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Tom Pohlad introduced himself as the new face of the Twins on Wednesday, after Joe Pohlad was apparently forced out of his role. Tom is now the sole member of the Pohlad family who will be involved in the business; he plans to be more active; and he claims (that, at least) to understand the challenges he will face. He recognizes that his family has eroded the trust of fans, and says he wants to earn it back. What will it take to get there? Before I dig in, I do want to give a little context. If you have read my pieces on Twins Daily, you will know I am not one to make excuses for ownership. If anything, I am quick to put them on blast for the numerous decisions they have made regarding everything from payroll cuts to tone-deaf comments to media and fans. That said, this feels different, and I’m actually optimistic for the future of the franchise. I’ll share some quotes he gave to media, including Twins Daily’s own Matthew Trueblood, and discuss what I believe it will take to earn back trust. Self-Awareness and Effective Communication Perhaps the place to begin is by establishing some self-awareness from the latest Pohlad. When asked why he was taking the reins from Joe, Tom said: “When we took a hard look at things, it’s undeniable that we haven’t won enough baseball games, the financial health of the club has been put in jeopardy, and we’ve got a fan base that has lost trust in us as owners and, as a result, this organization and the direction it’s headed … I’m well aware of how upset the fan base is with our family and with this organization. I view that as an opportunity for us. They care deeply about the sport of baseball. They care deeply about this team.” “I also think that the fan base wants to feel some sort of connection with ownership, and they want to know that ownership cares just as much as they do," Pohlad added. "And I’m not sure that they’ve gotten that sense.” That’s pretty clear, and very accurate. It appears that Tom has ideas on how to put action behind those words. When asked how he plans to make fans like him, he had a ready answer. “I think the work of earning back their trust comes with two things: communication and accountability. We’ve got to do a better job of telling fans where we’re going, how we’re going to get there, and why we’re doing the things we’re doing. And I commit to that going forward.” Now, I don’t have much to add here. It seems as though Tom has correctly identified the issues, and the solution for them. Payroll Of course, this is an important aspect of winning back trust. In a separate interview with WCCO’s Chad Hartman, Pohlad spoke to the “right-sizing” of the payroll following the 2023 Twins breaking their playoff curse, and he fully acknowledged the impact that had. "We made what we thought at the time was a responsible financial decision, and we obviously failed to consider the long-term impact of that decision, and the short-term impact of that decision, frankly," he said. "We sucked the air right out of our fan base, and it did significant damage to our brand and to our family from a confidence standpoint. Plain and simple, we got it wrong.” Yeah. That. By acknowledging that mistake, it seems that he understands the correlation between trying to compete when the window is open and fan morale. Applying this to the 2026 payroll, it’s been broadly reported that the 2026 payroll is unlikely to eclipse $120 million and may be more likely to sit in the $110-115 million range. When asked directly about the budget for the year, Tom demurred. “I don’t think … that we should put a significant investment into the team of $50 or $60 million dollars, but I don’t think we’re far off from that.” That can be interpreted two different ways: either that they may spend an additional, say, $30 million this offseason, or that 2026 will be down, but 2027 (if all goes well) could be right back near league average. Either way, a surefire way to earn back trust and build morale would be to do exactly that: provide a payroll commensurate with the openness of the competitive window, and roughly in the middle of the league pack. Improving the Team When asked about the balancing act between winning back the fan base and building for long-term success, Pohlad gave the only answer of the day that sounded rehearsed—but which also appeared to be his mission statement. “We owe the fan base something; we owe our veteran and star players something; and we owe this organization something," he said. "And that something is hope.” Now, that’s a great place to start. Hope is, after all, what brings us as fans together every spring. But what about winning? “I think we are certainly within reach of winning a division title this year," Pohlad opined. "And I think we’ll continue to look at moves we can make that will help us accomplish that.” He also acknowledged that the Twins' process hasn’t been working the way anyone would hope. “We need to rethink how we put a championship-caliber team on the field. That work begins this year," he said. "We’re laying the foundation for ultimately what we hope will be a nucleus that can be a championship-caliber team and that warrants a championship-level investment." Finally, he spoke about the Dodgers, and alluded to looking at all avenues of improving the team—both on and off the field. Again, this shows a good understanding of the assignment, and is promising. Now, I’m an “action speaks louder than words” kind of guy, so my optimism is guarded. However, I am impressed with a few aspects of Pohlad’s introductory interview. First, there was a noted lack of self-importance in his interviews. Second, he seems to realize that sports teams exist for the fans, not for ownership. Third, he said he wants to do the work to change the narrative, rather than just expecting fans to perceive his family as the heroes of the story. Now, it’s time for Tom to do that work to prove to fans that ownership truly wants to win. That, more than anything else, will bring back the fans. 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While it won't erase the bad feelings from a short stint in the playoffs, the San Diego Padres learned there is a small silver lining as MLB announced the distribution of postseason shares. The Padres will dole out $10,710.79 to 68 members of the 2025 team. Postseason shares are given to teams from the MLB pot, which this year was $128.1 million, and are based on how far each team advanced in October. As we all know, the Padres lost in three games to the Chicago Cubs in an NL Wild Card Series. The 68 shares go to players, managers, and select staff members eligible for the World Series or who were on the roster after June 1. Cash awards are given to other members of the organization. Executives are not eligible. The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers' playoff shares are $484,747.57. View the full article

On Thursday, the Miami Marlins made the free agent signing of Christopher Morel official, inking him to a one-year deal worth $2M. In his previous two offseasons as Marlins president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix gave similar deals to shortstop Tim Anderson ($5M) and starting pitcher Cal Quantrill ($3.5M). Neither of them finished the season with the team. After getting burned by Anderson and Quantrill, why should Marlins fans be hopeful about Morel turning his career around? The 26-year-old isn't likely to emerge as a consistent everyday player, but Miami may be the right landing spot to help him improve upon what he did last season. In 2025 with the Tampa Bay Rays, Morel slashed .219/.289/.396/.684 with a 90 wRC+ through 105 games played. He struck out 35.7% of the time and walked at a 8.2% rate while hitting only 11 home runs, which were all career-worsts for him. Morel's raw power remains impressive. His average exit velocity of 91.8 mph would have ranked in the 87th percentile among MLB hitters if he had enough playing time to qualify, tied with Julio Rodríguez and Jarren Duran. He also made an interesting adjustment to his swing decisions in 2025. Morel offered at 77.1% of pitches inside the strike zone after never previously reaching 70%. The main issue with Morel is connecting with the ball. He just set a career-low with his 72.6% contact rate and he was among MLB's worst when chasing outside of the zone (36.5% O-Contact). In some ways, Morel has a similar profile to Kyle Stowers and Griffin Conine. Working with the Marlins hitting development staff, both outfielders improved their plate approach and mechanics. They enter 2026 as key pieces of the club's lineup. Stowers went from a 34.5% O-Swing in 2024 between his stints with the Orioles and Marlins to 29.0% in 2025. On top of that, he made much more contact inside the zone, allowing him to break out into an All-Star. Prior to Bendix joining the organization, Conine struck out 34.9% of the time in 2023. The following year in Triple-A, he lowered his strikeout rate to 29.5%. This past season—albeit in only 24 games due to a dislocated shoulder—he struck out 29.1% of the time at the major league level. Steamer projects Morel to slash .227/.307/.419 with 11 home runs and a 100 wRC+, which would get him to 0.6 fWAR. Even that ordinary production would make the Marlins consider retaining him for 2027 via arbitration. Morel can make the decision easier if he learns to play decent defense at first base. Morel is just now entering what should be the physical prime of his career. To make the most of it, he'll have to trust his new organization and be open-minded to some major changes. View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers will hand out the fourth-highest postseason shares, giving out $168,852.76 after reaching the National League Championship Series. The Brewers' pool comes from the MLB total of $128.2 million, which is just shy of the record of $129.1 million. There will be 70 individual shares distributed to players, managers, and certain staff members who were eligible for the World Series or on the roster after June 1. Separate cash awards will be given to other members of the organization. Team executives are not eligible for either payout. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Brewers in the NLCS and won their second straight World Series, received shares worth $484,747.57. The American League champion Toronto Blue Jays' full shares are worth $354,118.39, while the Seattle Mariners, who lost to the Jays in the ALCS, received $182,376.45. View the full article

Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox pulled off a surprise trade this week, sending electric pitching prospect Luis Perales to the Washington Nationals for left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett. The trade is a strange and rare prospect-for-prospect trade, but with Paul Toboni now calling the shots for the Nationals, it makes sense that a trade between the two teams was bound to happen. Toboni does have an excellent understanding of the Red Sox's farm system after all. With the trade, Breslow continues his acquisition of pitchers who fit a certain, preferred mold. Bennett, who was the Nationals’ second-round pick back in 2022, stands 6-foot-6 with elite extension (during his time in the Arizona Fall League Bennett averaged seven feet of extension) and a fastball that just averaged under 94 mph. His pitch arsenal is made up of six pitches: a fastball, changeup, sinker, cutter, curveball and slider. Depending on which side the batter hits from tends to dictate his pitch usage, as against left-handed batters, he relies heavily on his sinker (55.3% usage in the AFL). His cutter and fastball are used 18.1% and 14.9%, respectively, while his slider was used just 6.4% of the time and his changeup and curveball were used a combined 5.4%. On the other hand, against right-handed batters it’s his fastball and changeup that make up 75.6% of the pitches he threw in the AFL. His cutter and curveball were his two next-most-used offerings, though it's clear that's he got a bread and butter against righties. Bennett’s fastball, while averaging 93.8 mph, did top out around 96 mph in the AFL, and he’s already shown an increase in velocity compared to his professional debut. Spending the remainder of the offseason following the Red Sox's pitching program could yield another tick or two for the 2026 season. The southpaw recently turned 25 years old at the start of December and returned in 2025 from Tommy John surgery, appearing in 19 games across three levels. Bennett finished the season with Double-A Harrisburg where he pitched in 10 games, making nine starts, going 1-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 45 2/3 innings. For the entire season, he wound up going 2-5 with a 2.27 ERA across 75 1/3 innings. Bennett struck out 64 batters and walked 19. Following the season, he was sent to the AFL where he was dominant in an otherwise hitter-friendly league. In 20 frames, he led the AFL in strikeouts with 25 while walking just five batters. Of his pitches, the only one that had under a 20% chase rate was his curveball, while every pitch generated at least a 33% whiff rate (slider sat at a whopping 66.7%). His changeup was also a great pitch, being chased 45.6% of the time and being whiffed on 43.8% of the time. Overall, during his time in the AFL, Bennett managed to get opposing batters to chase on 34.1% of his pitches while whiffing on 39.9% of their swings. Breslow holds a high opinion of the pitcher, going as far as to say: “We feel like Bennett is a high-probability starter that excels in some things that are hard to teach. Fastball playability driven by above-average extension and strike-throwing ability. His whiff rates and ability to manage hard contact have us confident in his ability to be a major-league starter”. During his time in the AFL, Bennett held batters to a 44% hard-hit rate while the average exit velocity off of him was just 88 mph, a stat that had him sitting in the 72nd percentile. Bennett, who was the Nationals’ sixth ranked prospect by Baseball America, has shown improvement since being drafted. Between his wide arsenal of pitches, being a left-handed pitcher, and his excellent command, he should be in the rotation if he makes it up to Boston. His time in Double-A (while short) can be compared to two other talented lefties in Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Though older than both of them, Bennett had an ERA that was comparable to Early while his FIP was lower. While also having the lowest strikeout rate of the three, Bennett edged out Tolle for a lower walk rate at 6%. Along with that, Bennett’s ability to keep the ball on the ground rivals both pitchers, his 48% ground-ball rate falling just short of Early’s 50%, but being much higher than Tolle’s 40%. Of course, you can’t get talent without giving up talent, and in return the Red Sox sent Perales back to the Nationals. Perales, who was Talk Sox’s fifth-ranked prospect at the time of the deal, was a talented-yet-injury-prone pitcher. He missed all but one game of the 2021 season due to injuries and the only season where he made at least 20 appearances was in 2023. This year, he was coming off of Tommy John surgery he had in 2024 and made just three appearances in 2025. Like Bennett, the talented prospect pitched in the AFL, where he made six starts and tossed 11 1/3 innings, striking out 19 batters. Despite Perales’ talent, there was worry of the risk he would wind up being a reliever due to his history of injuries along with his command issues. While not confirmed, Breslow must have had that in mind when he traded what was known as the arm with the best raw stuff in the system. Bennett will have a lot to live up to, but he fits the mold that Breslow loves far more than Perales ever did. View the full article

The Miami Marlins made it clear early on that they'd be pursuing some of the top relievers available in free agency. Instead, they have been overshadowed by teams in their own division. The Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have each signed multiple relievers to major league deals. The Marlins have only added pitchers on minor league deals. The unwillingness to commit to any free agent for multiple years has prevented the Marlins from landing big names. Fortunately, several effective relievers are still out there who wouldn't require commitments beyond 2026, most notably Pete Fairbanks. Despite a career 3.19 ERA and 90 saves, Fairbanks' injury history seems to be hurting his market. Sources told our own Isaac Azout that the Marlins remain "very interested" in Fairbanks and have made a strong one-year offer worth more than the $11M he was due to make with the Tampa Bay Rays before his club option was declined. Here are five more veteran relievers to monitor. LHP Taylor Rogers Rogers spent the 2025 season with the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, posting a 3.38 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 9.41 K/9 and 4.09 BB/9 through 50 ⅔ innings pitched. Once he was traded to the Cubs, Rogers did begin to struggle, posting an ERA of 5.09. You can make the case that pitching at Wrigley was the issue, as his HR/FB ratio went from 8.8% to 21.7%. He was walking fewer players, but just giving up a lot more contact. dnZicWpfZFhBc1VBPT1fQXdaVVVRWlNVd29BWEFjQ1ZnQUhBQVlBQUFNR1VsZ0FVd2NEVWdJTkNRb0hWQXBV.mp4 Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Marlins had shown interest in both of the Rogers brothers. While Tyler signed a three-year deal, $37M with the Toronto Blue Jays, Taylor should be significantly cheaper. LHP Andrew Chafin Chafin continues to bounce around the league, giving teams great results more often than not. In 2025, he started the season with the Washington Nationals before being dealt to the Los Angeles Angels. He posted a 2.41 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 9.62 K/9 and 5.08 BB/9 through 33 ⅔ innings pitched. Despite being 35 years old, Chafin's slider is still a solid swing-and-miss pitch with a 41.0% whiff rate. His sinker generates plenty of ground balls. He's also very comfortable inheriting baserunners in the middle of an inning. N3lSYmpfZFhBc1VBPT1fRHdCWUFGUU5VMVlBQ0ZaUlhnQUhVZ0ZXQUZoUlVWZ0FDbEVHVlFaV1VGWURWbFlB.mp4 Teams always have a need for relievers at the trade deadline, and Chafin has been moved during the last three of them. If the Marlins are out of contention, history says they should be able to get something in return for him. RHP Hunter Harvey Marlins fans should be familiar with Hunter Harvey, the son of Bryan Harvey who pitched with the Washington Nationals from 2022 up until the 2024 trade deadline, when he was moved to the Kansas City Royals. The 31-year-old pitched in only 12 games this past season due to a right teres major strain and a right adductor strain. In limited appearances, he posted a 0.00 ERA, 1.35 FIP, 9.28 K/9 and 0.84 BB/9. Looking at a larger sample size going back to 2024, in 50 ⅔ innings, he posted a 4.44 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 9.77 K/9 and 2.84 BB/9. Wng0amdfZFhBc1VBPT1fRGdOV1V3Y0dBMU1BV2dBSEFBQUhVZ0ZRQUFBSEFRQUFBMUJSQmdNTUJRdFJDUU5T.mp4 Harvey's combination of high velocity and control is hard to find. RHP Seranthony Domínguez Domínguez was with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2018 through the 2024 trade deadline. He's been dominant over 11 scoreless innings in his career pitching at loanDepot park. This past season, Domínguez posted a 3.16 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 11.35 K/9 and 5.17 BB/9 through 62 ⅔ innings pitched. He was also used in 12 of Toronto's 18 postseason games, including Game 7 of the World Series. If not for his strike-throwing issues (including 12 wild pitches last season), Domínguez would probably get a multi-year deal. It would make sense for him to show improvement in that area in 2026, then test the market again. RHP Kirby Yates After an awesome 2024 season where Yates posted a career-best 1.17 ERA through 61 ⅔ innings pitched, he landed on the injured list three times last season. Limited to 50 games, he struggled with a 5.23 ERA, 4.76 FIP, 11.32 K/9 and 3.70 BB/9. Yates' four-seam fastball (plus-15 run value to plus-1 run value) and splitter (plus-8 to minus-7) both regressed. There was a huge increase in the amount of hard contact he allowed on both pitches. Yates will turn 39 right before Opening Day. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a one-year, major-league deal with first baseman Tyler Austin, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan. Austin, 34, carried a colossal 36.9% strikeout rate over parts of four previous seasons in the majors, and last appeared in the States in 2019. Since then, he's played for the Yokohama Bay Stars of Nippon Professional Baseball. When last he did play in the American majors, Austin was one of Craig Counsell's charges for the Brewers. He drifted around in his final years before going to Japan, but found a home and made some major improvements as a balanced slugger in NPB. According to Yakyu Cosmopolitan, which keeps advanced NPB stats, Austin made contact on 85.1% of his swings within the strike zone in 2025, and chased fewer than 20% of pitches outside it. Even before going to Japan, he was an exceptional hitter against left-handed pitching, with a .253/.345/.539 line in 255 plate appearances against them. That will be virtually his only role for the 2026 Cubs. He profiles gorgeously as a lefty-mashing right-handed complement to star slugger Michael Busch, a lefty who struggles against southpaws. He can also find playing time as the designated hitter against lefties, moving Seiya Suzuki to right field and avoiding the need to play either Moisés Ballesteros or Owen Caissie against them, should Counsell prefer Busch to one of the two on a given day. He figures to come off the bench to pinch-hit for one of those three lefty batters fairly frequently, too, as long as his return to the States works out. Austin will come much cheaper than previous players the team has signed to fill the same role, a cast that includes Justin Turner ($6 million for 2025) and Trey Mancini ($14 million over the two previous seasons). Jon Heyman reports that he'll receive just $1.25 million, before incentives, making that roster spot a cheap one and leaving the team ample resources as they pursue a middle-of-the-order bat and an upgrade for the front half of their starting rotation. If they do achieve a major upgrade to the lineup, it's likely to come at third base, anyway, so Austin does nothing to materially gum things up on that front. He occupies a roster spot that will have little defensive value or flexibility, but which also demands little. As the team ponders ways to make the remaining improvements they need, this move saves money in one place for spending in another—while capturing some matchup-based upside. View the full article

