Delmon Young). One transaction can set off a chain reaction that lasts decades. This isn’t a complete trade tree, but it is a continuous line that links Michael Cuddyer to Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson. Cuddyer was drafted ninth overall in 1997 out of a Virginia high school. He was listed as a pitcher and shortstop. It took a while for the Twins to pony up enough money to convince him not to go to Florida State, as he eventually received the sixth-largest signing bonus in the draft at $1.8 million. Cuddyer consistently ranked in Baseball America’s top 50 prospects, but his major league career did not start smoothly, as he bounced back and forth between the majors and minors from 2001 to 2003, between the ages of 22 and 24. He bounced around the diamond as well, playing five different positions in his first five years. Finally, he hit his stride in 2006 as a 27-year-old, and he put together six seasons as a solid MLB regular, mostly playing first base and right field, with a 115 OPS+ and an All-Star nod to his name. In 2008, he signed a four-year extension that the Twins. That certainly paid off, and he hit free agency as a 32-year-old ahead of 2011. Now, this is where the tree would end, if it weren’t for free agent compensation. That year, Cuddyer was a "Type A" free agent, and after he turned down arbitration with the Twins, they were entitled to an additional draft pick. Cuddyer signed a contract with the Rockies, and the Twins were awarded the 32nd pick in the 2012 draft for their troubles. That 32nd pick? They turned it into Jose Berrios. Berrios was a high school pitcher out of Puerto Rico and signed for $1.6 million. He was a Top 100 prospect from 2014 to 2016, when he made his messy, messy MLB debut. Across 14 starts in 2016 as a 22-year-old, he had an ERA that started with an eight, but he blossomed into one of the most dependable starters in baseball over the next five seasons in Minnesota. Unlike with Cuddyer, the Twins had little interest in extending Berrios—at least for the price he wanted. At the trade deadline during the trainwreck 2021 season, the Twins elected to flip Berrios to Toronto for two highly touted prospects. Berrios almost immediately signed a seven-year extension with the Blue Jays. In return, the Twins received infielder Austin Martin and pitcher Simeon Woods Richardson. Baseball America immediately slotted Martin in as the team’s top prospect and the 19th-best prospect in baseball. Woods Richardson was a borderline Top 100 prospect and was ranked sixth in the system. Both Martin and Woods Richardson saw their stocks drop over the next few years, but both got their first extended runs in 2024. Martin had a poor showing, raising even more questions about his long-term outlook, but Woods Richardson emerged as a quality backend starter with roughly equivalent performance to Berrios, now 30, in Toronto. Woods Richardson made the team out of spring training in 2025 but had a rockier start to his season than most had hoped. However, by the end of the season, he’d turned in a solid overall showing in 22 starts. Martin did not make the team out of spring training and spent considerable time injured at Triple-A St. Paul. However, he may have salvaged his Twins career by being the only hitter to give a quality showing after the team’s historic trade deadline selloff. Now, both Woods Richardson and Martin are projected to make the Opening Day lineup as a backend starter and a fourth outfielder. Although many expected more from them to this point in their careers, both appear to be useful assets on a team that is trying to get back on track. If you’re a WAR person, by Baseball Reference’s count, Cuddyer was worth 12.8 rWAR for the Twins. Berrios accumulated 10.0, and Woods Richardson is at 4.0 thus far. Martin accumulated 0.7 in 50 2025 games, but he’s 0.3 wins below replacement for his career. That’s a total of 26.1 rWAR from this string, though, and it could continue to grow. Who knows, Woods Richardson might be traded to create room in the rotation and add another branch onto this tree. And for the real sickos out there, there might even be another layer to this chain reaction, if you squint and use your imagination, though it is a sad one. Kirby Puckett was forced into an early retirement before the 1996 season due to glaucoma. The Twins went 78-84 in his absence, tying the Athletics for the American League’s fifth-worst record. At that time, the draft order alternated between leagues, and in 1997, the American League drafted first, meaning that the Twins would either have the ninth or 11th pick. The Twins had a worse record in 1995 than the Athletics, so they were awarded the higher pick. With just one more win, they would have picked 11th. Now, I’m no soothsayer, and I can’t create an alternative history. But had Puckett not been forced into retirement, and the Twins instead had their aging superstar patrolling right field (instead of Matt Lawton, Roberto Kelly, Denny Hocking, and Ron Coomer), it’s not difficult to imagine the team winning at least one more game. And had they won one more game, picking 11th instead of ninth, it’s possible that Cuddyer could have gone to the Athletics or the Cubs (Oakland’s pick that year was Chris Enochs, a college pitcher who never made the majors). Obviously, this is desperately searching for an extra layer that can only be tenuously held together, but hey. I find it interesting. Either way, the Cuddyer-to-Berrios-to-Martin-and-Woods Richardson thread is a fun one to pull. View the full article

DL Hall had some injury problems with the Baltimore Orioles, but his stock rose as a top 100 prospect from some elite swing-and-miss pitches. His fastball was given an 80 grade by Baseball America, and it appeared that his command, once an Achilles heel, took large strides in the back half of 2023. The Brewers had every right to dream on his upside as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter. Alas, this hasn't materialised. Hall's fastball has slowed down by a tick on average, but it's important to remember his time with Baltimore in the big leagues was in a bullpen role. If we break it down to his Triple-A results, when he was prolific in racking up strikeouts, you can see the fastball shape actually improved with the Brewers, seeing slight increases in velocity, spin rates, and a lower vertical approach angle: Thomas Nestico's model gives us a great basis for comparison, but I think Jeremy Maschino's at Pitch Profiler might give an even better indication as to what's changed for DL Hall since 2023, and why he's causing hitters to swing and miss a whole lot less. To really analyse the difference between DL Hall's 2023 arsenal and the plethora of strikeouts and ugly swings it induced, compared to the 2025 pitcher we saw for the Brewers, first, we have to deconstruct what made him so effective. Hall's Slider Has Lost Its Seam-Related Movement Below is the breakdown of DL Hall's pitch movement, separated by Magnus (i.e., spin-related effects) and non-Magnus (seam-oriented movement). I wrote about the subject here earlier this month if you need a recap, however if you're up to speed, let's dive in! The large benefit of non-magnus movement is that it's more deceptive to the hitter. They can pick up spin out of a pitcher's hand, but non-magnus is far more difficult to anticipate. Some pitch types are affected more than others, but it's interesting to note the amount of additional rise DL Hall achieved through seam orientation in 2023 at the Triple-A level, far more than is common for a slider (seen in yellow). Let's contrast that with 2025: The non-magnus-affected movement has almost disappeared, while the spin-related movement is essentially the same as in 2023. In essence, because of the way the baseball's seams are interacting with the air resistance, DL Hall is getting less late movement on his slider. It's affecting his Stuff+ grades, dropping from 107 to 101 per Pitch Profiler, and is getting considerably less swing-and-miss as a result. Is DL Hall In The Dead Zone? A "Dead Zone" pitch moves exactly as a hitter expects and finds it easy to square up. Jeremy Maschino attempts to quantify this dead zone to also include the arm angle a pitch is thrown from, which drastically affects what should be considered dead zone. For example, from your average arm angle (say your three-quarter slot), getting 20" of induced vertical break (IVB) would be considered exceptional; however, if you have a high delivery point like Trevor Megill, that IVB is considered far less of an outlier and thus easier to hit. Below is Hall's dynamic dead zone in 2025, with the circles showing his actual movement and the shaded areas showing what a hitter might expect out of the hand: Immediately noticeable is that the fastball (red) and curveball (blue) are moving exactly as expected for his delivery, but he does get some additional movement on the changeup (green) and slider (yellow). You might also note some dispersion in the arm angles from which each of these pitches is thrown (these aren't large differences, but they are further separated than his almost imperceptible release point in 2023). These movement patterns are dwarfed by his 2023 iteration: You can see that the curveball and fastball remain quite dead zones in terms of their movement, but the slider and changeup are massively changed. As we discussed earlier, the slider has changed shape completely, going from a pitch that rose over four inches more than expected in 2023 to a pitch that dropped two inches more than expected in 2025. That's six inches of separation that has impacted his strikeout potential. Playing for Triple-A Norfolk in 2023, the changeup registered an incredible 50% whiff rate when hitters took a swing, and this rise is part of that. We commonly expect changeups to drop down and away, but in recent seasons, we've seen a new type of changeup, such as those by Drew Thorpe of the White Sox and even Tobias Myers in 2024, that rise more. The key here is that changeups are based around deception, and the closer they can mirror a fastball before separation, movement-wise, the more effective they can be. How Deceptive Is Hall's Delivery? With the additional rise, it made Hall's dead zone fastball and his changeup both play better against live hitters, aided further by how similar his arm angles were in 2023. He averaged a 39° arm angle for his slider, changeup, and fastball in 2023, whereas he now varies from 41 ° to 45 ° in 2025. This isn't a huge discrepancy, but it is notable for a pitcher who thrives on deception. Hall's delivery involves a lot of rotation, almost turning his chest towards second base, meaning the ball springs out of nowhere. He still retains much of the same natural deception in his delivery, and it's one reason he's been successful without the swings and misses of yesteryear, managing an xWOBACON of .298 in 2025. He's not far away from the elite swing and miss artist he showed as a prospect, but that seam-related movement seems to be the key, and it may come from his altered release point. So, to summarise, DL Halls' high-end promise in 2023 seems to revolve around two things: Non-magnus (seam-oriented) movement that helped both his slider and changeup "rise" to miss bats Deceptive delivery and arm angles It's likely the altered arm angles are an effort to improve Hall's long-term injury outlook. Still, they may have negatively impacted both his ability to unlock the seam-related movement and the deceptiveness in his delivery. It's an actual risk-reward scenario for a player with multiple long-term injuries in his past, but if the Brewers want to unlock DL Hall as a dominant rotation arm, they may need to take that risk. Hall is a candidate for the shuttle between Triple A and the big leagues this year, having failed to establish himself in 2024/25, so this may be worth it for both parties at this point. If he can rediscover his release point, and with it his non-magnus movement, there's an outside chance DL Hall can become more than a swingman in the bullpen. It's not guaranteed, but there is a chance. Without that deception, he will struggle to establish the fastball and get the swings and misses needed for the next big step in his development. What do you think of DL Hall's outlook? Where do you think his strengths and his flaws lie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! View the full article

