DiamondCentric

The Minnesota Twins spent last summer trading away nearly every living relief pitcher in the organization. Fans watched as the front office moved five arms at the deadline, several of them with multiple years of team control, and then acted surprised when the bullpen depth chart looked like a garage sale table the next morning. Now, after Joey Gallo posted a short social media video of himself throwing a few pitches, the Twins front office has decided that this is exactly the kind of forward thinking they need. Gallo’s three pitch cameo on social media sounded impressive. You could not see where the ball went but it made a loud noise, which is half of pitching anyway. The Twins immediately logged it as a scouting report. Front office officials reportedly gathered around Derek Falvey’s phone like teenagers watching a viral highlight, nodding solemnly as if they had discovered a new setup man. With the bullpen thinned from last year’s sell off, they are willing to consider anything. That willingness has opened the door to a new era of creativity. If Gallo can reinvent himself on the mound, the Twins wonder who else might be hiding untapped bullpen potential. The team will soon introduce the Community Tryout Initiative at Target Field. Anyone who has ever thrown out a ceremonial first pitch is apparently on a short list of candidates. A marketing intern says the team already has radar guns ready for the next school field trip. If a fourth grader accidentally breaks 80 miles per hour, he will be offered a minor league deal and a voucher for ballpark nachos. The Twins have also reportedly asked position players to attend a voluntary pitching seminar that is not actually voluntary. Royce Lewis has been encouraged to learn a splitter because the analytics department believes it could help his recovery timeline even if he never throws it in a game. Matt Wallner and his cannon of an arm was handed a brochure titled So You Might Be A Reliever Now. Even Byron Buxton, a standout high school pitcher, was approached but declined politely since trying to pitch would almost certainly lead to twelve new injury updates. Minnesota is also considering an initiative to convert past Twins who return to the ballpark for alumni events. Latroy Hawkins, the team’s new bullpen coach, is the most logical choice. Plus, it helps add to his career totals. Michael Cuddyer is in the conversation too. Torii Hunter is safe only because the front office assumes he would laugh and walk out of the room before they finished the sentence. In the end, the Twins may actually sign a few real relievers. They always do. But for now the bullpen plan remains a blend of hope, improvisation, and mild panic. And if Gallo keeps posting videos of his fastball, there is a real chance that he becomes the most experienced arm in the entire relief corps. View the full article

Former Twins outfielder Carson McCusker has found his next baseball home. According to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR, McCusker has signed a one year contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. The move comes shortly after Minnesota placed McCusker on unconditional release waivers during the Winter Meeting. At the time, reports indicated McCusker was expected to play in Asia in 2026, though the destination had not yet been finalized. The timing mattered for Minnesota. Releasing McCusker dropped the club’s 40-man roster count to 39 just hours before the Rule 5 draft, opening the door for activity. The Twins used that flexibility to select catcher Daniel Susac from the A’s organization and quickly flipped him to the San Francisco Giants for rookie ball catcher Miguel Caraballo. From the Twins’ perspective, the transaction was more about roster mechanics than performance. From McCusker’s perspective, it marked another unexpected turn in a career defined by persistence. McCusker will turn 28 in May and his path to the big leagues was anything but traditional. He went undrafted out of college and spent parts of the 2021 and 2022 seasons in independent ball. The Twins signed him with little fanfare, and over the next few years he steadily climbed the ladder. In 2025, that work paid off with a call to the majors. His time in Minnesota was brief but meaningful. McCusker appeared in 16 games and stepped to the plate 30 times, posting a .172/.200/.172 (.372) slash line. The production was below average, but simply reaching the majors represented a massive personal victory for a player who had been outside affiliated baseball not long before. The more compelling case for McCusker has always lived in the minors. From 2023 through 2025, he logged 1,146 plate appearances across multiple levels of the Twins system. The strikeouts were plentiful, with a 32.1 percent rate, but so was the power. McCusker launched 55 home runs and slashed .265/.335/.494 (.829), good for a 119 wRC+. Opportunity, however, was going to be scarce going forward. Minnesota’s outfield picture is crowded with Byron Buxton, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, James Outman, Alan Roden, Austin Martin, and Kody Clemens. Top prospects Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Hendry Mendez all played in the upper minors last season and will be on track to debut in 2026. By heading overseas, McCusker likely secures a stronger financial guarantee and a clearer path to regular playing time. Success in Japan could open the door to a return to North America or additional opportunities abroad. Given the route he has already taken, betting on another unconventional chapter feels entirely on brand. View the full article