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that the San Francisco Giants are looking for a second baseman and have checked in on the Cubs' Nico Hoerner. Hoerner, an Oakland native and former Stanford shortstop, is under contract through 2026 on the three-year, $35 million extension he signed in March 2023, and will reach free agency after the 2026 season. In MLB Pipeline’s midseason farm-system rankings, the Giants were labeled as the most improved system since the preseason, rising from No. 28 to No. 18. Bryce Eldridge was the organization’s lone Top 100 prospect, and he reached Triple-A at age 20. The system was also noted for Rookie-ball performers, including shortstops Josuar Gonzalez and Jhonny Level and right-handers Argenis Cayama, Keyner Martinez, and Alberto Laroche. Pipeline also called out the outfield group, led by Bo Davidson and Dakota Jordan. In a Top 30 midseason update, Pipeline graded Eldridge with 70 power, Jordan with 60 run, Carson Whisenhunt with a 70 changeup, and Gerelmi Maldonado with a 65 fastball. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs' bullpen picture has solidified to a degree in recent weeks with the signings of Phil Maton and Hoby Milner, as well as the decision to bring Caleb Thielbar back to town. Fans would still like to see more encouraging additions to shore up the group. Roster holes exist elsewhere, however, so the team may find itself leaning on internal options to take a step forward. Luckily, years of acquiring pitching depth in the minors has led to a point where the Cubs have plenty of talented arms waiting for a full-time opportunity in the big leagues. Whether because of ticking clocks or elite raw stuff that has never been fully harnessed, these are their top candidates to become important bullpen contributors Luke Little The Cubs' top two southpaws in the Opening Day bullpen are likely to be Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar. Both are experienced and effective, but they’re also in their mid-to-late-30s. The Cubs may need another LHP to mix in late in games at some point in 2026, and Little has all of the tools to do so in a meaningful way. Little has lacked consistency in his limited MLB experience over three seasons, but his raw talent and traits are difficult to write off. At 6’8 and possessing a mid-to-high-90s heater from the left side, he offers a dimension to the bullpen that Thielbar and Milner do not... if he can iron out his command issues. At 25 years old, there’s still plenty of time for the Cubs to help him make an adjustment. Little’s wipeout slider, paired with an overwhelming fastball, gives him all of the tools he could need to dominate out of the bullpen, assuming he can locate anywhere near the strike zone. His ability to generate tons of ground balls and limit home runs comes from ridiculously elite extension (he averaged 7.2 feet of it in 2025), giving him another mouth-watering tool to build upon. Porter Hodge The 2025 campaign couldn’t have gone worse for Porter Hodge, as every regression concern came to life and then some. His .189 Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) in 2024 was always going to be difficult to repeat, but watching it inflate to .313 was certainly unforeseen. His walk rate rose to 12.2% while his strikeout rate also declined slightly. He watched his home run-to-fly-ball rate increase from 5.6% to 25%. Anyone wary of trusting Hodge in a significant role headed into 2026 is justified. There’s also plenty of reason not to write Hodge off completely moving forward. The increase in homers allowed was arguably the most significant contributor to his miserable 2025 campaign. It’s worth noting that he’s suppressed homers at every professional level in his career, including MLB, until 2025. Could it be a bout of bad luck, or perhaps an oblique strain that he quietly struggled through for much of the season? It’s difficult to say, but lowering the home run rate to even modest levels would make a huge difference. Hodge will have just turned 25 at the beginning of 2026, and while the Cubs would be wise not to trust him in high leverage as they did early on this past season, he could easily earn a prominent role back at some point. Relievers are volatile, and these seasons unfortunately happen. The upside Hodge has already displayed is worth accounting for. Ben Brown Brown’s stuff remains tantalizing, and his 117 innings in 2025 may very well position him for another season of contributing to the rotation to some degree. It’s worth wondering, however, whether the 26-year-old may be best utilized in a bullpen role, given the Cubs' needs and how he struggled as a starter last season. Brown was fine in some respects as a starting pitcher, but was plagued by a crippling .347 BABIP and a 15.5% HR/FB rate. These may seem like fluky stats, but some may argue his pitch mix is to blame. A high-octane fastball and devastating breaking ball can make him effective for stretches, but the 1.126 OPS allowed third time through the order shows the dangers of being a two-pitch pitcher in the starting rotation. Hitters can feel more comfortable knowing they won’t be completely surprised by a third pitch, and at times may decide to take their big-boy hack while selling out for a 50/50 gamble on what’s coming. Without a third pitch, Brown may continue to struggle in a bulk role. The Cubs should be looking for high-end rotation help that will hopefully make them less reliant on arms like Ben Brown to fill in, and then he can focus on dominating hitters in short stints out of the bullpen. It’s hard to imagine his raw stuff not being up to the task. The Cubs should still have several additions on the way this winter, but it’s possible they don’t wind up with a marquee member for the bullpen. Are there any other arms that could become significant contributors to the back end of games in 2026? Let us know below! View the full article

During his opening press conference, Tom Pohlad explained over and over that he understood that part of his job was to be pummeled: by the media, by fans, and by curious onlookers to baseball. “The Twins community has lost trust in us as owners,” the new boss admitted. So begins the transition, then, with older brother Tom taking over from younger brother Joe. Tom will be the fourth Pohlad to run the Minnesota Twins, but it seems worthwhile to take stock of what happened with Joe, whose tenure was cut short after just over three years. While the team's recent stumbles will color any memory, when he first got started, the younger brother was an emblem of hope. Joe Pohlad clearly wanted to change the ownership style of the team. But something happened along the way that put a quick end to those hopes and set the franchise on a pathway to disaster. Joe Pohlad leaves the position, perhaps, even more hated than Carl was. How? Compared to some owners, Joe provided a somewhat fresh look for the Twins in November 2022, taking over control and operation of the team at the age of 40. While his father discussed his plan for the team as remaining outside the spotlight, Joe seemed to initially relish it. He wore nice suits and had a million-dollar smile. He was the first Pohlad to take an office in Target Field, where he said his plan was to collaborate more than enforce. But Pohlad didn’t waste time in trying to make a statement about how he expected the team to operate. He immediately authorized a pursuit of Carlos Correa, and eventually, the front office converted the one-year pit stop into a monster contract. The Twins’ initial pursuit of Correa fell short, but their final offer at $285 million over 10 years far eclipsed the $92-million signing of Josh Donaldson and the extensions for Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton. You can say the Twins still underbid for the highest-priced item on the market, but it suggested they wanted to shop at the Dior Store. So when luck and bad medicals put Correa back on the menu, Pohlad still pulled the trigger to bring him into a long-term relationship. Pohlad beamed during the press conference as Correa put on his new uniform (which had debuted a few months prior), declaring “Fashion Show 2.0.” It was one of many offseason investments in the team blessed by Pohlad. The Luis Arráez-Pablo López trade was certainly controversial, but few would take it back now—and the team eventually offered a substantial extension to make López a franchise face. The rest of the offseason included notable (if unglamorous) free agents, including Joey Gallo, Christian Vázquez, Donovan Solano. They traded for Michael A. Taylor. In total, the payroll jumped over $40 million from the 2021 season. Rocco Baldelli also received an extension through the 2025 season. Pohlad pushed the product to bring it up to the rising big-league standards. That included changes at Target Field that totaled around $30 million, including the new scoreboard and the diamond ball. Pohlad also expanded the “Family Value” section, where the price of a hot dog remained $3.99. In fact, going into 2023, Twins Daily’s Theodore Tollefson took an optimistic view of ownership. “In an era of Major League Baseball where the reputations of team owners usually bring negative connotations to their franchises, Joe Pohlad may be the outlier,” Tollefson wrote. At that moment, that didn't seem crazy. All of that change paid off. The gate receipts for Target Field jumped to (an estimated) $92 million, the highest since 2011, alongside $19 million in profit and a $70-million jump in valuation, at least according to Forbes. The curse was broken, leaving fans hungry for more. There were high expectations that Pohlad set for 2024. Though the sudden removal of Dick Bremer may have shocked some fans, the promotion of Cory Provus felt like the right move. More importantly, Pohlad and Dave St. Peter gave Provus the green light to announce that blackouts would end in 2024 and that a streaming product was on its way. But by the Winter Meetings, a new narrative emerged. Payrolls had gotten too high, and required cutting. For most of the offseason, Joe remained quiet on exactly what was going on. Then, an unfortunate WCCO interview officially ended the honeymoon. Business was the key word. Those $30-million players were luxuries they could not afford. There was a reasonable case for why the Twins felt no need to replace Sonny Gray, but Pohlad failed to articulate it. The team also backtracked on those blackouts, taking a one-year deal with Bally Sports. One could have expected that the reunion might mean more money to put toward payroll, but that never did come. The decision backfired when Bally’s parent company began a three-month dispute with Comcast and kept the Twins off most televisions for almost half the season. Twins.TV would debut in 2025, but too little, too late. Even when it was clear the Twins needed to add at the deadline, it became apparent from reporting from Jeff Passan that "if the opportunity to acquire a higher-salary player presents itself, they would need to offload salary from their major-league roster in that deal or another to cancel out the expense." Never mind that at most, this would cost a low seven-figure sum to play out the rest of the season. It will be up to history whether the implosion that followed was a result, but fans knew exactly how to draw the line. Pohlad finally stepped up to the mic once more at the end of the season. Defending his decision, he explained himself. “We were headed down a great direction and I had to make a very difficult business decision, but that’s just the reality of my work," he said. "I have a business to run, and it comes with tough decisions, and that’s what I had to do. I wouldn’t make any other decision.” No one wanted to hear it. Only a few weeks later, the family announced the sale. It will never be clear if Joe was fighting a battle with one arm tied behind his back. He probably expected a longer tenure than under two years before he announced the intention to sell. There are seven other Pohlads in his generation (who likely saw things differently all along), though, and he couldn't hold onto control. Even the sale effort, which was Tom's job, didn’t work. The only major buyer eventually locked up a shinier object. No other full-scale suitor emerged. At a time when the team was at its worst, Joe had to announce a new plan to bring on limited partners instead. As Tom suggested, only in the last month was it clear that he would take the reins. As Dan Hayes reported, the sale may just be pushed down the road, as owners hope for a salary cap in order to increase their valuations. Whatever conversation that ends up being, Joe will remain on the advisory board, rather than in the driver seat. In the meeting Wednesday, Tom described an employee town hall wherein Joe announced the end of his tenure through tears, clearly a bittersweet moment for someone who expected any other outcome than this. The younger brother skipped the press conference. His story—as far as the Twins are concerned—ends here. View the full article