Just three years after he was named the Twins' executive chair, Joe Pohlad is out of the role and replaced by his older brother, Tom. Jeremy, Jamie, and Theo discuss whether the change in leadership was a joint decision by the Pohlad family and the new minority owners. View the full article

It might've got lost in the midst of the re-signing of starter Michael King and the multi-year deal for infielder Sung Mun Song, but the San Diego Padres made an additional under-the-radar pickup last week in former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Triston McKenzie. It's only a minor-league deal that includes a spring training invite, but has the ability to yield big dividends for a Padres team starved for any semblance of starting pitching depth they can find. A couple of years ago, such a pickup would've generated a hefty buzz around the baseball world. As recently as 2022, McKenzie looked like one of the game's rising stars on the mound. That year, he posted a 2.96 ERA, a 25.6 percent strikeout rate, and a 5.9 percent walk rate on his way to a 3.4 fWAR campaign. Unfortunately for McKenzie, however, that would prove to be the peak of his powers up to this point. In the years since, McKenzie has battled seemingly constant injury issues. The 2023 season saw both shoulder and elbow issues develop, and he elected rehab over Tommy John surgery for the latter. As such, he's thrown less than 100 innings at the major-league level in the last three years combined, with his highest volume of work coming across 16 starts in 2024. His performance has suffered in those rare instances of play, with that 2024 season featuring an ERA over five and a fWAR that fell on the negative end of the threshold (-1.0). At his peak, McKenzie featured a fastball that averaged just under 93 MPH, a curveball that garnered whiffs at a 45 percent clip, and a slider that allowed quality contact at an impressive 30.9 percent rate. As a reliever with the Guardians in 2025, McKenzie threw only 5 2/3 innings. But it seems notable that his fastball velocity was closer to 94 and his curveball checked in at a swing-and-miss rate of 66.7 percent. It's a minuscule sample, but it speaks to the idea that McKenzie might have something to offer now a couple years clear of those woeful health developments back in 2023. An important factor to consider in this is Ruben Niebla, whose tenure in Cleveland overlapped heavily with McKenzie's time in the organization. He was the team's minor league pitching coordinator through 2019 before being elevated to the big-league staff as assistant pitching coach that year. Having left for the Padres in 2021, his work as pitching coach is evident in maximizing usage and outcomes for pitchers. One imagines that McKenzie joining this particular organization gives him as good a shot as any at reviving his career considering Niebla's presence. For McKenzie, that context of coaching personnel compounds with opportunity in order to create a logical fit. Even with Michael King back in the mix, this is still a team that lacks a full rotation at the top level. King joins Nick Pivetta as the only locks for Opening Day, while Joe Musgrove shouldn't be too far behind in his return from Tommy John. Randy Vásquez, JP Sears, and Matt Waldron each remain around as depth options, but there's a clear chance for McKenzie to create an impact here if he's able to regain any semblance of his previous form. That'll start with his command. The stuff played well enough in his brief time with Cleveland last season, but he was unable to gain any traction with his feel for the strike zone. If Niebla can help him get back to even remotely what he was in 2022, McKenzie is an arm that possesses farm more upside than any of Vásquez, Sears, Waldron, or Kyle Hart. We've seen this organization redeem players on both sides of the ball in recent years, though McKenzie's name and pedigree offer a steeper climb and more bountiful payoff if he can reach relevance once again. Even if he's unable to get completely back to form, there's at least a level of intrigue in his attempt to do so. For a team that generally lacks such mystique, he'll be a fun story to follow this spring. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs signed veteran right-handed reliever Jacob Webb to a 1-year, $1.5 million deal with a club option in 2027. Here's a deeper look at how the 32-year-old is only getting craftier with time despite not having high velocity or strikeout rates. View the full article

December 26th is known as Boxing Day in Great Britain, but in America, it’s when you exchange the duplicate gift or ill-fitting sweater you received for Christmas. And for at least one MLB franchise, it’s when you attempt an outside-the-box roster move that may very well be illegal and violate several human rights treaties. Per multiple sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking, Twins Executive Chair Tom Pohlad attempted to return Twins infielder/catcher Mickey Gasper at the St. Louis Park Costco on Friday morning. Pohlad was overheard saying, “Derek, this is Tom, do you still have the receipt for (Mickey) Gasper,” by multiple shoppers at the store’s customer service area. “They won’t take him back without a receipt. This is urgent, please call back as soon as possible.” Gasper was in fact acquired from the Boston Red Sox in December 2024 for pitcher Jovani Moran. Team sources say the decision to try Costco was due to their generous return policy for members. “Tom is an executive member and figured it was as good a plan as any to free up roster space and payroll,” said one front office source. “The fact that he had his driver take him to the worst parking lot in America on the day after Christmas? I think it reflects well on his commitment to making the 2026 Twins competitive, despite what naysayers may claim about Mickey Gasper’s human rights.” Costco customer service rep Lynn Moeller said she was very confused by the request. “Usually people bring in the actual item they’re returning,” said Moeller. “(Pohlad) showed me a baseball card and asked if we would take the man on the card back. He assured me that it was legal and totally normal in other countries where his family has country estates. I called my manager over.” A spokesperson for Costco declined to comment on the matter, but witnesses say the manager refused to honor the request even after Pohlad put a caller, assumed to be Falvey, on the line with them. “You could tell (Pohlad) wasn’t thrilled, but he seemed to accept the manager’s decision,” said one customer. “I guess this is, like, super illegal to do." Gasper remains on the Twins 40-man roster. His representatives say they are exploring their legal options but acknowledged that the St. Louis Park Costco parking lot is pretty bad. Image license here. View the full article

I'm gonna steal this (more or less) from Nick Nelson of Twins Daily. He said it better than I could. The idea of this exercise is to take stock of the organization's talent through the scope of team-building. Our goal is to answer this question: Which current players in the organization are most indispensable to fulfilling the vision of building a champion? We account for age, contract, controllability, upside, etc. It's not strictly a ranking of trade value, because that would be more team-agnostic, whereas this list aims to capture a very Brewers-specific point of view. As such, players at areas of scarcity (i.e., catching) get elevated, while those at areas of abundance (i.e., relief pitchers) get downgraded a bit. Without more ado from afar, here is Part 2 of the Top Brewers Players Assets of 2025. Part 1: #21-25 20. Logan Henderson, RHP 2026 Season Age: 24 Controlled through: 2031 Jason's rank: 18 | Michael's rank: 17 | Steve's rank: 18 After moving up in the Brewers chain for four years, Henderson made his highly awaited debut in Milwaukee in 2025 and didn’t disappoint. He earned wins in his first three decisions and struck out batters at a rate of 33% while walking only eight percent. He suffered a flexor tendon strain in August and missed the balance of the season. Henderson features two plus pitches: a fastball in the 92-95 MPH range with over 17” of Induced Vertical Break (IVB), and a changeup that comes to the plate at 80-82 MPH and has an average of 18” of arm-side movement. He also throws a cutter and slider a combined 10% of the time, but he needs to work on those pitches. The right-hander is expected to be healthy coming into the 2026 season and is a frontrunner for a spot in the Brewers' starting rotation. Here are some of the highlights in Henderson's start against Washington on August 3, his last appearance of the season. 19. Jeferson Quero, C 2026 Season Age: 23 Controlled through: TBD Jason's rank: 11 | Michael's rank: 15 | Steve's rank: 26 Quero returned in 2025 from the torn labrum in his right shoulder that sidelined him for all of 2024. He split time between the Arizona Complex League and Triple-A Nashville in 2025. Quero caught 34 games at Nashville and threw out only 19% of baserunners, dropping from 35% in his last full season. Opposing teams ran 50% more than they did in 2023; is the arm healthy? Although he had only 250 trips to the plate at Nashville, I feel he has little to prove in the minors. His batting mark of .255/.336/.412 shows a good eye and decent pop. He could benefit from learning nuances of the catching job from ‘Wild Bill,’ and short of an injury, slump, or significant free agent/trade at the ‘2’ spot, Quero should be the primary back-up behind the plate this year. Quero's three-run homer against Louisville in September 2025. 18. Cooper Pratt 2026 Season Age: 21 Controlled through: TBD Jason's rank: 10 | Michael's rank: 16 | Steve's rank: 26 Pratt’s batting numbers dropped off from 2024, but two things have remained constant: speed and defense. His combined 2024 batting numbers were .277/.362/.406, compared to last year’s .238/.343/.348. His stolen base number improved from 27 to 31 last season. With a Gold Glove already on his résumé and 60 grades for fielding and arm, defense is not a problem. Pratt is a line-drive hitter, but with his size (6-foot-3, 205 pounds), he should grow into his power. Once the face of Milwaukee’s future shortstop, he has been passed up by Jesús Made and Luis Peña. Those two are probably a year behind Prat, but are coming fast. Our own Telemachus opined that Pratt might be a trade chip in the future. Having too many players at the same spot is a good thing. Or is it? All things staying the same, Pratt should make his big-league debut sometime this season. A nice leaping grab by Cooper Pratt. 17. Aaron Ashby 2026 Season Age: 28 Controlled through: 2028 Jason's rank: 17 | Michael's rank: 20 | Steve's rank: 13 It seems hard to believe, but Ashby will be entering his fifth year as a Brewer in 2026. Last year, he was a major part of the mid-to-high leverage relief corps and set career highs with 43 appearances, three saves, 193 ERA+, and a 2.70 FIP. The Brewers have vacillated between using the left-hander as a starter or reliever, but smart money has Ashby in the pen, unless he is needed in the rotation in an emergency. Last season, Ashby used his sinker 40% of the time with a velo of about 96 MPH. The slider (23%), curve (16%), and change (18%) are all formidable weapons. Just to keep batters honest, he has a fastball that also arrives at about 96 MPH. Ashby will once again be a major part of the Brewers pen, either with multiple innings or as a late-inning guy if needed. Aaron Ashby strikes out Freddie Freeman in the NLCS. 16. Andrew Vaughn 2026 Season Age: 28 Controlled through: 2027 Jason's rank: 24 | Michael's rank: 11 | Steve's rank: 15 Last year was a ‘tale of two cities’ for Vaughn after playing in Chicago and later in Milwaukee. It was the best of times (.308/.375/.493 in Milwaukee), and it was the worst of times (.189/.218/.314 in Chicago). Vaughn slumped in August (.695 OPS) but rebounded in the last month of the season (.942 OPS). Like the rest of the Brewers, Vaughn struggled in the NLCS against the Dodgers, taking a 0-for-12 collar. Vaughn was a decent fielder according to FanGraphs, with a Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) of zero and an Outs Above Average (OAA) of +4 while playing for the Brewers. The powerful righty is expected to, at the very least, split the job with southpaw Jake Bauers. But a hot start by either one of them could put the other on the bench. Here's Vaughn robbing Max Muncy in the NLCS. Next up, Part 3 (11-15). Enjoy!! Let us know how we are doing. Did we miss anyone? Somebody rated too high or too low? Start the conversation in the comments section below! View the full article