The Royals have been busy on the transactional end since the conclusion of the MLB Winter Meetings. Over the past week, they have signed free-agent outfielder Lane Thomas, inked third-baseman Maikel Garcia to a five-year extension, and traded reliever Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee for outfielder Isaac Collins and reliever Nick Mears. However, a couple of deals that shouldn't get lost in the shuffle are the signings of infielder Kevin Newman and reliever (and former Royal) Jose Cuas to Minor League deals. Newman is the bigger signing of the two, as he played last season with the Angels. In 57 games and 116 plate appearances, the former Pirates first-round draft pick slashed .202/.292/.272 with a .481 OPS and 27 wRC+. He also hit two home runs, scored 13 runs, and posted an fWAR of -0.7. Not only were Newman's metrics not great, but he also put up lackluster exit velocity, hard-hit, and barrel metrics. Conversely, he still showed solid plate discipline and contact ability, as evidenced by his TJ Stats summary from a season ago with the Angels. With an 87th percentile whiff rate and 85th percentile Z-Contact%, Newman is the kind of infielder who can serve as an emergency utility infielder off the bench. On a positive note, he had a much better season in 2024 with the Diamondbacks. In 111 games and 311 plate appearances with Arizona, he slashed .278/.311/.375 with a .686 OPS, 0.31 BB/K ratio, and 89 wRC+. He also hit three home runs, scored 41 runs, and accumulated a 1.4 fWAR with the Diamondbacks, the second-highest single-season mark of his career. If Newman can replicate something close to his 2024 mark, he could be the bench utility player they need for 2026. That also lessens Kansas City's need to bring back Adam Frazier for next season. While not expensive, Frazier would cost a lot more than Newman and may not produce much more value than the 32-year-old University of Arizona product (Frazier has combined for 0.2 fWAR over the past two seasons). Another Minor League move the Royals made this week was bringing Cuas back. Unlike Newman, Cuas does not have an invite to Spring Training, though that could change depending on how things shake up pitching-wise this winter. After putting up a 3.58 ERA in 37.2 IP in 2022 and a 4.54 ERA in 41.2 IP in 2023, the Royals traded Cuas to the Chicago Cubs in 2023 at the Trade Deadline for outfielder Nelson Velázquez. Cuas posted a 3.04 ERA in 23.1 IP with the Cubs that season, but he only posted a 1.36 K/BB ratio and had a 4.90 FIP. Unsurprisingly, regression hit him hard in 2024 with the Cubs, as he posted a 7.43 ERA, 2.33 K/BB ratio, and 6.02 FIP in 9 games and 13.1 IP with Chicago. As a result of these poor metrics, the Cubs designated him for assignment in June of that year. The Toronto Blue Jays claimed him on waivers, hoping to get him back to the 2023 form, but it didn't pan out as expected. Cuas posted a 9.00 ERA, 0.75 K/BB ratio, and 11.50 FIP in four outings and three IP. The Blue Jays then designated him for assignment in September and eventually released him. Since being released by the Blue Jays, Cuas has been in the Braves and Phillies organizations, but has not pitched at the Major League level. Last season, the 31-year-old righty posted a 3.22 ERA, 1.28 K/BB ratio, and 3.68 FIP in Double-A Columbus (Atlanta), and a 13.50 ERA, 0.80 K/BB ratio, and 10.81 FIP with Triple-A Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia). With the Iron Pigs, Cuas struggled with generating whiffs and chase, and his stuff didn't profile well either, via TJ Stats. Even though his tenure in the Braves and Phillies organizations wasn't ideal, the Royals are likely hoping that Cuas can provide some depth and stability to the Triple-A Omaha bullpen in 2026. The Storm Chasers struggled with pitching last season, posting a 5.49 ERA, the second-worst mark in the International League. Photo Credit: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images View the full article

According to Francys Romero, one of the Padres' trade interests is embattled White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Robert Jr., 28, is under team control for potentially two more seasons; Chicago holds $20 million club options for both 2026 and 2027 with a $2 million buyout. In 2024, Robert appeared in 100 games and logged 425 plate appearances, hitting 14 homers and stealing 23 bases. He produced a .224/.278/.379 line with a .285 wOBA and 84 wRC+, plus a 6.6% BB% and 33.2% K%, finishing at 0.6 fWAR. In 2025, he played 110 games (431 plate appearances) and again hit 14 homers, while stealing 33 bases. He posted a .223/.297/.364 line with a .289 wOBA and 84 wRC+, paired with a 9.3% BB% and 26.0% K%. His 2025 total was 1.3 fWAR. View the full article

During the 1990s, the Brewers had three main closers, and although they didn't shine for long, they all shone brightly before flaring out. Doug Henry was the main man for Milwaukee from 1991-93, earning 61 saves. That number ranks 10th in Brewer history. Mike Fetters took over after Henry and notched 71 saves from 1994-96. Overall, he has 79 saves, which is tied with Bob Wickman for sixth place. Doug Jones posted 36 saves at age 40 in 1997 and had 12 the following season. His total of 49 ranks 16th. View the full article

Every baseball fan has played or at least heard of the video game “MLB The Show.” It is not only the best baseball game out there but also one of the most popular sports video games on the market. When you fire up the single-player game mode “Road to The Show,” you are met with a character creation screen. Most sports games would have the name listed as First Name Last Name or something along those lines. However, MLB The Show’s name box reads Joe Random. Now, I may not be correct here, but I have a feeling that the name was partially inspired by Royals' fan-favorite Joe Randa. For those who don’t know, Joe Randa was an infielder who carved out an underrated 12-year career in the bigs, with eight of those seasons coming with the Royals. Randa was born on December 18, 1969, in Milwaukee and grew up 30 minutes west of the city of Wales, Wisconsin. Randa grew up playing lots of sports and was especially good at tennis and baseball. He would go to Kettle Moraine High School and lead the team to a state title in his senior year. He would then attend Broward Community College, where he was recruited by a young coach named Allard Baird, who would later become the Royals' general manager. When Baird left, Randa transferred to Indian River State College in Florida and would eventually get drafted by the California Angels in the 30th round of the 1989 draft. He didn’t sign and eventually transferred to the University of Tennessee. After hitting .342 with 10 home runs for the Volunteers, the Royals drafted him in the 11th round of the 1991 draft. From there, Randa would tear through the minors, hitting .338 with 11 home runs in 72 games for the Eugene Emeralds, earning Northwest League MVP. He wouldn’t put the power numbers as he did in Eugene, but he would still hit for a high average, which would help him move up the ranks. He would’ve reached the majors sooner if it weren’t for Gary Gaetti blocking his way. However, he would finally get his shot in 1995. He struggled at first, but Joe would find his footing, finishing 1996 with a .303 average. However, the Royals would trade him and three Jeffs (Martin, Granger, and Wallace) to the Pirates, Jay Bell, and another Jeff (King this time). Randa put up impressive numbers during his brief time in Pittsburgh, hitting .302/.366/.451 with a Baseball-Reference WAR of 3.5. However, he committed 21 errors at third base, so the Pirates decided to move on from him. Randa would be flipped to the Tigers, where he would underperform and be traded to the Mets. The Mets already had All-Star Robin Ventura at third, so the team gave Joe a choice: go back to Pittsburgh or go to Kansas City. He chose the Royals. Joe would be given the third base job upon his arrival back, and he would thrive in his second stint with the Royals. He would start slowly, but after working with George Brett, he never looked back. That season, from June to July of the 1999 season, Randa had a monster triple slash of .404/.441/.644 in 51 games. He would finish the year hitting .314, and his 197 hits were sixth best in the American League. His tendency to smile during at-bats gave him the nickname "The Joker,” and he would give Royals fans a reason to grin in 2000. Randa would lead one of the best offenses the Royals have ever produced. The Royals scored the most runs in franchise history (729) in 2000, with Randa driving in 106 of them, along with a .304/.343/.438 triple slash. He would sign a one-year deal with the Royals and then would be extended for two more years at a below-market price of $8.5 million. He didn’t mind as he insisted on spending the rest of his career in Kansas City. Randa would regress the following year, with injuries being the leading cause of the decline. He would bounce back in 2002; however, trade rumors would start to swirl as the Royals were having a down year and wanted to move Joe to a contender. Joe would veto these trades using his no-trade clause as he wanted to stay in Kansas City. The Royals would oblige and reap the benefits of keeping him as he put up a .291/.348/.452 with 16 home runs, 72 RBIs, and set a franchise record with 75 games in a row without an error. Joe would stick around for one more year, where he put up great numbers for a team that lost 104 games. He would end his tenure with the Royals in the 2005 offseason, when the team declined his option, and he would sign a one-year deal with the Reds. He would be traded to the Padres that summer for their pennant run, marking the only time Randa would play in the postseason. He’d play one more year with Pittsburgh before retiring in 2006. He would finish with 1,543 career hits, 123 home runs, and a career batting average of .284. Randa works with the Royals as a minor league special assistant. From 1999-2004, Joe Randa would hit .289/.341/.431 and was a dependable player for the Royals during those frustrating years. Even with the team doing badly, having Randa in the lineup made Royals fans breathe a little easier. He was a reliable player, someone who deserves more flowers and recognition for how good he really was. However, maybe the recognition lies in the many “MLB The Show” players who don’t change the name from Joe Random. It may not be much, but maybe it’s enough to know that, on computer and television screens across the country, a little piece of him steps up to the plate every day. View the full article