In 2026, the Brewers have a bit more insurance against injuries and underperformance in 2026. Right-hander Gerson Garabito and left-handed starter Drew Rom agreed to minor-league contracts with a non-roster invite to spring training, according to Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. So what do we know about each? Garabito sounds like the more interesting of the pair. A 30-year-old Dominican, he stands 6 feet and weighs 180 pounds. He had an adventurous 2025, beginning the season on the Opening Day roster for the Texas Rangers. Garabito, who spent the last four months of 2024 with the Rangers after making his MLB debut in late May, appeared in three games, two in a mop-up role. It didn't go well. In his second appearance of the season, he allowed eight runs (four earned) on seven hits with no walks and three strikeouts in 2 ⅔ innings, in a 14-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. A week later, he made his last big-league appearance of 2025, when he gave up four runs on six hits in 3 ⅓ innings against the Chicago Cubs. Garabito was sent to Triple-A Round Rock a few days later. There, his struggles continued: He posted an 8.81 ERA in 10 starts, walking 18 and striking out 28 in 31 ⅔ innings. After two months at Round Rock, Garabito was released to sign with the Korean Baseball Organization's Samsung Lions. His fortunes changed in South Korea, where he made 15 starts and went 4-4 with a 2.64 ERA in 78 ⅓ innings. He walked 37, but also struck out 84. That performance is what got the Brewers interested. While he will be ticketed for Nashville, Garabito will be looking to build upon his KBO showing and be an option when the Brewers need to dip into their minor-league depth for an extra arm. He'll also be looking to improve upon his big-league track record. In 21 games, including two starts, Garabito has a 5.77 career ERA, with 13 walks and 30 strikeouts in 34 ⅓ innings. Garabito was originally signed by the Kansas City Royals as a 16-year-old, in September 2012. He didn't make it to Double A until 2019. He became a minor-league free agent following the pandemic-scrubbed 2020 season and signed with the San Francisco Giants, spending time at Double A and Triple A. He was out of organized ball in 2022 and 2023, pitching in Venezuela, then landed a deal with the Rangers before the 2024 season. He throws roughly 94 miles per hour, but his four-seam fastball lives in the movement dead zone. He'd do better to turn to his sinker more often, though the changeup and (especially) splitter with which he complements those offerings play a bit better off the four-seamer. He'll be a good candidate for some tinkering, under the Brewers' famously clever pitching brain trust. Rom, meanwhile, has almost been exclusively a starter, with 104 of his 116 professional games coming in the rotation. He turned 26 on Monday. He's a 6-foot-2, 215-pound left-hander who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He progressed up the Orioles' chain to Triple A in 2023, including a two-day call-up to the Baltimore roster in May. Then, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in the Jack Flaherty deal at that year's trade deadline. He made his MLB debut in late August, posting a 1-4 record and 8.02 ERA in eight starts, covering 33 ⅔ innings. He walked 19 and struck out 32. His 2024 season was wiped out by injury. He was placed on the injured list with a biceps injury, but then had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in May, ending his year. He came back in 2025 with three rehab starts at Low A, then made four starts at Triple-A Memphis. In those seven games, he had a 4.24 ERA in 23 ⅓ innings, walking six and striking out 24. His last appearance was in early June. Rom apparently sustained an undisclosed injury. It appears to be another setback with the upper arm or shoulder. Though he only throws 91 miles per hour, Rom has some interesting secondary offerings. He throws a funky cut-splitter and a plus sweeper, as well as a slider and sinker that round out a starter-worthy arsenal. If he can stay healthy, Rom is an interesting arm. Both he and Garabito have the right mix of stuff and experience to start games in an emergency, but each is best thought of as something akin to the Elvin Rodríguez signing last winter—with even lower stakes, since neither initially receives a 40-man roster spot. They're spare pieces, but they could be solid ones. Always amassing depth and leaving themselves ample options, the Brewers have done a bit of reinforcement in advance. View the full article

The waiting game continues for the Blue Jays and other teams across baseball as they consider their options when it comes to solidifying their infield. There was a league-wide sense of excitement when Kazuma Okamoto was posted by his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants, back in November. Reports suggest the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Pirates have all expressed interest in signing Okamoto over the past month. The 29-year-old had six straight 30-home run seasons between 2018 and 2023 in Japan. His 2024 season broke his streak, as he finished off with only 27 homers, down from the 41 he hit the year before. Okamoto was limited to just 69 games this past season due to an elbow injury but still managed 15 home runs and a .992 OPS. Okamoto is known for his power, contact and low strikeout rate. Last season, his strikeout rate was only 11.3%, compared to a 19.5% league average. Since 2020, it hasn’t been higher than 20%. His contact-first style would seamlessly blend into the Jays’ lineup, suiting the offensive philosophy that propelled them to their best season in more than thirty years. According to Baseball America, he is also an "above-average" fielder at third base and a "plus-plus defender" at first. However, Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan of FanGraphs disagree, calling his defense "below-average" at third base. Ultimately, the Jays do not need a Matt Chapman‑level glove at third to win. All they need is a reliable enough fielder at the hot corner. If Okamoto’s third base defense is passable, and he can spell Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first occasionally, then his bat will make up for the rest. Toronto’s roster features athletic defenders Andrés Giménez and Ernie Clement in the middle infield, allowing for a bat‑first third baseman whose glove won’t cost outs disproportionately. What might be delaying Okamoto's signing is a logjam of corner infielders yet to be signed or traded. The same is true for fellow Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami. Teams could be waiting to see where names like Alex Bregman and Nolan Arenado end up. A quick note on Murakami, who is three years younger than Okamoto: He is vying for a longer-term contract, perhaps in the range of seven or eight years at around $20 million per season. Evaluators predict that in their first two or three years in MLB, Okamoto will be more successful, but in the long term, Murakami has more potential. That rationale is why teams with immediate postseason aspirations might prefer Okamoto, while those with longer-term outlooks could be more interested in Murakami. For a team like the Jays, there is something to be said about going with what you know rather than the unknown. If signed by an MLB club, Okamoto is projected to fetch about $68 million over four years. That is a little less annually than Eugenio Suárez, who is a bit older at 34 years old. DiamondCentric projects Suárez to sign for $55 million over three years. If Okamoto does sign in that range, the Jays (or whoever signs him) would also be on the hook for a posting fee to the Yomiuri Giants equal to 20% of the first $25 million, 17.5% of the next $25 million, and 15% of any amount over $50 million. Okamoto will turn 30 in June, so he is older than some recent Japanese imports. His workload across NBP games prior to 2025 would suggest durability, and even an injury-shortened 2025 didn’t seem to negatively impact his production. Part of the rationale for the Myles Straw trade last offseason was to add international bonus pool space. The hope was that the Jays could entice Roki Sasaki to sign in Toronto. That move not only illustrated their interest in Sasaki, who eventually signed with the Dodgers, but also that they are interested in talent coming out of Japan. Munenori Kawasaki was a fan-favourite in Toronto but not exactly a superstar. The Jays' courting of Sasaki, and Shohei Ohtani before him, illustrates their interest in adding former NBP players to their roster. Earlier this offseason, the Jays made headlines for a bold marketing decision, displaying their logo prominently during a title boxing match in Tokyo, which sparked scrutiny from the commissioner's office about international marketing permissions. The episode might suggest the team is trying to subtly increase its Japanese visibility and fanbase in an effort to build brand awareness in Japan and perhaps court a major NPB star in the future (or right now). The Jays still have some tough decisions to make this offseason. Okamoto might not be their top pick, but he would be a capable fit for the infield and the lineup at a reasonable cost. If they can’t re-sign Bo Bichette, they still need to add some reliable offense behind Guerrero, and Okamoto fits the bill. It's also not impossible that the Jays could sign both Okamoto and Bichette. Based on Ross Atkins and the front office’s public posture this winter, and the club’s recent push to engage Japanese fans, the organization is motivated to bring in top NPB talent. The market for the top free agents seems to have cooled a bit after the Winter Meetings, but Murakami's posting window will close soon, and once he signs, other moves could follow quickly. Time is ticking on Okamoto, too, as his 45-day negotiation window with MLB teams runs until January 4, 2026. Okamoto might be a gamble, but one that could pay off for the Blue Jays. Signing him now would provide some insurance if the other dominoes don’t fall in Toronto's favour. View the full article