Since it is the 50th anniversary of free agency in Major League Baseball, this series is profiling the top 10 free agents in the Royals' franchise history. In this installment, the focus shifts to position players. Be sure to check out part one, which profiled the top free agent pitchers. Top Free Agent Hitters Melky Cabrera Signed in 2011 | 4.4 WAR Cabrera was signed after an abysmal season in Atlanta, which led to his release by the Braves. The Royals were able to sign him to a very reasonable $1.25 million contract in 2011. Cabrera went on to have the best season for a Royals free agent hitter with 4.4 WAR in 2011. He also went on to set career-bests in home runs, batting average, and OPS, which provided stability to the Royals’ lineup. Before the 2012 season, the Royals traded Cabrera to the Giants for Jonathan Sanchez and Ryan Verdugo. Although Cabrera and Sanchez did not work out for the Royals (-1.5 WAR combined in Kansas City), the addition of Cabrera provided good production at minimal cost, yielding a valuable trade asset. Gary Gaetti Signed in 1993 | 8.4 WAR | 1x Top-10 MVP | 1x Silver Slugger Known more for his time in Minnesota, Gaetti had a productive stint in Kansas City. Signing three consecutive one-year deals, his time in Kansas City will be grouped. In 1993, Gaetti signed with the Royals after being released by the California Angels following a poor start to the season. After signing with the Royals, he became a consistent contributor, reminiscent of his time with the Twins. In three seasons with the Royals, he slashed .267/.323/.491, good for a 108 OPS+. All marks better than his averages with the Twins. His performance in 1995 earned him 10th in AL MVP voting and his only career Silver Slugger. His stats may have been more impressive if he had been able to play a full 162-game season as a Royal, since he joined midseason in 1993 and both the 1994 and 1995 seasons were shortened due to the players' strike. On a per-162-game basis, Gaetti averaged 4.4 WAR with the Royals, which may give a better perspective on his late-career resurgence in Kansas City. Mark Grudzielanek Signed in 2006 | 8.3 WAR | 1x Gold Glove Grudzielanek signed with the Royals after having one of the best years of his career in St. Louis at the age of 35. Signing a 36-year-old journeyman is always risky, but Grudzielanek was able to deliver as a rare bright spot on otherwise poor Royals teams. In his three years in Kansas City, Grudzielanek slashed .300/.339/.412, good for a 96 OPS+, which was better than his career averages. He was also impactful on defense, earning his only Gold Glove award in his first year in Kansas City. Kendrys Morales Signed in 2015 | 3.4 WAR | 2015 World Series | 1x Silver Slugger Morales was signed to replace the departing fan-favorite Billy Butler, and he provided an instant upgrade at the DH spot. In 2015, Morales slashed .290/.362/.485 with a 127 OPS+, provided power in the middle of the order, and led the Royals with 22 home runs 2015. He deservedly earned his only career Silver Slugger that season. Morales was a meaningful contributor during the Royals' postseason run, slashing .255/.304/.490 with four home runs. His biggest moment in the postseason came in Game 4 of the ALDS, when he hit the ground ball that induced a pivotal fielding eighth-inning error by Carlos Correa, tying the game and completing a dramatic comeback in the series. In 2016, Morales was not quite at the same level as the previous year, with only a 110 OPS+, but he was still a power contributor with 30 home runs. Rey Sánchez Signed in 1999 | 9.3 WAR Sánchez was a steady but moderate contributor in his career, accruing 8.7 WAR in his first eight MLB seasons. During his three seasons in Kansas City, he more than doubled that total, with 9.3 WAR, which is the highest cumulative mark by a free-agent hitter in franchise history. Sánchez was a consistent contributor, hitting for a decent average in the premium shortstop position, slashing .289/.321/.351. While not hitting for power, he provided elite defense, which provided the foundation for other emerging stars like Johnny Damon, Jermaine Dye, Carlos Beltran, and Mike Sweeney to lead the offense. While Sánchez’s offense didn’t provide much impact, his consistency on offense and elite defense warrant inclusion on this list and perhaps also speak to the quality, or lack thereof, in free agents that the Royals have been able to attract in their history. Honorable Mentions Alex Gordon Signed in 2016 | 4.1 WAR | 4x Gold Glove Alex Gordon’s four-year, $72 million contract that he signed after winning the World Series in 2015 is still the richest free-agent deal in Royals history. While Gordon could still provide elite defense in left field, his offensive production declined sharply after signing. Before 2016, Gordon slashed .269/.348/.435 with a 112 OPS+. After signing as a free agent, his production fell to .234/.318/.362, with an OPS+ of 82. Alex Gordon is an all-time Royal great, but his production after signing in 2016 was not good enough for the list. Wally Joyner Signed in 1992 | 7.7 WAR While known more for his time with the Angels, Joyner enjoyed a productive four years in Kansas City. He consistently got on base and hit for decent power. While in Kansas City, he slashed .293/.371/.434 with a 113 OPS+. Joyner also hit at least 20 doubles in all four of his seasons in Kansas City. While his time as a Royal was good, he was ultimately edged out by other hitters who either achieved higher peaks or a better body of work with the Royals. View the full article