Mason Miller was brought over at the 2025 trade deadline to help the San Diego Padres make a push for the World Series. While that pursuit ended up coming up short, he showed in the playoffs why the Padres emptied out the farm for him, tying the MLB postseason record for striking out eight consecutive batters while giving up no runs in both of his appearances. Mason Miller has two amazing pitches — his fastball and his slider — and they both work really well together. This led him to having one of the highest K% in the league at 44.4% in 2025. However, when trying to be a starting pitcher, those pitches might start dominant, but it'd be hard to maintain their effectiveness. His fastball won't reach the same velocity heights as it does now, as starters need to be able to throw more pitches and stretch across multiple innings instead of only throwing all-out for one. The velocity is not going to be sustainable, which means he either needs to throw it slower, or the Padres can expect that his outings won’t be as long as the other starting pitchers, meaning more work for the bullpen. His slider also has the potential to miss, with a BB% of 12.0, good for the bottom 6% of the league. When you only have two effective pitches, and one of them isn’t working, batters are going to know what is coming; regardless of how good that pitch is, batters will be able to adjust and jump on that pitch to cause damage. Mason Miller would need to add another pitch to his arsenal, but last season he only threw a changeup 2% of the time. It'd be a steep learning curve to get that pitch up to par with his others. Not only that, but when you face batters multiple times in an outing, they tend to be very good at adjusting. Going through the batting order multiple times, hitters are more familiar with what is being thrown, and the averages show that they are getting on base more. For pitchers who had three to six pitches within their arsenal: 1 TTO: +0.07 RV/100, .316 wOBA (140K total pitches) 2 TTO: +0.01 RV/100, .318 wOBA (123K total pitches) 3 TTO: -0.35 RV/100, .335 wOBA, (70K total pitches) With fewer pitches, those numbers are only going to go up, meaning Mason Miller will be even less effective as the game goes on as he pushes deeper into a game. Relievers are also being used more now than they were ten years ago. In 2015, Relievers pitched 15,184 innings, while this past season they have pitched 17,863. [Those numbers might be slightly skewed as openers didn’t exist during that time, but that's still a good demonstration of how relievers are still being utilized more than they previously were.] Part of the reason the Miller trade was seen as good for the Padres was that it shortened the game. The Padres got another dominant reliever that would be able to come in and shut down a late inning, putting less pressure on the starting pitching staff. One inning of Mason Miller is worth more than, say, three innings of a No. 3 starter, which would be behind Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove as it currently stands. Miller also has an injury history that can’t be forgotten. In 2023, when he was a starter, he was diagnosed with a mild sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow, which prompted him to be shut down from throwing. He ended up on the 60-day injured list; once he returned, he transitioned to relief pitching. During his debut before that injury, he threw 15 pitches above 100 MPH across 4 ⅓ innings, which shows that he can maintain that velocity, but it will come with a cost. The best ability is availability, and having someone that can lock down an inning is always going to be valuable come October. On the surface, moving Mason Miller to the starting rotation looks both intriguing and cheap, given the market for starting pitching right now and the Padres' finances, but it becomes far less convincing when you account for what needs to change and what the Padres would need to give up in order to get it. The Padres might be tempted by Mason Miller the starter, but Mason Miller the closer is a known commodity. The Padres need more, not less, of those right now. View the full article

The Twins are well known for drafting high-end collegiate outfield talent during the Falvey regime. Jeremy and Jamie review some of those outfield names to follow for the 2026 MLB Draft.View the full article