When it was reported last week that the San Diego Padres were listening on Nick Pivetta and Jake Cronenworth, the reaction here at Padres Mission was twofold. The Cronenworth side was immediately acknowledged as legitimate and logical. If they're hoping to clear some longer-term money off the books, the lightest hitter of their positional contracts certainly makes some sense. Especially if it were to help them add some much-needed... anything to the rotation. We didn't meet the Pivetta component with quite the same gumption, however. Instead, we approached the idea of trading Nick Pivetta as indicating a threat of organizational purgatory. That state in which teams find themselves when they're not quite good enough to contend but not quite bad enough to blow it all up. Trading Pivetta could certainly indicate that. With no other starter locked in for Opening Day and perpetual reports of financial peril, the optics of such a move one year into a four-year pact wouldn't be terrific. At the same time, the aggression of the point may have overshot and missed the actual logic of it altogether. Because there's real sense in the Padres pursuing a trade of their veteran starter. In a number of ways, Pivetta is coming off the best season of his career. His 2.87 ERA stands as a career best, as does his 3.49 FIP. While his 26.4 percent strikeout rate didn't necessarily touch the highest rates of his career, his 6.9 percent walk rate trailed only 2024. Perhaps most important was that his 9.7 percent homer-to-fly-ball rate was the best of his career and nearly five percent lower than his career average. He wasn't overpowering in 2025, but his run prevention was top marks. With all of that said, there's reason to think that Pivetta is in for significant regression in the year(s) ahead. Here is his percentile distribution from 2025: There are number of items here that read as just okay (though they aren't necessarily alarming). His xERA was still firmly in the middle of the pack while he did a decent-enough job of generating chase and whiff from opposing hitters. None of those numbers are stellar, but you can absolutely work with each of them as a mid-rotation arm. Where things get concerning, however, is in the contact trends that Pivetta experienced. The barrel and hard-hit rates against speak for themselves. Pivetta sat near the bottom in each, with only 11 starters (of 107 qualifiers) allowing a higher barrel% than Pivetta's 10.9; only 20 served up a higher hard-hit rate than his 45.0. Pivetta's four-seam and curveball accounted for over 65 percent of his pitches thrown in 2025. Opposing hitters took each for an average of 12.2 percent in their barrel rate while the fastball, in particular, was touched for a hard-hit rate over 54 percent. The trends also got worse as the season wore on: It's unsurprising, then, that along the way, Pivetta's whiff rate also declined steadily. His fly-ball rate also rose successively in each individual month before dropping only in September. Such trends, at least when you're talking about a pitcher who worked to an unsustainable .235 BABIP, don't bode particularly well for the subsequent years of a multi-year contract. Not that Pivetta will be outright bad moving forward. His fastball-curveball combination, in conjunction with his zone aggression, go a long way toward keeping hitters off balance and led to an in-zone swing rate of just 63.5 percent. When you have one of the 16-lowest zone swing percentages in the sport, you can afford that aggression and live with some of the negative results of contact. The big issue is going to be the contact regression. That type of BABIP figure has a way of evening out. And even if Pivetta is able to freeze hitters who are caught off guard by his in-zone work, the contact trends aren't indicative of him continuing the remainder of his performance off last year's stat sheet. So, with that contract cost skyrocketing to $20.5 million in 2026 (per Roster Resource) before a pair of options worth a combined $32 million, you could understand if the Padres wanted to sell high on what Pivetta gave them last season. Especially if helps them to build a bit more for the medium- or longer-term. Of course, the massive caveat to all of this is that A.J. Preller would have to really work to fill in a rotation that becomes almost entirely empty sans Pivetta. Sure, there are some in-house arms that can cover a few innings and Joe Musgrove is due to return, but there are no other surefire, guaranteed starters on the 40-man roster at present. So the needle becomes quite difficult to thread. Can you acquire an upper-minors prospect who is major-league ready? Perhaps another fringe arm in addition with which you can attempt an upside play? There isn't any doubt that Preller could find value in Pivetta, who comes with cost certainty and a pair of seasons with an ERA lingering around four in his two years prior to 2025. He's a solid mid-rotation option coming off the best season of his career. There's plenty of logic in capitalizing on a guy like that considering the Padres' financial situation and what their farm system currently looks like. But with the Padres already lacking starters, innings coverage becomes even more burdensome a route this winter. Is the tradeoff one Preller is willing to make? View the full article

Maddie and Alex talk about the uneventful Winter Meetings and why the market for the three top Japanese players (Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, Tatsuya Imai) has been so quiet to this point. They give their takes on whether Alex Bregman is really looking at the Diamondbacks as an option, and end the episode by talking through pitcher trade proposals. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox View the full article

The Rule 5 Draft occurs every December at Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings. The offseason lockout of 2021-2022 caused the cancellation of the major league phase, although the minor league portion was held as scheduled. To learn more about the minutiae of the Rule 5 Draft, click here. The Milwaukee Brewers have selected 29 players in the Rule 5 Draft. Not every transaction goes smoothly, as some players get returned to their original teams. Infielder Colin Walsh (2015) was returned to the Oakland A’s in June 2016 after appearing in 38 of the Brewers' first 46 games, posting a unique batting line of .085/.317/.106 across 63 plate appearances. In 2006, the Detroit Tigers reportedly paid Milwaukee $75,000 to draft left-handed pitcher Edward Campusano. The pitcher was then traded to Detroit and was in the running for a bullpen spot with the Tigers. In March 2007, Campusano underwent reconstructive elbow surgery and missed the entire season. He was returned to the Chicago Cubs that October. Right-handed pitcher Eduardo Morlan was chosen in the 2008 Rule 5 Draft from Tampa Bay. He was returned to the Rays the following March. He pitched in Double-A for the Rays in 2009 and in 2010 before getting released two months into the season. The Brewers signed him a day later and assigned him to Double-A Huntsville. Despite posting an ERA of 2.74 and earning three saves in 32 appearances, Morlan was released by Milwaukee after the season. Not every pick is accompanied by such drama. Here are five picks that turned out well for Milwaukee. #5 Jeff Bennett, RHP (from Pittsburgh) Bennett had been the Pirates’ 19th-round pick in the 1998 Amateur Draft. He struggled through six years, finally making it to Triple-A Nashville, which was then a Pittsburgh affiliate. In the 2003 Rule 5 Draft, he was picked fifth by Milwaukee. Bennett was primarily used in middle relief, low-leverage spots, and appeared in 60 games for Milwaukee in 2004, which ranked third on the staff. He posted a decent 91 ERA+ but had an ugly 5.15 FIP. His best day as a Brewer came on June 18 when he pitched two scoreless, hitless innings while striking out two in a 4-1 win over Minnesota, earning his sixth of eight holds on the year. Bennett was sent down to Nashville—now a Brewers farm team—for the 2005 season. Despite posting an ERA of 3.03, 13 saves, and a 1.11 WHIP in 49 games for the Sounds, the Brewers declined to offer Bennett a contract after the season. The Atlanta Braves inked him to a minor league contract in early 2006, but the pitcher missed the entire year due to undergoing Tommy John surgery. He pitched from 2007-09 in Atlanta before being released by the Braves in late July. Tampa Bay signed him, and Bennett appeared in 11 games. After a short, failed stint with the Rays in 2010, he was signed in mid-season by the Brewers. Bennett made 12 appearances in Nashville but was jettisoned after posting an ERA of 11.32. In the latter days of his career, Bennett pitched in Mexico and a couple of Independent leagues, and even reached as high as Triple-A Albuquerque with the Dodgers before retiring in 2015. #4 José Mercedes, RHP (from Baltimore) Mercedes was signed by Baltimore in 1989 as an international free agent. After pitching two seasons in the Dominican Republic, he made his American debut in 1992, pitching in Rookie and Single-A ball, making 13 starts in 16 appearances and posting a 2.29 ERA and a WHIP of 1.20. He moved up to Double-A Bowie in 1993 but struggled in 23 starts with an ERA of 4.78 and 1.60 WHIP. In December, he was selected by the Brewers with the third pick of the Rule 5 Draft. Mercedes suffered an abdominal strain in spring training and started the season on the 15-day disabled list. He made three rehab starts at Triple-A New Orleans before being activated by the Brewers in late May. Mercedes made his big-league debut on May 31, going 5 1/3 innings while allowing three hits and two walks while striking out two in a long relief stint in a 7-4 loss to Texas. He made 19 relief appearances before the season ended with the baseball strike. After just five appearances in early 1995, Mercedes went on the DL again, this time with an irritation to the ulnar nerve in his right elbow, and missed the rest of the season. Mercedes started the 1996 campaign at Triple-A New Orleans and was called up to Milwaukee in mid-June, but he only lasted five weeks, as he was waived and assigned to New Orleans. The following year was make-or-break, and Mercedes performed well for Milwaukee and had his best season as a big leaguer. He led the Brewers with two complete games and one shutout among his 23 starts, along with six relief appearances. His 159 innings were the third-best on the staff. He posted an ERA+ of 123. Mercedes started in Milwaukee in 1998 but was on shaky ground after six appearances (four starts). After allowing 12 hits and 11 runs in just 3 1/3 innings on May 4, Mercedes went on the 15-day DL with a right shoulder injury. He underwent surgery in mid-July and missed the rest of the season, and was subsequently released by the Brewers in December. He won 14 games for Baltimore in 2000, but then led the American League with 17 losses the following year. Mercedes pitched in five contests for the Montreal Expos in 2003, his final big-league season. #3 Alberto Reyes, RHP (from Montreal) Reyes was a menacing, 6-foot-1, 230-pound right-hander who was signed as an international free agent by Montreal in early 1988. He made his professional debut in 1990 as a starter but would pitch almost exclusively in relief after that. In his five years as an Expo farmhand, Reyes only made it to Double-A Harrisburg before being selected in the 1994 Rule 5 Draft by the Brewers. In his first season as a Brewer, Reyes made 27 appearances before his season ended in late July due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that required Tommy John surgery. Reyes posted an ERA+ of 206 and a WHIP of 1.11 across a small sample of 33 1/3 innings. He returned in late 1996 and pitched in 13 games as Single-A Beloit before getting called up to Milwaukee in September, where he made five appearances. Reyes began the 1997 campaign at Triple-A Tucson. He was called up for one game in May and then sent back down. Reyes returned to Milwaukee in late July and finished the season there, posting a substandard ERA+ of 86 and an FIP of 4.19. The injury bug derailed Reyes’ season again in 1998, although he still managed to make 50 appearances despite missing six weeks late in the season. He ranked third on the staff in games pitched and posted an ERA+ of 109 and a FIP of 4.89. Reyes pitched in 26 games for the Brewers in 1999 before getting dealt to the Baltimore Orioles in mid-July for pitcher Rocky Coppinger. Reyes bounced around over the next 10 years, making stops with Baltimore, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh, New York Yankees, and St. Louis before finishing his career with two years in Tampa Bay, including posting a career-high 26 saves in 2007. #2 Ned Yost, C (from New York Mets) Edgar Frederick Yost III was originally chosen in the second round of the 1974 MLB January draft (Regular Phase) by the Montreal Expos but declined to sign. Six months later, he was selected seventh overall in the June Secondary Phase draft by the New York Mets. Yost played for four years in the Mets organization and had his best year in 1977 at two stops, batting .297/.358/.521 with 17 doubles and 13 HRs in just 259 at-bats. In December, the Brewers picked Yost with the seventh pick in the Rule 5 Draft. Yost spent the next two years at the Triple-A level in the Brewers organization (I could not find any details on why he wasn’t required to play in the majors in 1978). Yost began the 1980 season with Milwaukee, and after playing sparingly over the first three weeks, was sent back down to Vancouver. He was recalled in September and got a hit in his first game back, a single off Minnesota Twins pitcher Albert Williams. In 1981, Yost served as the third catcher behind Ted Simmons and Charlie Moore and got only 27 at-bats, but he did jack three home runs among his six hits. The following year, Yost was the primary backup behind Simmons and hit .276/.324/.429 across 98 at-bats as the Brewers won the American League crown. With less than a week left in the season and Milwaukee battling with Baltimore for supremacy in the American League East, Yost hit a clutch three-run homer in the top of the 9th inning off Boston’s Mark Clear to give the Brewers a 6-3 win. Yost only had one plate appearance in the postseason, drawing a walk in a World Series Game 6 13-1 loss to St. Louis. Yost started 57 games behind the plate in 1983, still playing behind Simmons. Yost set career highs with runs, hits, home runs, and RBI. After the season, Yost was traded to the Texas Rangers for catcher Jim Sundberg. Yost set a career high in 1984 with 242 at-bats but only slashed .182/.201/.273 and was released after the campaign. Montreal picked him up, but he only got 11 at-bats at the end of the 1985 season. Yost played the next two seasons in the Atlanta Braves organization before retiring. After his playing career, Yost managed in the minors for Atlanta and served as a long-time coach with the team. He managed the Brewers from 2003 to 2008 and the Kansas City Royals from 2010 to 2019. #1 Mark Brouhard, OF (from California) Brouhard was selected in the fourth round of the 1976 January Draft—Regular Phase by the California Angels. In four years in the Angels chain (Rookie, Single-A, Double-A), Brouhard had a combined batting line of .313/.378/.507 with 72 home runs and was named the Double-A Texas League Most Valuable Player in 1979 by virtue of batting .350 with 28 home runs and 107 RBI. Yet the Angels did not add him to their 40-man roster and lost him when the Brewers selected him in the 1979 Rule 5 Draft. ‘Big Bro’ managed to get 125 AB in 1980 with Milwaukee, playing the outfield corners and a few starts at first base. He batted only .232/.278/.400 but did show extra-base power with six doubles and five homers. In 1981, Brouhard started at Triple-A Vancouver but only played 16 games there before an injury to Paul Molitor led to Brouhard being called back to Milwaukee. He batted .274/.305/.371 across 186 at-bats. He posted a nearly average OPS+ of 99 and legged out a career-high three triples. Brouhard was unable to play in the postseason due to a pulled calf muscle. The following season, Brouhard started the year in Milwaukee and made a brief detour to Vancouver in August after losing playing time to Charlie Moore and Marshall Edwards. He returned at the end of the month, just in time to make the postseason roster. Although his season wasn’t spectacular, he set a career high with an OPS of .771 and an OPS+ mark of 116. Brouhard appeared in only one game in the postseason, but what he did in that contest was enough for him to make the top of this Rule 5 list and make him an instant Brewers legend. The Brewers trailed the California Angels two games to one in the American League Championship Series. Brouhard was inserted in the starting lineup after an injury kept usual starter Ben Oglivie out. Batting seventh and playing left field, all Brouhard did was collect a single, double, and home run, knocking in three runs and scoring four (the latter tying a playoff record). Despite that, Brouhard never got off the bench for the rest of the postseason. Over the next three seasons, Brouhard mostly split time between Milwaukee and Vancouver, accumulating only 490 big-league at-bats, batting .257/.304/.404 with 14 home runs. Brouhard finished up his playing days overseas in Japan, along with 55 minor league games back with California, his original organization. Final Thoughts Unfortunately, the Brewers have not been able to pick up players such as George Bell, Josh Hamilton, or Roberto Clemente, who became solid players. The Brewers' list of Rule 5 successes is a short one. And sometimes a player that you don’t have room for goes on to star for another team. In 2024, Brewer farmhand Shane Smith was lost to the Chicago White Sox and became an All-Star last season. The Brewers just haven’t been that lucky. Not many of the players that the Brewers have grabbed in the Rule 5 Draft have turned out to be success stories. Do you have a player that you felt was left off this list? Start the conversation in the comments section below! View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays have done well so far in addressing their bullpen needs ahead of the 2026 MLB season. Last week, they added two relievers with funky deliveries to baffle opposing hitters: Tyler Rogers (via free agency) and Chase Lee (via trade). However, both pitchers just so happen to be right-handers. During the 2025 season, the lefties in the Jays' bullpen included the likes of Brendon Little, Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, and Justin Bruihl. Bruihl, of course, was recently designated for assignment and traded by the Blue Jays to the Cleveland Guardians for cash considerations. That leaves Little, who struggled immensely down the stretch and into the playoffs this past year; Fluharty, who is just coming off his rookie campaign with Toronto; and Lauer, who also has to serve as depth for the rotation. Given the uncertainty as to whether Little can rediscover his first-half form and Fluharty can follow up his debut with a solid sophomore season, the Blue Jays should look to add a proven left-handed reliever, just to ensure they have their bases covered. One southpaw that Toronto should target in free agency is former Texas Ranger Danny Coulombe. Coulombe has flown under the radar for the majority of his 11-year MLB career. Nevertheless, he has been a steady presence in the bullpen for the past decade, playing for teams such as the Athletics, Twins, Orioles, and, most recently, the Rangers. Coulombe sports a career 17-10 record with a solid 3.35 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.62 FIP, and 5.2 bWAR, while averaging close to a strikeout per inning. He may not be your typical elite strikeout pitcher, but with a career 24% strikeout rate, he still ranks above the league average, while registering a fine 8.8% career walk rate. In addition, Coulombe has pitched well against both left- and right-handed batters in his career. He has held lefties to just a .233 average with a sub-.600 OPS and righties to just a .222 average and sub-.700 OPS over more than 343 major league appearances. He gives up home runs to opposite-handed hitters almost three times as often as same-handed hitters, but a higher strikeout rate against righties has helped him compensate. Despite his turning 36 in October, Coulombe still ranked among the league's best in 2025 when it came to opposing batters’ average exit velocity (87.5 mph), chase rate (36.2%), and barrel rate (5.2%). That is because the reliable lefty uses an effective combination of a cutter, sinker, four-seam fastball, and sweeper in his pitching arsenal, along with the occasional curve to throw off hitters. With his mastery of five different pitches, and without too much reliance on velocity, Coulombe could end up being effective even into his 40s. With a projected salary of just a little under $4.5 million (per Spotrac) after making only $3 million this past season, Coulombe could be a low-risk, high-reward add to the Blue Jays bullpen ahead of 2026. He would serve as a strong safety net if Little and/or Fluharty falters in his role as a lefty specialist. View the full article