On January 18, 2025, Cubs owner Tom Ricketts appeared on 670 The Score saying that the Cubs do not have the funds to spend like the Dodgers, Yankees, and Mets. This was in response to the growing frustration among Cubs fans as they watched other large-market franchises sign All-Star-caliber players to improve their rosters. At the same time, the Cubs’ most significant move last season was a trade for Kyle Tucker (OF), which cost them one of their top prospects, Cam Smith (3B/OF). Many assumed that the Cubs would use the $27.5 million that they freed up by trading Cody Bellinger (OF) to the Yankees to extend Tucker this offseason. It is yet to be seen if the Cubs will make a serious offer to Tucker in an attempt to retain him. Ricketts defended the team’s spending (or lack thereof) by saying that the Cubs are just trying to “break even” in terms of revenue vs spending. According to a report from Forbes Payroll Data via Spotrac, Ricketts's comments paint a much different picture than the team's actual financial situation. In 2024, the Cubs' Revenue was roughly $584 million, the third-highest in baseball, behind only the Dodgers ($752 million) and the Yankees ($728 million). This puts their earnings higher than those of all the remaining franchises, including the Mets ($444 million) and the Phillies ($519 million), which have been significantly more aggressive in spending in recent years, among others. Maybe the most discouraging statistic in this report is the percentage of revenue used to build players' rosters and to pay the luxury tax (penalty fees for exceeding a set payroll threshold). Make no mistake, ownership sets the limits on the budget allowance to put the best possible lineup out on the field. The allocation of funds towards roster creation can lead to a competitive advantage in ways different from those of other professional leagues with salary caps that maintain a level of competitive balance. In 2025, the Cubs used 36.4% of their revenue ($213 million) to build their 26-man roster. What makes this percentage so alarming to Cubs fans is that it ranks 26th out of the 30 MLB organizations. Teams such as the Milwaukee Brewers (40.8%), Washington Nationals (42.3%), and Athletics (43.4%) are spending a greater percentage of their revenue on their players. The comparisons to other large-market teams are even more staggering. The Los Angeles Dodgers spent 73.0% ($549 million) of their revenue, the New York Yankees spent 49.7% ($362 million) of their revenue, and the New York Mets spent an eye-popping 90.0% ($400 million) of their revenue in 2025 to build their rosters. With all of that said, Cubs fans want to know whether this trend will continue. That remains to be seen. Many talented free agents will garner large contracts, including Kyle Tucker. Last season did not end how anyone in the organization had hoped, when the Cubs were eliminated from the postseason by the rival Milwaukee Brewers in the Division Series. If the Cubs (and the Ricketts) want different results and are serious about building a sustained winning organization capable of making a deep postseason run, they can start by increasing their willingness to allocate more of their annual revenue to player acquisition and retention. A lot of factors play into winning the World Series, but a loyal fanbase in a large market deserves to be rewarded with an owner who is willing to spend with the other top-revenue teams, because that is within their control. Let Jed Hoyer and his team go to work with the necessary budget to legitimately pursue players such as Tucker (OF), Alex Bregman (3B/DH), Eugenio Suarez (3B), and Framber Valdez (LHP). Cubs fans will consistently fill Wrigley Field and purchase team merchandise, which was on full display even during a 108-year championship drought. Tom Ricketts can reward this loyalty by allowing the front office to add a few pieces that can take the Cubs from a good team with talent to a serious contender. There is still time and resources available to achieve that this offseason. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox are no strangers to breakout prospects. In 2023, the team saw Roman Anthony burst onto the stage and emerge as one of the best prospects in the sport, while 2024 saw the same happen with Kristian Campbell, as the young player made his way from High-A Greenville all the way up to Triple-A Worcester. Even just this past season, the team saw Payton Tolle become their latest breakout prospect alongside fellow left-handed pitcher Connelly Early as the duo both made their way to the majors to help the Red Sox with their push for the postseason. Now, with the Red Sox's farm system having graduated most of its top prospects, the question becomes: Who is set to emerge as the next big-name breakout in the organization? There are a few potential candidates, so let's analyze four under-the-radar prospects who could emerge as top-shelf stars. 3 Red Sox prospects with breakout potential in 2026 Henry Godbout – Second Base Godbout, who was drafted in the second round of the 2025 MLB Draft, made his professional debut for High-A Greenville this past season, appearing in 13 games. While a small sample, the infielder did not disappoint as he put up a stat line of .341/.473/.477 to go along with six doubles and five RBIs. What makes Godbout a potential breakout prospect for the 2026 season is his contact ability. While he chases at a high rate, Godbout has a short swing that is direct to the ball that goes well with his strong hand-eye coordination and his feel for the nose of the bat. Along with that, Godbout has showcased an increase in his bat speed since being drafted, a skill the Red Sox have honed in on under Craig Breslow. Should Godbout’s power increase without sacrificing his elite hit tool, he could become a top prospect in the organization. The projection is due to the fact that Godbout fits the same mold of college bats the Red Sox have targeted in past drafts and is a strong candidate for their bat speed program. And despite his tendency to chase, Godbout is difficult to strike out thanks to his contact skills. Blake Wehunt – Pitcher Wehunt was drafted in the ninth round of the 2023 draft while Chaim Bloom was in charge. but has ended up checking off a lot of boxes that Craig Breslow looks for in pitching prospects. Standing at 6-foot-7 and have plus extension, Wehunt generates a lot of downhill force toward the plate. Currently sitting 93-96 mph, his fastball has shown life at the top of the zone and can also sink at the bottom, allowing Wehunt to change a batter's eye level with just one pitch. While his cutter, sweeper and splitter aren’t as good as his fastball, he is comfortable throwing the cutter and splitter for strikes. The 2025 campaign was a rough season for Wehunt if you look at just his numbers: 2-8 record, 5.68 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. But when you look deeper, you can see the improvements he's made. Wehunt had a 10.80 strikeout per nine innings, good for a strikeout rate of 27%. On the season, he had bad luck at times, as a .341 batting average on balls in play led to opponents hitting .258 against him and his FIP being 4.10 instead of his expected FIP of 3.61. His ERA of 5.68 was also inflated due to one bad start where he allowed seven earned runs in just 2/3 of an inning. Wehunt also missed over a month of the season due to a lat strain, possibly playing a role in his performance upon his return where he allowed 18 earned runs across 10 2/3 innings. A healthy 2026, along with continued development of secondary pitches, could see Wehunt become the next big pitching prospect to shoot up the rankings. Or, at worst, he could become a dominant reliever who either helps the big-league club eventually or is traded for major-league talent. Luke Heyman – Catcher Heyman was acquired at the 2025 Rule 5 roster protection deadline and honestly feels a bit early to be picked as a breakout candidate. He hasn’t played a single game in professional baseball yet. Still, he's got all the tools to thrive immediately in the Red Sox's sytem. Heyman was comfortable hitting fastballs in college but will need to show he can handle secondary pitches, especially against professional pitching. However, with plus power that goes with high exit velocities and good batted ball angles, he's going to hit the ball hard. His collegiate career proved that he could hit for power, and his final season, he also showed an improved ability to put the ball in play cutting back from 69 strikeouts his sophomore season to just 38 in his junior year (though he played in 15 less games). His ability to hit velocity was thanks in part to solid bat speed and his ability to stay balanced during his swing. Defensively, there's no clear position that stands out as a perfect home. However, his arm is the real deal. It currently is rated as being above average and helped him throw out quite a few runners in college. If he is at least close to being average when it comes to blocking pitches behind the plate, his arm could be the difference in whether he remains a catcher or moves elsewhere. Heyman’s potential for a breakout season will all depend on his health and how much playing time he gets due to the influx of catching talent in the lower levels of the Red Sox's minor league system this offseason. What do you think? Do you agree with these prospects as being potential breakout players, or do you feel there's someone else that should have been included? Leave your thoughts down below in the comments! View the full article