At baseball’s winter meetings this week, there has been much ballyhoo about the Twins’ search to add a little power to their lineup. General manager Jeremy Zoll was quoted as saying that the club hopes to add “another bat or two with a little thump, with some impact,” and Dan Hayes reported in the Athletic that the group has shown specific interest in free agents Ryan O’Hearn, Josh Bell, and Rhys Hoskins. Let’s take a look at the case for each of those three hitters, and a few more free agents who qualify as “thump” (skipping over lighter-hitting names like Luis Arraez), using the perceived market for O’Hearn, Bell, and Hoskins as a cap for the type of free agent the Twins could be interested in. Ryan O’Hearn O’Hearn is probably the top remaining free agent at first base after Pete Alonso and Josh Naylor signed. At 32, he was a late bloomer, floundering for years in Kansas City before blossoming into a quality hitter with a .788 OPS (20% above league average) over the last three seasons. He’s left-handed and can play a bit of corner outfield—neither of which is a need for the Twins—and he doesn’t boast huge power numbers (46 home runs over the past three years), but he’s a very dependable bat and plays good first base defense. He’s likely to be paid more than anyone else on this list, so it’s questionable that the Twins will have the spending room to play in his market, but it’s definitely worth exploring. Okay, let’s do some rapid-fire, lower-cost options. Carlos Santana Santana’s 2024 with the Twins was just what they needed, but he’ll be 40 next season. Still, he’s a good defender, and although his offense continues to slip, he’s better against lefties than Kody Clemens (damning with faint praise). He’s viewed as a leader and could have just a little more gas in the tank. Rowdy Tellez If you want homers and only homers, Rowdy is your guy. He’s built like a first baseman of yesteryear, and he’s like Walmart-brand Josh Bell, a first baseman for hire. He’s a league-average bat who doesn’t play good defense and needs a platoon partner against lefties, but he has 25- to 30-homer power. It’s thump. Dominic Smith He’s Tellez with less power but more OBP, but he had a better 2025 with the Giants, and he can pop 15 homers over a full season. In both players’ cases, they would need to be platooned, but if you have seven dollars to find a little hitting, sure. Go for it. Michael Toglia The Rockies thought they had a breakout season in 2024 from Toglia, if you call a breakout being a league-average hitter in Coors with 25 homers, but he was bad in 2025 (and 2023 and 2022). He’s got neutral splits, but he could platoon with Clemens, potentially. Mitch Garver He can’t really catch much anymore, and isn’t more than an emergency option at first base, and also he’s had some questionable comments about the Twins’ decision to choose Ryan Jeffers over him, but with Alex Jackson’s limitations, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to carry a third catcher, and Garver can still hit lefties fine with 15-20 homer power over a full season despite his poor overall numbers last year. Gary Sánchez Same thought process as with Garver, Sánchez doesn’t catch well and is only an emergency first baseman, but he could be a low-cost platoon option, even with his with his neutral career platoon splits. View the full article

Every team must look ahead at all times to remain competitive. Not getting stuck in the past—or, in certain situations, the present—is especially crucial for the Brewers, who aim to compete every year in baseball’s smallest market. Shipping Isaac Collins and Nick Mears to Kansas City for left-handed reliever Ángel Zerpa was their latest forward-thinking move. It was also a reminder that the front office, like most these days, looks well beyond surface-level results when projecting a player’s future performance. The Brewers gave away more 2025 value in the trade than they brought in. Collins and Mears combined for 2.6 rWAR this season, with the former finishing fourth in National League Rookie of the Year voting. Zerpa, meanwhile, contributed just 0.3 rWAR and a 4.18 ERA (99 ERA+) out of the Royals’ bullpen. Despite their recent success, both Collins and Mears had unclear outlooks in Milwaukee. Collins overperformed his expected results based on his quality of contact, and his defense fell off badly in the second half. Mears lost a tick of velocity, leaving him without a fastball that could miss barrels and tanking his strikeout rate. The Brewers, undoubtedly aware of those trends, moved them into lesser roles down the stretch. Collins received just 10 postseason plate appearances, and Mears was omitted from their NLCS roster. Both players might still be viable big-leaguers next year. Even if his hitting regresses, Collins’s plate discipline should still get him on base often, and Mears’s slider is still lethal against right-handed batters. While other players passed the pair on Milwaukee’s depth chart, their respective strengths fit nicely on a Kansas City roster with low-floor outfielders and shaky relievers. Zerpa, meanwhile, is trending more clearly in a positive direction. Whereas Collins’s and Mears’s peripherals suggested their performance was actually slightly below average at the plate and on the mound, Zerpa’s well-above-average 3.38 SIERA and 3.36 DRA (74 DRA-) were career bests. His 117 Stuff+ tied him with new teammate Abner Uribe for 16th among qualified relievers, pointing to his greater potential to be a significant piece moving forward than the players the Brewers gave up. The best pitch in Zerpa’s arsenal is a 96.4-mph sinker. It sinks more than expected from his arm angle, which helped him post an elite 62.3% groundball rate in 2025. Switching his focus to that sinker (at the expense of a four-seamer that also had heavier action than a hitter would anticipate out of the hand, but with a deleterious effect instead of a beneficial one) has been a major change for Zerpa. Here are the inches by which his average movement has varied from the estimated "dead zone" for each flavor of heater for each of the last three years, according to Pitch Leaderboard. Pitch Four-Seamer Sinker Season Horiz. DZ Delta Vert. DZ Delta Horiz. DZ Delta Vert. DZ Delta 2023 0.6 -1.5 0.7 -0.3 2024 -0.3 -2.3 1.5 -1.2 2025 0.2 -2.3 1.8 -1.7 The Brewers like sinkers (especially deceptive ones), so their vision for Zerpa likely centers around keeping things simple and letting that power sinker do most of the work. From there, they should branch out by tweaking the rest of his arsenal to complement his best pitch better. Zerpa will always be a ground-ball pitcher first, but he has good enough stuff to run an above-average strikeout rate. Some pitch models like his slider even more than his sinker. His flat four-seamer can coax swings underneath it at the top of the zone, when set up properly. A sparingly-used changeup has shown flashes of being a decent fourth pitch. Yet, Zerpa’s whiff rate has consistently been among the lowest in baseball since his debut. Those whiffs have not shown up because Zerpa lacks deception. That’s where the Brewers come in, as perhaps the best organization to help him. Their pitching coaches preach the value of masking pitches as effectively as possible out of the hand. It’s why they emphasize throwing multiple fastball variations, and it’s why they often prefer short, tight sliders that hold the same plane as a heater over bigger curveballs. Zerpa’s slider will be a great place for them to start. It evolved into more of a slurve this year, after some mechanical tweaks impacted how he spun the ball. Zerpa threw that more vertical breaking ball more frequently toward the back foot of right-handed hitters, where it induced more rollovers. Their groundball rate against the pitch jumped from 40.1% in 2024 to 62.5% in 2025. However, that newfound movement pushed Zerpa’s breaking ball further into a liminal space when it came to deceiving hitters. It didn’t mirror his fastball out of his hand (like Mears’s or Trevor Megill’s breaking balls), nor did it have the kind of break that could miss bats regardless of tunneling (like Uribe’s or Aaron Ashby’s). Zerpa’s slider has always been easier to pick up than others at release. In the visual below, captured from a right-handed batter’s perspective, the yellow tracer (the slider) immediately separates from the rest of his arsenal. The difference is slightly less perceptible to left-handers, who have a much tougher angle against Zerpa, but it’s still there. Part of the issue is that Zerpa has a relatively wide spread of release points. Most hitters cannot reliably perceive an arm angle difference of a few degrees in real time with the naked eye, but Zerpa’s varies enough based on what kind of pitch he’s throwing that it can become an issue. Pitch Type Arm Angle Sinker 25.9° Slider 33.5° 4-Seam 30.2° Changeup 34.9° Of the 23 pitchers to throw at least 10 innings for the 2025 Brewers, 15 had less than a 3-degree difference between their average arm angle on their primary fastball and their primary breaking ball. Zerpa’s 7.6-degree difference between his sinker and slider would have been the fourth-highest. To make pitch recognition harder for hitters, Zerpa and his new coaches could shorten his slider to a harder pitch with more gyrospin, or develop a cutter as a bridge pitch and mold his breaking ball into a sweeper. The goal should be to focus on what he does best (inducing grounders) and tightening up the rest of his arsenal from there to make him a more well-rounded late-inning reliever. Even if he doesn’t take that next step, Zerpa’s solid peripherals, three years of club control, and the roster flexibility afforded by his remaining option year give him good odds of being more valuable to the Brewers than Collins and Mears would have been. After both had career years, the front office took advantage of the opportunity to cash them in for the kind of reliever they’ve turned into a bullpen weapon several times. View the full article