Drafted by the Red Sox in 2023, right-handed pitcher Blake Wehunt spent the 2025 season pitching for the Double-A Portland Sea Dog. He sits down and talks about how it was a surprise to be drafted by the Red Sox, along with the improvements to a cutter he learned in 2024. The pitcher also discusses his enjoyment of hunting and fishing as he gets ready for spring training in roughly two months. View the full article

Free-agent starter Michael King seems to have narrowed down his preferred teams to three AL East options. The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham has noted that King may have limited his finalists to the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, and Baltimore Orioles. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo has gone a step further and said that King has a ‘strong interest’ in being in Boston since he went to Boston College and is from Rhode Island. King wanting to come back for at least part of the back-half of his career makes sense — he’d be playing somewhere he’s incredibly comfortable. On the surface, King may not look like a perfect fit for the Red Sox since they have traded for both Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo in recent weeks, but we all know that Craig Breslow always keeps an eye on the pitching market and strives to build a deep pool of pitchers to pull from. Signing King won’t be cheap; ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel predicts the starter will land a three-year, $57 million contract. DiamondCentric, meanwhile, foresees a very similar four-year, $75 million deal. Those are both around $19 million annually and would push the Red Sox up against the CBT tax threshold. We don’t have to go back very far to start to see why King’s injury history could complicate things if he signs with the Red Sox. In 2025 along, he missed 89 games due to inflammation in his right shoulder and left knee. Before that, he missed 57 games with a finger injury in 2021 and 77 combined regular season and playoff games in 2022 due to an elbow fracture that required surgery to repair. You could reasonably say he is constantly flirting with the ‘injury-prone’ tag that every player hopes to avoid. Elbow fractures are freak injuries, but the rest of them are concerning for a pitcher that you’re hoping can take the ball every five days and be successful. On top of his injury history, King isn’t the style of pitcher that Breslow seems to like. He’s not a mountain of a human being and he doesn’t have a ton of extension in his delivery, ranking in the 14th percentile on Baseball Savant. On top of that, he’s a sinker-ball pitcher that doesn’t induce many ground balls. In 2025, he left his sinker up far more than he should have, and it was easier for opposing hitters to knock it around. Admittedly, we’re working with a fairly small sample size, but it should be enough to give Breslow pause for concern. For a guy whose primary fastball is a sinker, a 34th-percentile ground-ball rate is not a figure worth investing into. If King is healthy, and that’s a big if, he has the potential to be a legitimate frontline starter for the Red Sox. That being said, though, he’s arguably not worth the injury risk that comes attached to him. If he were willing to take a one-year, prove-it contract, then interest should be abundant. Insofar as that's unreasonable to ask and he’s wanting multiple years and around $19 million annually, that money would be better spent invested on the offensive side of the ball. The Red Sox have a ton of pitching depth, with top names primed to build on their 2025 seasons. King would offer another veteran presence in a young clubhouse, but he shouldn’t come at the expense of neglecting the most pressing need at the moment: power bats. If King remains a free agent until close to the start of spring training, then the Red Sox should swoop in and try to get him for a bit of hometown discount. If that doesn’t happen, there’s no reason to overextend themselves for a starter that may not leap Gray on the depth chart. View the full article