Gleeman was dead, to begin with. Well, maybe he wasn’t dead, but he had officially decided to fully buy in to the “never leaves his home” hermit bit, and to end his involvement in his longstanding and ever-popular Twins podcast, Gleeman and the Geek. So effectively, we’ll say he was pretty much dead to us. His longtime podcast partner, Ebenezer John Bonnes, had plans in the works to continue the show with a fully automated artificial intelligence partner, but he hadn’t disclosed this to his adoring fans, or even to his loyal employees with Twins Daily. He had dabbled with the digital dark arts in the past, but this would be a full sell out to the generative demons that have begun to plague our society. Bonnes made his way through the streets of downtown Minneapolis on Christmas Eve, Raycon earbuds plugged into each ear, fully detached from the bustling winter wonderland that surrounded him. “Look, isn’t that Ebenezer John Bonnes? I had heard he skipped town for Costa Rica after his show ended, never to return to Twins Territory again!” cried one of the many Cody-named peasants to another in the street. “Merry Christmas, master Bonnes! May you have a blessed off-season. We miss you dearly!” Bonnes turned to look at the Codies. He scowled and huffed with disgust. “Bah. Hotdog!” the old man shouted to them before shuffling into his posh downtown condo building. “Go bug someone else for once.” As he approached the front door of the lobby, he was startled by the cold, dead, scruffy and disapproving face of his old partner, Aaron Gleeman, staring back at him through the front window. Bonnes fell backward to the ground. He stood up and rubbed his eyes in terror, as he couldn’t believe what he had seen. When he looked back up into the window, the face had disappeared, leaving only his own reflection. “Okay, no more French pilsner tonight.” Bonnes said to himself before scurrying inside. As nightfall crept over the solemn skyline outside of his penthouse apartment, Bonnes lit a fire and sat in his easy chair for his nightly dinner provided by Factor meal delivery service, the sponsor of this holiday parable (use code SPIRIT at checkout for 50% off of your next order of roast goose). His phone buzzed with a notification from the Twins Daily Slack channel, letting him know that one of his annoying stooges, Sweet Lou Cratchit, had submitted an article regarding the Twins recent free agent transaction, one that he had poured hours of hard work into, and it was awaiting approval for the site. “Bah. Hotdog!” Bonnes huffed, yet again. “ChatGPT can do the work of this oaf for a fraction of the price.” He ignored the message and fell into a deep slumber in the fire's warm glow. He was awakened in the middle of the night by the unmistakable smell of Dior cologne and the clicking of metal baseball cleats on the porcelain floors of his hallway. “Ebenezer John Bonnes. . .” a trembling voice howled from the hallway. “I am the ghost of free agency past, and I am here to show you the error of your ways.” A spirit slowly approached through a cloudy haze. Bonnes couldn’t believe his eyes. It was former Twin Carlos Correa. “It can’t be!” Bonnes yelled. “The Twins traded you! You should be in Houston!” The spirit grabbed the old man by the hand and the two soared through time to the year 2022, when Correa originally signed with the Twins. “It was at this moment when you first used artificial intelligence to gather some general talking points for your episode to discuss my signing. It seemed innocent enough, but little did you know that it would start you down a treacherous path of over-reliance on these programs.” Bonnes looked at a younger version of himself, sitting at a pub in Ireland and inputting a prompt and awaiting automated bullet points with notes so that he wouldn’t have to do extensive research on his own. “I hardly remember this,” Bonnes said in confusion. “Honestly, I barely remember any part of that trip after the tour of the Guinness factory.” He was then transported back to the Twin Cities, where he saw Gleeman realizing his partner had sold out, even if just for a moment. A single tear streaked down his cheek, as he was overcome with immense disapproval and disappointment toward his dear partner. “I guess I didn’t realize he knew of my shortcut,” Bonnes reflected. “I guess he did start to seem rather distant from that point on, but I thought maybe he just had gas or something.” Spirit Correa then clapped, creating a thunderous boom that awoke Bonnes, now back in his easy chair in the present day. “Was it but a dream?” the old man questioned, before hearing the doorknob of his front door jiggle. The door swung open, revealing another spirit, but this one was considerably bigger than the last. “Josh Bell?” Bonnes questioned while jumping to his feet. “What on earth are you doing here?” The massive ghost approached and took him by the hand. “I am the ghost of free agency present, and I have come to continue showing you the error of your reliance on AI.” The two soared through the sky now, landing outside of a humble home in St. Paul. They looked through the window and saw a family sitting at the dining room table. “Why, that’s Sweet Lou Cratchit. He’s on my staff at Twins Daily. And that must be his lovely wife and their 6’10’’ adult son, Tiny Gregg.” The lowly peasants sit gathered around a single can of Hamm’s to share between the three of them. Sweet Lou cracks it open and pours it into three small jars and passes one to his wife and son. He raises his own jar. “A toast; to my boss, Ebenezer John Bonnes, who we have to thank for this year’s bounty,” he says with a grateful smile. “It may not be much, but it’s enough for us after a meager year for ad revenue.” They each clink their glasses and take a swig of their paltry feast. Tiny Gregg lets out a wet cough, as he has grown ill in recent weeks without any hope of Sweet Lou being able to afford the medicine for his bout with Kreidler fever. It’s getting worse with each passing day. Bonnes can’t help but feel rotten after seeing the consequences of his decision to opt for AI content rather than paying his staff. “Oh, ghost Bell, I fear that I’ve gone too far with ChatGPT. Surely, it’s not too late for me to change my ways, right?” Bonnes asks the hulking ghost. The ghost claps just as his predecessor did, waking Bonnes yet again. Only this time, he isn’t in his easy chair, but in the middle of a cemetery. He sees a cloaked figure approach. “You must be the ghost of free agency yet to come,” he says. “Who could that be?” The ghost keeps himself concealed, but he’ll probably be a reliever in his late-30s that costs somewhere around $3 million on a one-year contract. Probably a lefty, if I had to guess. I don’t know. The figure nods and points Bonnes toward a couple of headstones at the top of a hill. It’s dark and raining steadily. As the old man approaches the first memorial, he starts to make out the words chiseled in the stone. Tiny Gregg Masterson Beloved Son, Delivery Driver of the Month November 2022 “Should the Twins sign Miguel Sano??” Bonnes hanged his head in shame. He didn’t much care for Tiny Gregg when push came to shove, but he still regretted that his reliance on generative AI led to the young fool’s demise. But his attention quickly shifted to the other tombstone, which was far bigger and more polished than Tiny Gregg’s. “Oh, spirit. Please tell me this isn’t what I think it’s going to be,” he cries before wiping the mud off of the headstone. Twins Daily Once a shining beacon of independent Minnesota Twins coverage. Ultimately replaced in full by artificial intelligence. Bonnes falls to his knees and buries his face in his hands. He can’t believe that the site he helped build from the ground up would perish due to his own cost-saving decisions. His grief is suffocating, and he’s sick to his stomach, worse than the time he tried to do the 9x9x9 challenge on a whim. The ghost of free agency yet to come claps his hands, and Bonnes wakes up back in his easy chair in his home. It’s morning now, and he rushes to his balcony. He sees Cody Schoenmann waiting for a bus. “You down there,” Bonnes shouts down. “What day is it?” “Why it’s Christmas day, of course,” Cody says. “And while I have your attention, I think I’m going to write an article highlighting the top remaining free agents who were born on a Saturday and like long walks on the beach. Would that be alright with you, boss?” Bonnes rolls his eyes. “Yes, yes, that would be fine, son. But before you do that, I need you to run to the nearest bottle store and buy the most fruit-forward Blackstack hazy IPA that you can find, and bring it to Sweet Lou Cratchit and his family,” Bonnes said, tossing a sack of gold coins to the young man. “Then you can go write whatever drivel you have planned.” Bonnes heads back inside and reads the piece that Sweet Lou had submitted the night before. It’s downright awful, and riddles with typos, but he approves it for publishing and leaves his apartment. He walks to the Cratchit house and peers in the front window. He sees Sweet Lou and his wife with happy tears streaming down their cheeks. Sweet Lou hands a beer to Tiny Gregg and kisses him tenderly on the forehead. The behemoth stands up and raises his can. “God bless us, everyone.” View the full article

It is always interesting to see how Minnesota Twins fans react to Minnesotans who play for the Twins. The best example of this just might be Joe Mauer. He was such a great athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall. He was named Mr. Baseball and Mr. Football as a senior. He was all-state in basketball. He signed to play quarterback at Florida State, but then his hometown Minnesota Twins made him the #1 overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft. He signed, debuted in less than three years and embarked on a career that made him a first-ballot Hall of Fame catcher. Along the way, and with the advent of social media (specifically Twitter), there was a vocal minority who seemed to believe he could do no right. The Twins signed St. Paul native Dave Winfield late in his career, and he notched his 3,000th career hit in a Twins uniform. Paul Molitor, also from St. Paul, came to the Twins and spent the final three seasons of his big-league career as the team's Designated Hitter. Minnesotans of a certain age will never forget Game 7 of the 1991 World Series and the job that St. Paul's Jack Morris did in shutting out the Atlanta Braves for 10 innings. Each spent time late in their Hall of Fame careers with their hometown team. Twins fans also loved when they brought back New Ulm native Terry Steinbach. Another former Gopher and Twins first-round pick is Glen Perkins, a native of Stillwater. Caleb Thielbar went from a tremendous human-interest story when the Randolph native signed and then debuted with the Twins and became a reliable southpaw in the bullpen. Then, he became an even more interesting story when he was called out of retirement by the Twins to come back in 2020. He made the team and remained with the Twins through the 2024 season. The final example I'll mention is Louis Varland. Born in St. Paul, he went from North High school to Concordia University, in St. Paul. Three years later, the Twins drafted him in the 15th round in 2019. He was fantastic in the lower levels of the minor leagues in 2021, and in the upper levels in 2022. After getting time as a starter, Varland moved to the bullpen full time in 2025. He was hitting 100 mph, and becoming a reliable, high-leverage option for Rocco Baldelli. But then at the trade deadline, with four more years of team control, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He set a record for most appearances in a single playoff run. Twins fans were understandably irate about the trade, and not just because of the remaining service time and a great reliever being lost. Even with getting a couple of players with solid potential, Minnesota fans hurt for Varland who wasn't afraid to tell people how much he loved getting to play in his own backyard. Maybe to appease the Minnesota fans of Minnesotans, the Twins added right-hander John Klein to their 40-man roster. He graduated from Osseo High School in 2020, went to Iowa Central Community College and then signed with the Twins in August of 2022. He ended the 2025 season with the Saints and will head to Fort Myers for big league spring training in February. There are several pitchers who grew up in Minnesota that I would be excited for if the Twins brought them in on a minor-league deal. How about lefty reliever Lucas Gilbreath, a former Gopher. How about Minnesota State-Mankato alumni RHP Dalton Roach and LHP Brody Rodning. The southpaw played with Simeon Woods Richardson and Austin Martin in the Blue Jays organization. In any case, if the player discussed below signed and reached the big leagues with the Twins, it would be a great story. And there's never anything wrong with a good story. However, I also feel like there could be a role for him on a big-league roster at some point in 2026. RHP Sam Carlson The Burnsville native was a heavily discussed name here at Twins Daily throughout the spring of 2017. Reports early in the year had him being selected sometime in the late first round or in the second round. We posted several Q&As and interviews with him during his high school senior. When the draft came in June, he was not taken in the first round. However, reports told us that he and his representatives began getting calls from teams late in the first round. Carlson made it known that he was looking for a certain signing bonus to keep him from going to college. Did the Twins call him and try to get him to sign for maybe $1.5 million? We may never know for certain, but I believe they did, or they should have. Either way, he didn't settle and signed for $2 million with the Mariners after they made him their second-round pick. That summer, Carlson pitched in two games for the Mariners Arizona League team. He threw 21 pitches and looked good. He was the Mariners #3 prospect at that time. Unfortunately, he didn't pitch in 2018. Instead, he had Tommy John surgery. The recovery was rough, and he missed the entire 2019 season as well. Like other minor leaguers, Covid meant that he didn't pitch in games in 2020 either. He returned to the mound in 2021 at Low A Modesto. He made 19 starts and reached 100 innings. He was 6-4 with a 4.77 ERA, but he impressively had 112 strikeouts. He stayed in Modesto in 2022. He made 11 starts and five relief appearances. He had 60 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. He moved up to High-A Everett in 2023 and made the transition to the bullpen. He pitched in 39 games and made just one start. In 48 innings, he had 60 strikeouts. At season's end, he became a six-year minor league free agent. Early in the offseason, he signed a minor-league deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. They had him pitch at Double-A Biloxi. In 44 games and 48 1/3 innings, he posted a 4.25 ERA and had 51 strikeouts. He again became a free agent. Last offseason, he quickly was signed to a minor-league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent the season in the Triple-A Oklahoma City bullpen. He worked in a career-high 45 games and posted a 4.22. He had 78 strikeouts (11.8 K/9), but he also walked 36 batters (5.4 BB/9). It was uncharacteristic as Carlson had never walked more than 4.0 batters per nine innings. Carlson is no longer a top prospect. He will spend the full 2026 season at 27 years old. He typically throws four pitches, a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a cutter, and a slider. In 2025, he threw his cutter about 45% of the time. He threw his sjnker about 30% of the time. It was an average of 93.3%, and it appears to that he topped out at 95 mph. He threw a slider that averaged about 80 mph. He threw just six percent four-seam fastballs. So what role could Carlson play in the Twins organization? Carlson is intriguing as a one-inning guy (at least primarily). After years of injury, Carlson has remained healthy the past three years. First and foremost, he can be a veteran pitcher in the Saints bullpen. While he doesn't have the big velocity, I am intrigued by his pitch mix, and I'd love to see him work with Pete Maki, Jonas Lovin, Nat Ballenberg, and the rest of Twins pitcher development staff to see what they can do with him. If the Twins were to sign Sam Carlson to a minor-league contract, there will be that segment of Twins fandom that will mock the moves, sarcastically regurgitating phrases like, "Cheep Polands," or "We're going to the 'ship!" However, both pitchers can certainly fill a role with the Saints in 2026, and there could potentially be a big-league role that each could fill. And that's the goal with most minor league signings. Depth for the big-league club waiting 10-miles away in St. Paul. And hey, it's Christmas... There's nothing wrong with a feel-good story! View the full article