The offseason in baseball is not just about improving a team through the addition of new players, but also how each franchise handles roster construction and depth through the 40-man roster. Most teams will eventually find themselves in a roster crunch and will be forced to make tough decisions. Ultimately, players who are on the 40-man roster may find themselves traded, waived or even designated for assignment, so that the team can open a roster spot for a new addition. Following the conclusion of the Winter Meetings and the addition of Ryan Watson following the Rule 5 Draft, Boston finds themselves in a situation where their roster currently sits at a full 40 players. Knowing that, here are four players who could see themselves battling it out for one of the final roster spots or be a casualty of the business side of baseball. Tristan Gray Gray was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays back in November for Luis Guerrero and as of now is likely slated for Triple-A to serve as depth. It would take a fantastic spring training paired with injuries to those ahead of him on the depth chart to get him to break camp with the major-league roster. Gray is known for his power and bat speed along with defensive versatility, but he doesn’t exactly hit the ball often enough to warrant a guaranteed roster spot. Should the Red Sox designate him for assignment, the team might be able to sneak him through waivers and keep him on the Worcester roster. However, at this point of the offseason, it’s possible another team would claim him. David Hamilton Hamilton regressed offensively in 2025 after a 2024 season in which he played a big role on the team by getting starts at second base. Depending on how the Red Sox finish the offseason, they may view Hamilton as being expendable. The infielder isn’t exactly a great hitter, and defensively, he’s average at second base. Really, his key skills are his game altering speed and defensive versatility, but with Nate Eaton on the roster, he may be superfluous. If Hamilton were to be designated for assignment, there is no doubt another team would claim him and use him either as a starting second baseman or a utility infielder. Jordan Hicks This one is more wishful thinking because of Hicks' contract. With two years and $24 million remaining, it’s unlikely the team cuts him and eats that entire contract. They would likely look to trade him first, though should he struggle in 2026, the chances of him being cut begin to grow.. The flamethrowing right-hander struggled after the Rafael Devers trade, and if the team wants to compete for a championship, they can’t keep a reliever around who could cost them games. Hicks would certainly make it through waivers due to his contract, though another team would likely scoop him up quickly afterward for the league minimum. Zack Kelly Kelly’s chances of being cut really depend on how the bullpen shapes up by the end of the offseason. During his time in Boston, Kelly has been two different pitchers. At times, he looks like a reliable shut-down option who could pitch the eighth to get the ball to Aroldis Chapman, and at other times, he looks like he shouldn’t be in the majors. The 2025 campaign was an extremely unlucky season for Kelly, as his ERA was over a full run higher than his xERA; in the second half, he looked much better, tossing 12 2/3 innings and allowing just four earned runs. Being paid just the minimum in 2026, Kelly has a good shot of sticking around due to the cheapness of his contract. He probably wouldn't pass through waivers due to that fact, though. What do you think? Do you think there's another Red Sox player on the roster bubble? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays are preparing for a significant shift in their infield alignment heading into next season. As reported by Sportsnet earlier this month, the team wants to assign Andres Giménez one role next season. Whether Bo Bichette re-signs or not, it appears Giménez won’t be returning to second base anytime soon. The Jays have decided to assign him one position and stick with it; it will be a departure from their recent strategy of shuffling players around the diamond to maximize lineup flexibility. The comment seemed strange since the Jays spent last season shuffling players between positions. The versatility provided John Schneider with plenty of options for putting together line-ups that best positioned the team to win. Obviously, the linchpin when it comes to who will be Toronto’s primary shortstop will be whether Bichette and the Jays come to terms. Even if he does sign, his defensive proficiency at the position has diminished in recent years; Bichette has always been an offence-first player. Andres Giménez, on the other hand, is a defensive specialist. When he was traded to the Jays, there was hope that he’d be able to regain the offensive output he had in 2022. It was a season that earned him a big contract with Cleveland, but that pop never materialized, and he was shipped to the Jays before the 2025 season. Giménez is one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball, ranking in the top five in defensive runs saved. He won three Gold Gloves with the Guardians (2022–24), a 2023 Platinum Glove, and offered top‑tier Outs Above Average (OAA), accumulating a +59 mark for his career. For the first one and a half months of 2025, it seemed like Giménez might have figured things out at the plate, too, posting a .622 OPS in the first half of the season. As the season went on and injuries mounted, he returned to his offensive struggles, as he slid to a .556 OPS in the second half. He did have an impactful home run in the ALCS and countless defensive plays during the season. Does his offensive output matter in the end? Not so much. For the Blue Jays, this defensive excellence is not a luxury but a necessity. Over the past several years, Toronto has built its roster around run prevention. Strong defense has been the backbone of their success, carrying them to the cusp of a World Series title. With Bichette’s late-season injury last season, the Jays were forced to expedite their experiment of whether or not Giménez could handle shortstop. He didn’t always look comfortable, but he filled in admirably, posting a neutral zero OAA in 119 innings. Giménez has experience at short from his first year with the Mets in 2020 and played there intermittently in Cleveland and last season. His range metrics to cover more ground, and arm strength suggest he can easily make routine plays from the position. Playing defense is all about reps. Slight differences in routine and positioning can be challenging for even the top major leaguer. If you look across the majors, there aren’t a lot of players who have successfully transitioned from being an established, everyday second baseman to a successful, everyday shortstop. It is usually the opposite; as players age, they shift from short to third. Players like Cal Ripken Jr. made that transition in the past, and Carlos Correa is doing it now. That isn’t to say utility players can’t swap between positions. Last season, Ernie Clement played every infield position. Other players have done the same. In recent memory, Ben Zobrist and Tony Womack played significant time at both second and short throughout their careers. They were often valued for their defensive versatility rather than for handling either position permanently. Don’t overlook Mookie Betts, who moved from right field to second, then shortstop for the Dodgers. First in 2024 and then again last season. Other examples highlight the rarity of such transitions. Most teams prefer to groom natural shortstops from the minor leagues rather than convert established veterans. The Jays’ willingness to buck convention underscores their confidence in Giménez’s abilities and their commitment to defence-first roster construction. If Giménez takes over shortstop permanently, there is good reason to believe he will develop into a top-tier defender at the position. With his physical tools, such as range, sprint speed, and average‑plus arm, why wouldn’t he? His consistent defensive play could not only help the Blue Jays win more games but also alleviate some of the pressure on their pitchers. So, it comes down to where Bichette would play if he re-signs. The Jays could certainly give him the choice of playing second or third. They could use it as a bargaining chip, an extra perk because they value his defensive contributions (just not at short). Clement is flexible enough to play whichever position Bichette declines. The deal for Giménez was all run prevention up the middle. The big question now for the organization is which alignment maximizes total wins, not just which individual is best in a vacuum. The Jays’ decision on who will take over at short will continue to reflect a broader organizational philosophy. Rather than chasing offensive fireworks, they are building a team that wins with pitching and defense. This approach may not always generate headlines, but it has proven effective. With Giménez at shortstop, the Jays will strengthen their run prevention edge and maximize their chances of winning close games. Giménez is signed through 2029 with a 2030 club option, escalating to $23 million average annual salary in the late years. Shortstop should be a team’s most valuable defender. That player is often considered the captain of the infield, responsible for directing traffic, making split-second decisions, and maintaining consistency both defensively and offensively. With that argument, Giménez, as the team’s best fielder, should take that role. His elite defense will yield the biggest return, preserving the team’s run-prevention edge. In the end, the Jays’ decision to install Andres Giménez as their everyday shortstop is a calculated gamble. Toronto is betting that defence wins championships. It nearly did last year, and just might in 2026. With Giménez at shortstop, they are doubling down on that philosophy. Whether Bichette stays or goes, the Jays have made their choice: the captain of their infield will be Andres Giménez. View the full article