Early in the season, Salvador Perez was effectively splitting time behind the plate with Freddy Fermin. Once Fermin was traded to the Padres at the trade deadline, Perez was forced into starting more often, catching 20 of the 28 games in August with Luke Maile offering some relief. After Carter Jensen joined the roster in September, Perez finally was able to get more time off, only catching 15 of the remaining 25 games of the season, which was still more often than the start of the season but a notable reduction compared to August. From June through the end of the season, there was a clear inverse relationship between how often Perez started as catcher and his offensive production. Entering his age-35 season, Perez can still be a positive contributor on offense, but his time at the catcher position will need to be limited. Entering the season, Carter Jensen is projected to be the only depth at catcher on the MLB roster. While Perez’s innings will need to be limited on defense, Jensen also might not be quite ready to assume a large workload as catcher. What is the ideal balance going to be in 2026? Historically, catchers will often begin to see reduced time behind the plate after age 32, and most catchers will even be retired by age 35. Comparing Perez to his contemporaries, dating back to his age-21 season, he usually outpaces other catchers in usage rate (ages 36+ averages are heavily skewed by Yadier Molina). Father time remains undefeated; the Royals need to be prepared rather than reacting if Perez’s abilities fall off a cliff. Despite his five Gold Glove awards, the Statcast metrics do not flatter Perez. He has been worth -37 catching runs total since 2018, primarily driven by well-below-average pitch framing. His catcher throwing metrics remain good, ranking 8th in caught stealing and above average, with 4 CS. He also ranked 16th out of 70 catchers (minimum 10 caught-stealing attempts) in average pop time. However, the biggest sign of aging in his abilities is his blocking. Last season, his blocking generated -15 blocks above average, 12 worse than his career low. For Carter Jensen’s catching ability, there isn't yet much data. In his 67 innings at the position, he logged zero catching runs and -1 catching runs for blocking. He also caught one baserunner stealing out of 3 attempts. His pop time was the 7th fastest for all catchers who faced at least one stolen base attempt. With a larger sample size, we will be able to determine more about how valuable he truly is on defense. With the addition of the automatic ball-strike challenge system, there will be a whole new metric by which to judge catchers. The catchers will likely be the main players on defense who are responsible for challenging calls, and experience behind the plate will likely matter with these calls. Offensively, Jensen looks to already belong at the MLB level. In his 69 plate appearances with the Royals last season, he slashed .300/.391/.550, good for a .941 OPS and a 159 wRC+. His statcast metrics also ranked highly above average in his small 2025 sample, particularly xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, average exit velocity, barrel %, hard-hit %, launch angle sweet-spot %, and walk rate. He will probably not be able to maintain those rates, but Fangraphs projects him to continue to bat above average, with a wRC+ of 104. The Royals would be more than satisfied if Jensen could meet that projection. With those bullish projections, when he is not starting a game as the catcher, he will be a natural candidate for designated hitter. Going into next season, Perez is still expected to start the majority of games at catcher. Still, the Royals should be mindful of his workload following the 2026 World Baseball Classic, where Perez is captaining the Venezuelan team. Perez's missing time with his national team will give Jensen the opportunity to spend more time directly with the pitching staff and get “first team” reps at catcher during spring training. If Jensen can maintain his quality on offense, manager Matt Quatraro will hopefully feel less hesitant about trusting him in the lineup. At the start of the season, while Perez is reacclimating to the team and resting after the WBC, Jensen could have a tremendous opportunity to claim more starting time. The absolute maximum Perez should catch is a model similar to what the Royals have done in past seasons: Perez catches games one and two, then rests game three of a three-game series. This should probably only be the case when Jensen is slumping. Ideally, at this stage in his career, Perez is starting less than half of the games behind the plate, and given his regression defensively, the Royals would probably benefit from giving him more time off. There will also be plenty of opportunities for Perez to remain in the lineup at designated hitter, as the Royals do not currently have a player as a primary DH. He can also spend time at first base when Vinnie Pasquantino needs rest. Perez is still likely to be a primary contributor in this Royals offense, with a projected wRC+ of 101, 8th-best on the Royals according to FanGraphs Steamer projections. Still, as his knees and body age, he should not spend the majority of his time behind the plate. The Royals will hope to retain his offensive value as long as possible. View the full article

From his debut in 2019 until his triumphant return for the 2025 World Series, Bo Bichette had never played anywhere other than shortstop in his major league career. However, after he played a handful of games at second base in the Fall Classic, it seems there might be more of the keystone in his future. Earlier today, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that Bichette has informed teams that he is, in Feinsand's words, "ready, willing and able" to make the move to second full-time. Defense has never been Bichette's strong suit, and it doesn't come as any surprise that some (or perhaps even most) of his potential suitors would prefer that he change positions. What's more noteworthy is that Bichette is prepared to make that change. Ross Atkins suggested earlier this winter that, if playing shortstop were a sticking point for Bichette, it would not deter the Blue Jays from re-signing him. Still, this is a significant development for Toronto. On the one hand, Bichette's preparedness to switch positions can only drive up his price. On the other hand, it might be good news for the Jays if they were hoping to play Andrés Giménez at shortstop full-time in 2026 and beyond. Featured image courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins still belong to the Pohlad family, but things are about to be very different than they've been in the past. It's much too soon to guess whether the changes will be for good or ill, but the fact that something big has changed was clear Wednesday afternoon at Target Field. Henceforth, the day-to-day operations of the team will pass from Joe Pohlad to his brother Tom, and once he's approved by MLB (likely to happen in February, Pohlad said), he will also become the official control person for the team, taking over from the brothers' uncle, Jim. This is a major consolidation of power. As Tom outlined on Wednesday, for much of the last few years, there have been three Pohlads with major roles within the team: Joe, Jim, and himself. (Tom entered the picture mostly as the person in charge of the hoped-for transaction, when the family decided to sell the team 14 months ago.) Going forward, there will be just one. "Yes," Pohlad said, when asked if he would be the only family member involved with the club. "I mean other than the advisory board, the family members that will sit on that, yes." In other words, Joe Pohlad is entirely moving out of the picture. Tom set the tone of the press conference held in the home clubhouse Wednesday with his opening statement, by characterizing the occasion as “in many ways an exciting day for this organization and for myself and for my family, and in many ways, an emotionally difficult day". Tom's control of the team comes after a month-long, family-wide deliberation the new owner repeatedly described as "difficult" and even painful. Was Joe on board with the transition, when the subject was first broached? "Joe was not on board with this at first. And he’s on board now," Tom said, when directly asked as much. "He understands. But, listen, I’ll go back to what I said at the beginning. He was the leader of this organization, he’s been here for 19 years. And as difficult as this is for me to say, all he’s ever wanted was to be a part of this organization and to lead it and to help this franchise win a world championship. Things change. We had to make a decision as a family. He understands." In short, the Pohlads felt they were failing in their stewardship of the franchise, and Joe Pohlad was identified as at least part of the reason. As Tom spoke, it became clear that the timing of this ownership transition being finalized and the leadership of the franchise passing from one brother to the other was not a coincidence. "This decision to make a transition within our family has been extremely difficult. It’s been hard on the relationship between Joe and myself," he said. "It’s been especially hard on my dad and my two uncles, and this is not the type of thing that we envisioned as we started to go from one generation to the next and continue on our family business and continue on the stewardship of the Twins. But ultimately it was what we think was in the best interest of this organization, of our fan base, and of our new partners." We've seen recent cases of other MLB clubs erupting into internecine warfare during transitions like these. The Padres are mired in a squabble between family members right now. The Dodgers went through an even uglier version of that under their previous owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt. Smaller but more public and more obviously raw rows have broken out in several ownership suites throughout the league, where family and generational ownership is common but family members with diverging interests is equally so. The family has successfully presented a quiet, fairly stoic picture of this change in direction, but Pohlad's words and tone Wednesday gave away the game: he is the winner of a Minnesota Nice spin on 'Succession'. Though the same surname is on the ownership group, this is not a cash transaction just to bail the family out of trouble. It's a wholesale change of organizational control. And there are hurt feelings behind it. The family's control of the ownership advisory board will be diluted, as new partners Craig Leipold, George Hicks and the Glick family each gain representation there. That doesn't mean that those parties will take any meaningful measure of control over the team, and Tom Pohlad said Wednesday that none of those involved were interested in a controlling stake. Clearly, though, their investments were contingent on some changes that would help the team do what they believe it can do in the future: make more money. "They believe there is an opportunity to improve the business of the Minnesota Twins," Pohlad said, in characterizing the interest each of their new partners had. "That there is revenue opportunities to grow revenue here, and that comes from reengaging our fans and winning more baseball games." It's clear that some members of the family felt Joe and the rest of the leadership group then in place squandered opportunities for the club to be healthier and more profitable. Tom intends an activist and much more change-oriented approach to his new role than what the family has traditionally taken. "My role, I think I'm going to play, if the question is, 'Are you going to be a passive owner or an active owner?' I'd say that I'm going to be an active owner," he said. "I'd say that's what this organization needs right now." Now, get ready for something you've really never heard from the Pohlads before. "We’ve got to figure out what’s keeping us from having more consistent success than we’ve had in the past," Tom said, "and I think the rub, if you will, on the organization, historically speaking, is there’s a feeling which I might share that we continue to run the same playbook over and over, thinking for a different result. The accountability factor is saying, if something doesn’t go right, if we don’t meet expectations, what are we going to do differently and then go out and do something differently.” The nephew of Jim and grandson of Carl pretty plainly disagrees with the way they've run the franchise for almost half a century. No team in baseball undertakes leadership transitions less often than the Twins. Even mid-level jobs there have traditionally had far, far more security than anywhere else in baseball. By the sound of things, that era is over. "Half-measures are not good, and you’ll probably get to know me over time: I’m not a half-measure guy," Pohlad said. "I’m a ‘go big or go home’ guy." Having elbowed his own brother out of the way in a fairly muscular takeover of his own family's flagship business, Pohlad might now find it harder to go home. He's stepping away from all other roles within the family business to focus on this one. He's going big. That might not translate into enough spending for many fans' taste, and it might backfire on Tom Pohlad and all his relations. For those who feared that the would-be sale of the team had come to nothing but a procedural move and some debt relief, though, Wednesday sent a clear message: This is something bigger. View the full article