Every kid is familiar with the feeling of waking up on Christmas morning and seeing their presents wrapped neatly under the tree, complete with ribbons and bows. The big, exciting presents tend to be wrapped in boxes under the tree. But what about the stockings? Those are usually filled with "stocking-stuffers"; smaller, more practical gifts that are not necessarily exciting, but sometimes tend to be more useful. As a kid, my stockings were usually stocked with fruit, soap, flossers, a CD, and plenty of other random goodies that I actually got quite a bit of use from. They weren't the flashiest presents, but they mattered, and they had a real impact on my life. You're probably thinking, what does this have to do with baseball? The truth is, every offseason, while there are a handful of flashy, big-name acquisitions, the majority of the moves every winter are depth pieces. Minor leaguers, prospects, seasoned veterans, relievers, utility men, bench-pieces, and fifth starters tend to be the guys moving around the most. And while those players aren't as exciting, the right ones can have just as much impact on the season. Here are five "stocking-stuffer' type depth players that could reshape the San Diego Padres' roster in a good way in 2026. Five Under-appreciated Players Padres Should Sign This Offseason 1. Gary Sanchez, C Backup catchers are the ultimate stocking-stuffers. Nobody gets too excited about them, but they are much more important than anyone realizes. Obviously, every backup catcher is one injury away from becoming the starting catcher, and catchers tend to get hurt often, due to the wear and tear the position can have on their bodies. The backup catcher is also responsible for starting at least one game every week to lighten the load on the starter. Thus, the backup catcher tends to be much more essential than we realize. And Gary Sanchez would be the perfect man to back up Freddy Fermin in San Diego. Sanchez was a league-average bat last year in Baltimore, with a 100 OPS+ and five home runs in 29 games. Before that, he had a solid 2024 with the Brewers, hitting 11 home runs in 89 games, finishing with 0.2 bWAR and a 94 OPS+. That's not the reason the Padres should sign him, though. Sanchez was brilliant in 2023 as part of the Friars. He was worth 2.3 bWAR in just 72 games, crushing 19 home runs and finishing with a 113 OPS+. He might never hit 19 home runs in a season again, but his offensive prowess would still be a huge upgrade to the bench. He'll be 33 next year, but it feels like the veteran should still be worth one more good season as a backup backstop. 2. Ty France, 1B The Padres still don't have a clear first baseman next year. It could be Sung-Mun Song or Jake Cronenworth, or possibly Jose Miranda. You could throw Gavin Sheets into the mix as well. Cronenworth is currently listed as the starter on the depth chart, but he's also listed as the starting second baseman. What about taking a flyer on a former All-Star in Seattle, Ty France? He was once a part of the Padres system, until he was traded to Seattle in 2020 as part of the Austin Nola trade. France peaked in 2022, when he was named to the AL All-Star team, and helped lead Seattle to their first playoff appearance in 21 years. Since then, he's been a mostly average player. Between 2023-2025, he's played for four teams (Seattle, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Toronto), with 1.3 bWAR in 436 games. He has owned a 94 OPS+ since the beginning of 2023, with 32 home runs and 81 doubles. France is no longer a guy who will start 150 games at first base in a season, but he could be a valuable depth add on the bench in San Diego. He could play second or third base in a pinch (he was a third baseman in the Padres' system), and the Blue Jays thought he was valuable enough to keep him on their playoff roster (he was 1-for-4 with an RBI in the World Series). He won't change the complexion of the team, but he could augment what's already in place. 3. Dylan Moore, UTL Another former Mariner, Dylan Moore was the AL's Gold Glove utility man in 2024. Throughout his career, he has been one of the top utility players in the league, and while he's no Tommy Edman, he's the type of guy most teams could use on the bench. Moore was worth 2.2 bWAR in 2024, posting a 103 OPS+. He is capable of playing every position besides catcher, with appearances at all four infield positions and all three outfield positions. He also has tremendous speed, with 32 stolen bases in 2024 and 118 steals in his career. The righty is more of a platoon bat, having had most of his success against left-handed pitching, but that's something the Padres could work with. He could platoon with a guy like Gavin Sheets or Jake Cronenworth, playing second base or left field against left-handed pitchers, and coming off the bench as a pinch-runner in crucial late-game situations. His versatility also makes him the perfect guy to have in case injuries occur. He'd be a better option than Will Wagner or Mason McCoy as a utility infielder, and if someone like Manny Machado or Cronenworth were to get hurt, Moore would fit perfectly as a platoon partner for the left-handed Sung-mun Song. 4. Tyler Anderson, SP Anderson has been one of the most up-and-down players in the league over the past few seasons. He was an All-Star for the Dodgers in 2022 and again for the Angels in 2024, but was bad in 2023 and average in 2025. Still, for a team that is currently slated to have JP Sears as its fifth starter and Kyle Hart as their best depth piece, Anderson would not be a bad player to sign. He has accumulated 9.1 bWAR since 2022, with a 4.54 FIP and a 3.98 ERA (106 ERA+). Those are solid marks, and he's also proven to be durable, starting at least 26 games every season since the COVID-shortened 2020 season. He'll be 36 next year, but we've seen veterans his age put together solid seasons as back-end starters. If Anderson bounces back and continues his trend of making the All-Star team every other year, he could quickly become one of the most underrated signings of the year. Even if he doesn't return to All-Star form, though, he'd be a worthwhile flier as a No. 5 starter. Plus, he should come cheap. 5. Andrew Chafin, RP The Padres already have one of the best bullpens in the league, but why not add another solid reliever to the mix? The team did lose Robert Suarez, so it would make sense to add at least one more veteran to the 'pen. What about Andrew Chafin, the longtime Diamondback who has bounced around the league over the past few seasons? He posted a 2.41 ERA and 3.46 FIP last year, appearing in 42 games between Washington and Los Angeles. In 2024, pitching for the Tigers and Rangers, he finished with a 3.51 ERA and 3.54 FIP in 62 appearances. And in 2022, he was elite for the Tigers, appearing in 64 games and finishing with a 2.83 ERA and 3.06 FIP. He'll be 36 next year, and would be a cheap veteran to insert into the San Diego bullpen behind Mason Miller, Jason Adam, and Adrian Morejon. Chafin could definitely be a leverage reliever if necessary, but would also be a steady presence in the middle of the relief corps, alongside guys like Wandy Peralta and David Morgan. His addition is more about want than necessity, but sometimes, such is the spirit of the holidays. View the full article