Even with the travel week, the Royals front office continued to work, maybe forgetting to take the weekend off. Late on Saturday afternoon, the Royals sent enigmatic lefty reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers. In return, the received right-handed reliever Nick Mears and utilityman Isaac Collins. Since debuting for the Royals in 2021, Zerpa has gained an increased role each season. In 2025, he pitched in 69 games and posted an ERA over 4.18. In 64 2/3 innings, he had 58 strikeouts and 22 walks. His stuff has always been impressive. In 2025, his fastballs (four-seam and sinker) both averaged over 96 mph. He threw a mid-80s slider that could be effective as well. Previously a neutral pitcher, Zerpa had a 62.5% groundball rate in 2025. Despite the impressive stuff, he has been worth a total of 0.6 fWAR over the past three seasons, half of that coming in 2025. In return, the Royals will get two seasons of team control of reliever Nick Mears. The 29-year-old right-hander originally signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Pirates in August of 2018. He didn't want to mess around in the minor leagues and made his debut for Pittsburgh in the Covid-shortened 2020 season. He pitched in 36 games for them through the 2022 season when he was DFAd. First he was claimed by the Rangers and DFAd. The Rockies claimed him and he posted a solid 3.72 ERA for Colorado in 2023. At the trade deadline in 2024, he joined the Brewers and struggled down the stretch. In 2025, he posted a 3.49 ERA over 63 appearances. In 56 2/3 innings, he had just 46 strikeouts (7.3 K/9) and a miniscule 13 walks (2.1 BB/9). With that number, he was able to keep his WHIP below 1.00. Mears's fastball averaged 95.4 mph is 2025. He also threw over 40% sliders, a good pitch in the mid-80s. He will also throw an occasional changeup. He has been worth 1.5 fWAR over the past three seasons including 0.5 f.WAR in 2025. Isaac Collins is certainly an interesting add for the Royals. A tremendous athlete, he was a Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball finalist in his senior season at Maple Grove (MN) High School. He went to Creighton for three seasons and became the ninth-round pick of the Rockies in 2019. Things started out well for him in pro ball, and he earned a spring training invitation with them in 2022. Unfortunately, he struggled in Double-A, and after the season, he was surprisingly available in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The Brewers happily picked him and sent him back to Double-A for the 2023 season. He was much better. In 2024, he hit well in Triple-A and ended his season making his MLB debut and playing in 11 games for Milwaukee. They saw enough that he was included on their 2024 playoff roster. He had a strong spring training in 2025, and it was somewhat surprising that he made the Opening Day roster. He never went back down to the minors. His role varied throughout the season. Overall, he played in 130 games and hit .263/.368/.411 (.779) with 22 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs. He also stole 16 bases. Defensively, he played shortstop in high school. He played mostly second base at Creighton. In the low minors, he played mostly third base and second base, but as he moved up, he started to see more time in left field. In 2025, he played in 108 games in left field, eight in right field, two at third base and once at second base. He also started at DH in three games. He was called off the bench 20 times as a pinch hitter. A switch hitter, he hit fairly well from both sides but clearly had more success and twice as many opportunities right-handed. In 296 right-handed plate appearances, he hit .279/.389/.413 (.802) with 14 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. In 145 left-handed plate appearances, he hit .232/.324/.408 (.732) with eight doubles, a triple, and four home runs. All told, he was worth 2.4 fWAR in 2025 and finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He will give the Royals a little versatility in their lineup and on their bench. With the signing of Lane Thomas on Friday, the Royals could use one or both of them to platoon with Jac Caglianone. What are your initial thoughts on the trade? The bullpen loses Angel Zerpa but gains Nick Mears, and while Zerpa appears to have more potential, Mears has probably been better in terms of performance. Is it close enough for you that when you add a versatile, athletic hitter like Isaac Collins, you think the Royals did well? View the full article