In many ways, we know what shape the 2026 Chicago Cubs will take on the positional side. While there's still a bench to sort, the catchers, the infield, and two-thirds of the outfield are settled. That's seven spots in the lineup that are largely set in December, barring an impact addition or subtraction (which would be a shock given how Jed Hoyer & co. typically operate). There's still the matter of right field to be sorted, and how things shake out between Seiya Suzuki and Owen Caissie should have some bearing on the designated hitter spot. It's this portion of the equation where we start to wonder about what role Moisés Ballesteros will serve for next year's group. Given the departure of Kyle Tucker and Ballesteros' performance down the stretch for the 2025 Cubs, there's an assumption that exists that he'll factor in heavily as the team's designated hitter. On paper, there's plenty of logic to it. After carrying a .316/.385/.473 line and 121 wRC+ in Iowa, Ballesteros was called up permanently in September, appearing in 14 games and landing as an extra bat on the postseason roster. He finished his first 20 big league games (which also included five games in May and one in July) with a .298/.394/.474 line, a 143 wRC+, and strikeout (18.2 K%) and walk rates (13.6 BB%) that matched up well with one another. His approach and contact ability were on full display, leaving the Cubs with an admirable skill set in a lineup that needs every bit of consistency it can find. The aforementioned departure of Tucker lends itself to a roster shuffle that should, in theory, land Ballesteros the gig as the top option at DH. But theory will get you only so far. Craig Counsell likes a bit of flexibility out of his DH. Suzuki might've been the team's primary option in that role last year, but injuries necessitated plenty of time for him all across the outfield grass. He was hardly a full-time DH in the way that one might have expected through the combination of Tucker's arrival and Pete Crow-Armstrong's breakout. Ballesteros assuming the role would change the calculus in that spot entirely. At present, Moisés Ballesteros is a man without a position. The Cubs are not inclined to let him catch, with questions long persisting about his ability to handle the defensive nuance of the position. With Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya each set to return, it's likely that the team goes the Reese McGuire route and stashes a defensive catcher as depth in Iowa until needed. If they had any intention of letting Ballesteros catch, we likely would've seen it for more than six innings of a single game throughout his stretch on the roster in September. And while the Cubs got him a bit of time at first base at the very end, it's unlikely he'll assume a role there (other than a legitimate off day or injury to Michael Busch). In Busch, the Cubs employ a full-time first baseman with upper-tier offensive upside. The only supplement he'll see if of the right-handed variety, though it stands to reason that he'll also see additional time against southpaws in 2026. That Ballesteros is also a lefty essentially eliminates any shot there. Which means that the outcome in right field is going to directly correspond with the space with which Ballesteros will have to operate. Let's assume, for a moment, that Suzuki gets his time back on the grass as the full-time right fielder. In that case, are the Cubs going to be content to rotate Owen Caissie through left, right, and the DH spot depending on the day? Or would that not offer up enough of a timeshare to justify his place on the roster in favor of a yet-to-be-signed veteran backup? Such a scenario lands Caissie back in Iowa (operating under the safe assumption that he's not included in a trade for an upper-tier starting pitcher before then). In that case, then you likely have the ability to let Ballesteros ply his trade as the everyday designated hitter. But what if Caissie forces the collective hand of the brass with a strong showing in the spring? His presence on the roster would unlock far more flexibility in both providing breaks for the other outfielders and ensuring you don't have to rely on Suzuki's glove on a daily basis. On paper, having Caissie on the roster serves the group more effectively than Ballesteros might considering the more dynamic opportunities available via his presence. Of course, the possibility exists that both are on the roster. It's a tough sell, however; a pair of left-handed bats, one pinned exclusively to the outfield and another without a firm position, really tamp down on Counsell's job to operate as effectively as he may prefer. If there's any indication of where things may stand at present, perhaps we can turn to a couple of key outlets for some insight. FanGraphs currently projects Caissie to occupy seven percent of the timeshare in left field, 20 percent in right, and 20 percent as the designated hitter. Ballesteros, meanwhile, projects for 44 percent of the time as the DH, four percent behind the plate, and nine percent at first base. In terms of playing time, the score is 1-0 Ballesteros, it would seem. Baseball Prospectus has something similar on their depth charts. Caissie is projected for 10 percent of the time in left, 25 percent of the time in right, and 20 percent as the DH. Ballesteros is projected for five percent of the plate appearances at each of catcher and first base, with 40 percent of the time sent his way as the DH. Prospectus lines up a bit more favorably for Caissie than it does for Ballesteros. Which means that even the roster prognosticators are working within the same muddled framework alongside the general public. The wide assumption from both is that Suzuki will grab the majority of the time in right field, with the other two factoring in in a more supplemental fashion as far as playing time distribution goes. While neither FanGraphs or Prospectus are particularly revealing of how things could shake out, it does speak to the idea that there may only be room on the roster for one at a time. The good news is that it's only December and there's time for the roster to be sorted. We don't yet know how that'll transpire, but there should be at least one notable positional addition to the roster for some extra depth. That addition should go a long way toward indicating whether it'll be Ballesteros or Caissie with the first crack at a regular role for the Cubs in 2026. View the full article

Every year, MLB teams look toward the international free agent market in the hopes of finding young prospects with high ceilings to sign and develop. The Boston Red Sox are just like every other team, and in their pursuit of potential high-end talent, have signed various prospects who are currently generating lots of prospect hype. In 2023, they signed Yoeilin Cespedes and Franklin Arias, while 2024 brought Justin Gonzales into the system. This year's IFA market continued the team's trend of signing high-potential players, as the Red Sox gave their highest signing bonus to shortstop Dorian Soto. The 17-year-old (who won’t turn 18 until mid-February) signed with the Red Sox on January 15, agreeing to a $1.4 million signing bonus. Soto would go on to play for the Red Sox Dominican Summer League team, exciting many around the baseball world. But why? Soto currently is listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds and still has an extremely projectable frame. During the 2025 season, he mostly played shortstop, but the young infielder also saw time at third base and a little at second base, as it is likely he will be moved off of shortstop as he continues to grow. While nothing is certain about his future defensive home, it isn’t often that large players remain at shortstop. With solid actions and soft hands, he handles the position well despite committing seven errors in just 117 defensive chances. Offensively, Soto showed why the Red Sox sought him out as their top signing of the 2025 class. With his size, he's already showed raw power that is advanced for his age despite hitting only two home runs during the season. He is still filling out, and he has the frame to add power to his game once he physically matures. It is believed that he is bigger than currently listed, though that won’t be confirmed until next season begins. For now, where Soto really stands out is with his hit tool. A switch-hitter, the teenager already shows solid bat speed and has strong barrel control for a player of his age. He appears to have a strong understanding of the strike zone as shown by his 16 walks in just 47 games. Soto’s swing can sometimes be long, but it has already resulted in a max exit velocity of 112 mph. Soto did suffer a wrist injury that limited his ability to switch-hit this year, and because of that. he’s more advanced from the left side of the plate (though his numbers as a right-handed batter were still good). Soto can be aggressive towards pitches in the strike zone but thanks to his strong contact skills, he managed to hold his strikeout rate to 15.1%. In 2025, Soto wound up hitting .307/.362/.428 with 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 18 RBIs across 47 games played. From the left side, he slashed .311/.372/.432; from the right side, he hit .294/.324/.412. Scouts believe that, despite being more advanced as a left-handed hitter, Soto exhibits good baseline traits from both sides and the baseball IQ to improve his swing. Soto will play stateside in 2026 and with his well-reviewed work ethic, it is very likely he could follow in Gonzales’ footsteps of having a short stint in the Florida Complex League before seeing Low-A Salem in 2026. At this moment in time, Soto is ranked as Talk Sox’s 10th-best prospect, but that number should change in 2026. The young infielder could very well be a special player that Red Sox fans will enjoy watching as he grows and moves through the system the next few seasons. View the full article

Joe Ryan is headed back to the international stage. The Minnesota Twins right hander will pitch for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, continuing a growing résumé that already includes Olympic experience and a rising profile within Major League Baseball. This will not be Ryan’s first time wearing the red white and blue. He previously represented Team USA at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, which were ultimately held in 2021 due to the pandemic. That trip came at a memorable point in his career. Ryan was still a member of the Rays organization when the Games began, and he was in Japan when the Twins acquired him in a deadline deal that sent Nelson Cruz to Tampa Bay. By the time Ryan returned stateside, he belonged to a new organization and was on the doorstep of the big leagues. Five years later, Ryan is no longer a prospect getting his first taste of the majors. He is an established member of the Twins rotation and one of the more recognizable arms in the American League. His selection for Team USA reflects that progression and also highlights the trust both the national team and the Twins have in his preparation. The 2026 World Baseball Classic is scheduled to run from March 5 through March 17 and will feature 20 teams competing across four host cities. Pool play will take place in Miami, Houston, San Juan, and Tokyo. The quarterfinals will then be split between Miami and Houston before the tournament returns to Miami for the semifinals and championship round. It will mark the sixth edition of the event, with Japan entering as the defending champions after winning the 2023 tournament. For Ryan to participate, the Twins must sign off on his involvement, which suggests confidence in his offseason program and overall workload heading into the 2026 season. That decision carries some added context. Ryan was a first time All Star last season after a dominant first half, but he ran into challenges as the year wore on and his performance dipped in the later months. Allowing him to pitch in meaningful games during March indicates the organization believes he can handle the ramp up and benefit from the competitive environment. Ryan is not the only Twin expected to be part of Team USA. Byron Buxton has also been connected to the roster, potentially giving Minnesota multiple representatives on a high profile international stage. For Ryan, the opportunity is both familiar and new, another chance to pitch in pressure situations while adding to a career that has already taken some unexpected and memorable turns. View the full article