The 2025 Blue Jays had a magical season that brought them within an inch or two of a World Series title. Teams around the league absolutely took notice, and while Toronto didn’t do it with the lightest payroll, they still came in about $100 million back of the winning Dodgers. The other Los Angeles team (of Anaheim), the Angels, had the league's 11th-ranked payroll but were “only” $60 million behind the Jays, and so it makes sense that we’re the team they are looking to emulate. In fact, they might be ahead of the curve, having started their plan already. The Angels' GM, Perry Minasian, has been in that role since November 2020. He came in with a four-year contract, and ownership has been so happy with him that he recently signed a two-year extension. His bias towards copying the Jays model makes sense; Minasian spent eight years in Toronto, starting as a scout and working his way up to director of pro scouting. He would then work in Atlanta as assistant GM and VP of operations under former Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos. The 2023 Blue Jays turned out to be just two years away from a World Series appearance. So, for an executive who wants to put their team on that same path, emulating the 2023 Jays seems like the place to start. The Angels got a headstart on that plan by acquiring former Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi for last season. Kikuchi put up a career-best 3.3 bWAR in 2025 and was rewarded midseason with a selection to the All-Star team (a feat he was unable to achieve in Toronto). I watched very few Angels games last season outside of their matches with Toronto, but I would tune in for Kikuchi. The lefty with one of my favourite deliveries in the game set a career high for innings pitched and was the ace of the Angels' staff. Seeing that kind of success must have sent Minasian back to the well again. The next starter to become available from that ‘23 Jays team was former ace-of-the-future, Alek Manoah. After being placed on waivers following his return from IL, Manoah was claimed by Atlanta. Following the end of the season, Manoah was non-tendered and elected free agency. It didn’t take long for the Angels to pounce, signing him to a one-year deal, marking his third team in three months. Not content with just two former Blue Jays, the Angels struck again. This time, they added the Jays' closer from the 2023 team, Jordan Romano. Romano was not just the closer but also an All-Star on that squad. The Angels' plan seems clear at this point. Another pitcher from that 2023 Blue Jays team that might be available is José Berríos. We’ve talked a lot over the last month about Berríos’ future and the seemingly conflicting statements coming from those in the position to know more than we do. I’ve said before that I don’t expect Berríos to be traded, but if he moves, my money is on the Angels. 19 times since becoming the GM in Anaheim, Minasian has gone out and acquired a former-Jay. Maybe we should see if he wants to go for 20? View the full article

In December 1975, the Seitz decision nullified Major League Baseball’s reserve clause, which ended an era where teams could effectively retain players in perpetuity and ushered in the era of free agency. Historically, the Royals are not known for making splashy signings in free agency, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been impact players acquired. Since this month marks the 50th anniversary of free agency, this two-part series will look at 10 of the best free agents in Royals history. Part one focuses on pitchers, and part two will focus on hitters. The selections for this list will be very subjective, but the primary criteria considered were WAR accumulated, accolades earned, and playoff/overall impact after signing as a free agent. Many players signed as free agents after years of success with the club, such as Mike Moustakas, Zack Greinke, and Mark Gubicza. However, only their time after they reached free agency will be considered for this list. Top Free Agent Pitchers David Cone Signed in 1993 | 14.1 WAR | 1x Cy Young | 1x All-Star After being drafted by the Royals in 1981, Cone only spent one season in Kansas City before being dealt to the New York Mets. After a productive six seasons elsewhere, including a World Series win with Toronto, the Royals signed him before the 1993 season. In his first two seasons in Kansas City, Cone made an immediate impact, accruing 14.1 WAR and winning the American League Cy Young Award in the strike-shortened 1994 season. In that 1994 season, Cone was an All-Star and finished 9th in MVP voting. Cone led a very good Royals pitching staff to a 64-51 record before the player strike ended the season short that August. His impact on the Royals could have continued into the playoffs that season, as the Royals were only four games back in the AL Central. After the 1994 season, Cone was traded, with one year left on his contract, to the Blue Jays for a couple of players who never made the major league roster and Chris Stynes, whose best years in baseball were after his time in Kansas City. Larry Gura Signed in 1979 | 11.4 WAR | 1x All-Star | 2x Top-10 Cy Young | 1980 AL Pennant After three impressive seasons with the Royals in 1976-78, the Royals re-signed Gura as a free agent before the 1979 season. In his first five seasons after signing, he accumulated 12.6 WAR, earning him an All-Star nod in 1980 and two top-10 AL Cy Young finishes in 1980 and 1981. Gura played a key role in the Royals' 1980 World Series run, which ended with a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. In three starts in the 1980 playoffs, he posted a 2.11 ERA over 21 1/3 innings, including one complete game against the Yankees in the ALCS. Although both of his starts resulted in Royals losses, he only gave up two runs in each of his starts and exited each game while the Royals had a lead. After the 1983 season, Gura’s productivity declined, and he was eventually released in 1985. With his achievements as a Royal before and after he signed as a free agent, Gura was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame in 1992. Edinson Volquez Signed in 2015 | 2.2 WAR | 2015 World Series After the 2014 season, James Shields, a free agent, left a large hole in the rotation. If the Royals wanted to return to the World Series and redeem their loss to the Giants, that void needed to be filled. Volquez did just that with his consistent performance in 2015. Volquez’s two years in Kansas City didn’t include stats that jump off the page, but he was the leader of the rotation that won the World Series in 2015. In 2015, Volquez had a 2.8 WAR and a 3.55 ERA across 33 games started and 200.1 innings in the regular season. He also led the Royals in playoff innings pitched with 28.2 and had a 3.77 ERA that postseason. Although his 2016 season was rather poor with a WAR of -0.6, the impact Volquez had on the championship-winning team is worthy of inclusion on this list. Seth Lugo Signed in 2024 | 7.0 WAR | 1x All-Star | 1x Gold Glove | Cy Young Runner-Up Lugo made an immediate and dramatic impact in the Royals’ rotation after joining in 2024, when he finished runner-up in the AL Cy Young voting and also led the Royals to their first playoff appearance since 2015. Lugo posted a 3.00 ERA and 5.4 WAR across 206 2/3 innings pitched, all good for second-best in the American League. His excellent defense also earned him a Gold Glove in 2024. While his 2025 season was less impressive and cut short by a back injury, Lugo still has two more years in Kansas City after signing an extension earlier this year. He will have the opportunity to show his value and veteran leadership to this rotation, especially if he can eat up innings as he did in 2024. Tim Belcher Signed in 1996 | 9.2 WAR While Belcher does not have the accolades of the other players on this list, his three years in Kansas City were very good. For a team that did not traditionally spend on acquiring free agents, Belcher was brought in to pair with star pitcher Kevin Appier. His first season, in particular, was excellent, with 4.8 WAR and a 4.41 ERA over 238 2/3 innings. Belcher proved to be a durable pitcher who could go deep into games, pitching at least 210 innings in each of his three seasons. While the Royals were not particularly successful during his time in Kansas City, Belcher was able to provide an immediate impact by his performance on the field and as a veteran leader in the clubhouse. Honorable Mentions Gil Meche Signed in 2007 | 10.2 WAR | 1x All-Star Meche was a similar addition to Tim Belcher, just a decade later. Meche provided an immediate impact on the Royals’ rotation with over 4.0 WAR in each of his first two seasons in Kansas City. However, Meche faced a sharp decline in quality after those first two seasons. Belcher's greater consistency throughout his time in Kansas City gave him the edge over Meche. Aroldis Chapman Signed in 2023 | 1.0 WAR He spent only half of the 2023 season in Kansas City, but during that time, he was traded to the eventual World Series-winning Texas Rangers. That trade returned Cole Ragans, who has since emerged as the Royals’ ace. Without Chapman, the Royals would likely not have Ragans, and the Royals’ current rotation outlook would be drastically different. Stay tuned for part 2 of this series, which will look at the best free-agent hitters in Royals history! View the full article

During a Fish On First Twitter space, Ely Sussman and Kevin Barral share their initial reactions to the Marlins signing free agent Pete Fairbanks to a one-year, $13 million deal.View the full article

Dear Santa, We have been such good fans this year! Please, please, please bring us some presents. Sure, we haven’t been perfect; we have been known to complain about the state of the team. ESPN just said that we are the most aggrieved fanbase in baseball. But it comes from love, we promise! All we want is to win and to know that ownership cares, too. It’s been a hard couple of years, and a lot of our friends are having a tough time with it. Anyway, I know you are always watching us and have seen us going to games, watching on TV (now that we can do that again), and buying Byron Buxton jerseys. So, we deserve some presents, right? And we don’t really want too much; just a few things. Let's begin with the offseason. For starters, we really need two relievers. We know Derek Falvey got rid of all of our old ones. Maybe he thinks we don’t like relievers anymore? You know the truth, though, right? We love relievers. We want to see them every day! Unless Pablo Lopez throws a complete game, but we aren’t greedy. We don’t even need the best relievers. Just ones we won’t be embarrassed to show the other teams when they come to visit. Maybe Seranthony Dominguez and Danny Coulombe? That couldn’t be too expensive for the Twins, could it? Next, we are asking for another good bat. Jeremy Zoll said that he wanted another impact bat or two, so that’s almost a promise, right? If it’s not too much trouble, it would be nice if he were right-handed to make platooning a bit more successful and prevent our excess lefties from having to face tough southpaws. They aren’t very good at that. You know that, right? We have been watching Marcell Ozuna for a long time. Maybe he would like to come play for the Twins. Finally, please make sure the Twins trade Trevor Larnach for whatever they can get, and designate James Outman for assignment. Those guys are nice and all, but they don’t really fit in with the rest of the team, and they prevent the Twins from being as fun as they could be. Santa, you probably know this already, but if you can’t find the right free agents to make the team good in 2026, it’s ok if the Twins have to trade someone. Simeon Woods Richardson probably makes sense if the Twins could trade him for Coby Mayo or another young first baseman. We would really like not to have to sign a new one every single year. Santa, we think you would agree, if you gave us those things, the offseason wouldn’t be too bad, right? We know, too, it’s a lot less than what most of the other teams are getting. Oh. We also want a few things after the season starts. The biggest thing we want here is for the front office to make good decisions. We don’t want the Twins to be playing guys like Mickey Gasper, Ryan Fitzgerald, Ryan Kreidler, or Edouard Julien, if it means that prospects are sitting in Triple-A Saint Paul. I know fans love having a really fun team across town, too, but we all know the Twins deserve better players than the Saints. We know you are more of a once-a-year kind of gift giver, but a lot of stores have been advertising something called “Christmas in July”. Maybe they mean the trade deadline? If so, we do have ideas for a couple of gifts you could give us then, too. The biggest thing, honestly, seems very reasonable. If the Twins are holding their own, and Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Gabriel Gonzalez have looked decent, can you please make sure that Tom Pohlad gives the front office the go-ahead to add payroll? You know what I mean, right? Not Trevor Richards' payroll, but enough to actually get the missing pieces to take the Twins deep into October. We have been saving prospect capital for so long. It would be ok to spend some, right? One more thing. We know this might sound greedy, but it’s really just thinking ahead to next year, and just so we don’t forget. Once the Twins know what they have after letting the kids play this season, we really want them to take some big swings to have a really good team. That will show us that ownership cares about us; you know, like Tom Pohlad said. Sincerely, the Minnesota Twins fanbase P.S: We know you don’t have any control over this, but would you mind doing us fans a favor? Could you talk to your friend, General Health? We know you guys are close, and we know he’s not a Twins fan. But, if he could keep Buxton, Royce Lewis, Luke Keaschall, Joe Ryan, Walker Jenkins, and Emmanuel Rodriguez healthy, we sure would appreciate it. He’s been mean to them for too long. View the full article