The Brewers have traded Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears to the Kansas City Royals for lefty reliever Angel Zerpa, according to multiple reports. Robert Murray of FanSided had the first report, on Twitter. Despite spending a month or so as a favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, Collins became just an extra piece again by the end of the season. He's a switch-hitter with average athleticism and a good approach at the plate, but the Brewers have toolsier options at every position he can credibly play. Mears, who is out of options and didn't fit into the top half of the Brewers' bullpen hierarchy for 2026, was on the roster bubble even when the non-tender deadline passed last month. More to come. View the full article

As bits of news leaked about teams checking in on Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton being willing to waive his no-trade clause, the belief grew that the Twins were headed for a full-on rebuild. The development in the ownership situation has changed things, as Derek Falvey now says they intend to keep their star players and add to the roster. A sigh of relief would be a fair reaction to this news, but is it really worth celebrating? The Twins have been in a state of stasis for almost three calendar years, declining to invest in moderate-cost or multi-year free agents while keeping much of the roster core almost precisely the same. The results speak for themselves: the team missed the playoffs in both seasons since payroll was slashed heading into 2024. The team is at a crossroads: the current roster clearly isn’t good enough, and ownership hasn’t been willing to invest enough to change things. The news that the Twins were looking to build around their star players brought instant excitement. Their current estimated payroll of around $95 million has inspired little hope for next season, and further payroll shedding would put the final nail in the coffin of fan morale. To hear them frame their plans in this manner was a refreshing development. Unfortunately, it sounds like more corporate speak that Twins fans have grown so accustomed to. “Building around” the stars on the current roster likely means a payroll that won’t approach the $135 million the team allocated at the beginning of 2025, and $110 million is a plausible result, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. This number would place the Twins firmly in the bottom third of the league in spending and represent a decline in payroll for a third consecutive season. Such a low number would leave the team scouring the bargain bin for one-year deals once again, a tactic that has had mixed results for this regime, to put it kindly. The Twins could use impact players at multiple positions, but will likely once again have to settle for low-wattage deals with uninspiring names and hope to hit on a few of them. A $110 million payroll would represent a notable decline from the payroll of the 2025 roster, which lost 92 games. Within this number is $10 million being paid to Houston, who took Carlos Correa off their hands at the deadline. It would leave the bullpen without names such as Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland, while also giving the team little chance to find adequate replacements. This raises the question: Is attempting to compete with a $110 million payroll actually better for the team than entering a full-blown rebuild? Fan morale may have received a shot in the arm when Falvey announced their desire to build around their star players, but this is sure to dissipate throughout another quiet offseason. It stands to fall back into apathy if the team gets off to another slow start with much of the same core. There’s no telling how badly morale declines if 2026 includes another deadline sell-off where the Twins wind up parting with the star players they claim to be “building around” anyway. That's assuming they’re healthy and performing well at the time. Twins Daily users voted on this subject over the past few days, and basically split the vote, with 138 in favor of a rebuild, and 140 against a rebuild: It would be difficult to frame a $110 million payroll as anything more than a disingenuous “attempt” to try to compete by Twins' leadership, but it’s not difficult to envision them trying to do so. They can repeat this talking point, hoping fans weigh their additions against their current 2026 payroll of around $95 million rather than comparing it to previous seasons, in which it is almost certain to decline for the third consecutive year. If things go off the rails for a second consecutive year, they can sell off their rentals and consider doing the same with names such as Byron Buxton and Pablo Lopez to lower their bottom-line costs for the 2026 season, just as they did in 2025. Unfortunately, this is a very real possibility. The Twins appear unlikely to emerge from their three-year hibernation when it comes to significant roster moves. Keeping their star players, such as Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan, at least gives them a chance to compete in 2026 if things go perfectly and if much of the roster that has failed them for two straight years finally comes around. That chance may be enough. It does raise the question, though: Is reducing payroll even further and taking half measures to compete for the third straight season really better than entering a full-blown rebuild? View the full article

The Royals are still looking to be active in the trade market, and two new names have been added to their interest list, writes Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Royals have been linked to the Red Sox's Jarren Duran for months, but are now apparently interested in the Nationals' infielder CJ Abrams and, more surprisingly, their young starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore. To read about potential matchups in a trade for Jarren Duran, click here to read our in-depth piece on scenarios. MacKenzie Gore: The 26-year-old left-hander is arbitration-eligible, with club control through 2028. In 2024, he made 32 starts and logged 166 1/3 innings with a 24.8% K%, 8.9% BB%, 3.53 FIP, and 3.2 fWAR. In 2025, he started 30 games and threw 159 2/3 innings with a 27.2% K%, 9.4% BB%, 3.74 FIP, and 2.9 fWAR. CJ Abrams: Abrams is 25 and arbitration-eligible, also with club control through 2028. In 2024, he logged 602 plate appearances with 20 homers, 31 steals, a .246/.314/.433 line, .322 wOBA, 106 wRC+, and 1.9 fWAR, plus -18 OAA at shortstop. He's brutal defensively at short, which makes a position switch likely. In 2025, he reached 635 plate appearances with 19 homers, 31 steals, .257/.315/.433, .324 wOBA, 107 wRC+, 3.1 fWAR, and -11 OAA, with a 5.8% BB% and 19.7% K%. View the full article