Dear Santa, I hope you get this letter. We’ve been very good this year in Milwaukee - okay, maybe we swore too much in the middle of October - but otherwise very good! We’ve been patient and supportive - more than 2.5 million of us showed up for the third straight year. We love beating the Cubs, but we really want to make history next year. We don’t need much - we’re pretty set on a lot of things most fan bases need. So if it’s not too much to ask, here’s a small list of things we’d like, please: A statement of intent to go all-in! Just slip that in Mark’s stocking, please. Freddy Peralta as our Opening Day Starter. Please let him stay in Milwaukee this winter! One additional big power bat. We haven’t had a 30 home run hitter in three of the last five years, and we will need more power next fall! Good health in the coming year. Especially for Brandon Woodruff, William Contreras, and Christian Yelich. And especially in September/October. You can help with shoulders, lats, backs, and broken fingers - right? Continued growth from our young lads: August Brice Turang for a whole season - 30/30! Jackson Chourio with a little more patience leading to a lot more power - 30/30! The Miz walking fewer batters while continuing to do Miz things Quinn Priester and Chad Patrick locking in as excellent mid-rotation caliber starters Caleb Durbin turning into a Gold Glove third baseman and an on-base machine Joey Ortiz winning a Gold Glove and remembering that he was an above-average hitter as recently as 2024 Lots of innings and strikeouts for the many talented young pitchers working their way through the minor leagues. Cooper Pratt, Jesus Made, Luis Pena, and Brady Ebel being the best collection of shortstops at every level of the minor leagues from Triple-A to Single-A A bright new glove for Abner Uribe. Maybe fuchsia! A big trade deadline acquisition! We don’t know exactly what we will want - but we want it! Not to be greedy - but we need a fourth straight Central Division championship. It’s kind of a prerequisite for our last two wishes (like batteries for remote-controlled gifts). We promise not to take it for granted and to be thankful. We’d love to beat the Dodgers in the NLCS - they bullied us this year, and they squeaked past us in 2018. They’ve been pushing everyone around for a couple of years now, and we think lots of people, even outside of Milwaukee, would find joy in us receiving this gift. Finally, one last small thing - we really, really want to win a World Series for the first time ever! We haven’t asked for much. I hope you bring it all, and if you love us at all, please bring just the last one. We’re leaving out beer and cheese curds for you and tart Spartan apples for your sleigh team. Merry Christmas ? - Brewers Fans View the full article

'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the 'Ville, We pondered how the Cubs' roster be filled Between trades, signings, and Japanese postings And last minute visits the Cubs might be hosting. Last month, the Mariners re-signed Josh Naylor, Jays got Cease and Rogers (Tyler, not Taylor). O's got Big Pete and made quite a few trades And even some signings by the Tampa Bay Rays! The Yankees gave one-year deals to some folks Because Hal Steinbrenner cried he was broke. White Sox Murakami, Royals trying again! Detroit got Kenley, and Kyle Finnegan! The Mets got Semien and traded away Nimmo, Atlanta signed relievers for another go. The Twins for some reason signed up Josh Bell... And the Marlins brought in old friend Chris Morel! Phillies re-signed Schwarber and brought in Brad Keller, Cards traded bulk to Boston on their way to the cellar. The NL West signed up pitching in spades... Even the Pirates made a bunch of cool trades! Which brings us to the Cubs, who've been mostly quiet... Though some bullpen signings occurred, can't deny it. Still plenty of room under the luxury tax, They definitely should spend, and those are the facts. Up at Gallagher Way, the lights shining bright As the front office worked far into the night Jed Hoyer and crew consider both old and new-ish Working on Christmas Eve? It's OK, 'cause Jed's Jewish. If they look into Japan, would they sign Imai? Or perhaps they'll add Okamoto to the fray? What of Framber, or even Zac Gallen? Or will they do trades (Gore? Joe Ryan?) No one knows what's up with Bo Bichette or Bregman As Scott Boras spews his dad jokes and bad puns The Cubs know they need more pitching and bats But they can't just pull a name out of a hat. Might not be Tucker, and probably not Belli, But hopefully someone who can hit dingers aplenty. Alex Bregman still seems to be the best play, Then maybe trade Matt Shaw for a new ace. The lineup is solid if they can replace Kyle's bat, The rotation needs at least one more stud, stat. The bullpen, as always, cost-effective but great? The bench needs a utility guy, then they'd be in good shape. Now Porter! Now Maton! Now Milner! Now Webb! On, Danny! On, Ben Brown! On Colin, and Caleb! Get Craig those out-getters, manage that contact, Maximize the funk and miss the fat of the bat. With months to go until Cactus League play, The plan the Cubs laid out hasn't much changed. Get that star bat (most likely third base), Shore up the bullpen, and get that new ace. Jed has some decisions with CBA looming He might get taxed, but salaries are expiring. Here's to some sweet additions to this great core Postseason bound next season, and here's to much more! View the full article

On Wednesday morning, Red Sox insider Ari Alexander reported that left-handed pitcher Helcris Olivarez agreed to a Minor League deal with the Royals with an invitation to Spring Training. Olivarez started his career as a pretty heralded prospect in the Rockies' system with high-velocity stuff. However, he suffered a shoulder injury in 2022 that required surgery. Recovery forced him to miss the remainder of 2022 and all of 2023. Olivarez was later released by the Rockies and was picked up by the Red Sox before the 2024 season. He spent half a season with the Red Sox before being let go in July of that season. The Giants promptly picked him up after his release and primarily pitched the remainder of the season in Double-A Richmond. He spent all of last season in the San Francisco organization, pitching in Richmond and Triple-A Sacramento. With the Rivercats last season, he posted a 3.65 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 37 IP (34 appearances). He posted impressive strikeout numbers (26.3% K rate) and a solid CSW (30.2%). Unfortunately, he struggled with control, as illustrated by his 24.6% walk rate and 1.7% K-BB%. As a result, his FIP was 5.84, 2.19 points higher than his ERA. The 25-year-old lefty possesses solid stuff, though he doesn't quite have the 100-MPH stuff that he once had as a Rockies prospect. According to TJ Stats, he posted strong TJ Stuff+ metrics and encouraging whiff rates, as shown below. Olivarez's overall TJ Stuff+ was 101. He also sported two pitches with 64 grades: the sinker and changeup. His whiff rate was 37.3% and his xwOBACON was .277. That showed that Olivarez in Triple-A could not just generate swings and misses, but also unproductive contact. Unfortunately, his paltry 40.2% zone rate and lackluster 18.8% chase rate weigh down his overall outlook at the Major League level. It will be hard for him to succeed until he improves his control and reduces the number of free passes. The Royals likely view Olivarez as a project who will likely eat a lot of innings as the primary lefty reliever in the Triple-A Storm Chasers bullpen. According to Roster Resource, the only other lefty relievers currently in the Omaha bullpen are Chazz Martinez and Christian Chamberlain, who are both older than Olivarez. That said, the Royals have had success the past couple of seasons with relievers on Minor League deals, as demonstrated by Taylor Clarke last year and Sam Long in 2024. Photo Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images View the full article

The Miami Marlins are signing Pete Fairbanks to a one-year, $13 million deal. It includes a $12 million salary, $1 million signing bonus, $1 million in incentives based on total appearances and a $500,000 acquisition bonus if he is traded during the 2026 season. Will Sammon of The Athletic was first to report Tuesday afternoon that an agreement had been reached. Fairbanks has spent the vast majority of his MLB career with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 2025, he set career-highs with 60 ⅓ innings pitched and 27 saves, though his 3.61 FIP was the worst mark since his rookie season. The Rays could've retained him for 2026 on an $11 million club option, but declined it. The Marlins upped their offer to Fairbanks recently, as Fish On First's Isaac Azout reported last week. Losing Ronny Henriquez to season-ending elbow surgery may have pushed them to sweeten the deal even more. Miami's 40-man roster is full, so there will have to be a corresponding move for them to officially announce the signing of Fairbanks. View the full article