San Diego Padres chairman John Seidler has stated that the team will continue its willingness to pay over $200 million in total salaries for 2026. That means San Diego has at least another $30 million to spend this offseason, which could lead to some high-impact additions. One name that came up during the Winter Meetings is Toronto Blue Jays starter José Berríos. The two-time All-Star signed a 7-year, $131 million extension with Toronto in 2021 and now, ironically, could end up swapping jerseys with the Jays’ newest starter, Dylan Cease. Berríos would give San Diego a reliable, cheaper, and easier commitment than Cease, while still offering strong production. He’s on the trading block after a slightly down regular season followed by an incredible postseason run in Toronto... all while Berrios was injured (he didn't pitch in the playoffs). His 4.14 ERA last year is a bit high, but overall, he’s been very solid across his last three seasons: 548.0 IP 3.79 ERA 4.68 xERA 4.44 FIP 4.22 xFIP 21% K-rate 7.1% BB-rate The one glaring negative on Berríos’s résumé is that his results often outperform his expected metrics. Some might view him as an “accident waiting to happen.” But expected metrics aren’t perfect predictors, and Berríos has consistently proven he can outperform them. Every season of his career, his ERA/xERA and FIP/xFIP have been within 0.75 runs of each other — usually within 0.3. The variance stems from his skillset. Projected metrics favor high-velocity, high-strikeout pitchers that keep runners off base. Berríos, who throws a low-90s fastball, instead relies on a five-pitch mix and a high-movement arsenal to work through lineups. These types of pitchers don’t always get love from expected stats. The real red flags appear when a pitcher has these discrepancies and low velocity, a limited arsenal, and no go-to pitch. Berríos, however, has a deep repertoire led by a sinker that has consistently ranked among the best pitches in baseball via Statcast. The theme of my Padres rotation coverage this offseason has been urging the team to find stability. That’s exactly what Berríos offers. His ceiling may not match someone like Cease — who boasts elite strikeout rates and sub-4.00 expected metrics — but his floor is much higher. He also brings durability to a rotation that badly needs it. With Cease gone, Nick Pivetta is the only remaining starter who was a healthy mainstay in 2025. Berríos has thrown at least 165 innings in seven of his ten career seasons; the exceptions were the shortened 2020 season and his rookie years in 2016-17. Along with durability, Berríos brings consistency. Since his 2016 debut, he’s only had one truly poor season: a 2023 campaign with a 5.23 ERA and 4.55 FIP. Even that year isn’t too concerning, as he faced the highest BABIP of his career (.328), meaning he was incredibly unlucky. As long as his luck normalizes, Berríos performs. After a solid yet underwhelming 2025, he will either continue a slight decline or remind MLB that he’s an All-Star caliber arm. If he wants to fully bounce back, he’ll need to regain dominance with his sinker and slurve. His sinker, historically his most reliable pitch, posted just a +2 run value last season. That’s still good relative to the league, just not up to his usual standards given its peak of +15 in 2021. As for the slurve, there’s work to be done. He threw it a career-low 26% of the time in 2024, and it produced a rough -5 run value. Still, these issues feel fixable in San Diego with pitching coach Ruben Niebla leading the way. There’s no statistical indication that either pitch is losing effectiveness. At 92.2 mph (sinker) and 82.5 mph (slurve), both pitches are maintaining their velocity. He also threw his sinker a career-high 33.6% of the time last year, so hitters may have begun sitting on it more often. Meanwhile, his breaking-ball spin rate remained above 2,350 RPM — consistent with his career norms — and still generated a 33.3% whiff rate. There’s no sign of physical decline, and the 2025 results are a small sample. As recently as 2024, his sinker had a +8 run value, and in 2023, his slurve posted +5. He’s still got great raw stuff. Berríos brings value everywhere, but what makes the Padres an especially good fit (beyond their need for stability), is their history of working well with pitchers of his archetype. Randy Vásquez, another sinker-reliant arm who excelled for San Diego in 2025, saw his sinker improve from a -8 run value in 2024 to +11 in 2025. Niebla could unlock similar improvements from Berríos. There’s also free agent Michael King, who the Padres would ideally re-sign alongside adding Berríos. King was already developed when he arrived from New York, but he’s another example of a sinker-heavy pitcher thriving in San Diego. He uses his 92.7 mph sinker 30% of the time, paired with an 82.2 mph sweeper at a 19% usage rate. He, Berrios, and Pivetta would form a talented trio atop the rotation. It wouldn’t be the most diverse pitching group, but adding Berríos would give the Padres financial flexibility while investing in what they do best (dominating with sinkers) and addressing their biggest pitching issue: consistency. View the full article

According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Brewers are open to trading some of their outfield depth. Isaac Collins and Blake Perkins are mentioned by name, with the expectation that Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Sal Frelick are not available. Perkins, 29, is arbitration-eligible for 2026, his first year of arbitration. In 2025 for Milwaukee, he logged 171 plate appearances and hit .226/.298/.348 with three home runs. He posted a .287 wOBA and 83 wRC+, and finished at 0.4 fWAR overall. Perkins played 52 games in center field, with +1 Outs Above Average. Collins, 28, lost his rookie eligibility in 2025 and won't qualify for arbitration until 2027. Collins tallied 441 plate appearances in 2025, batting .263/.368/.411 with nine home runs and 16 steals. He produced a .344 wOBA, 122 wRC+, and 2.6 fWAR, along with a 12.9% BB% and 21.1% K%. He finished the season with +4 Outs Above Average, a .319 xwOBA, and an 88.8 mph average exit velocity. View the full article

MLB Pipeline's 3rd-best prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft is University of Alabama shortstop/center fielder Justin Lebron. Lebron is a likely candidate for the Twins to follow this spring for the 2026 MLB Draft, given their strong ties to Alabama in recent drafts, picking Riley Quick in their Comp C slot in 2025 and Connor Prielipp in the second round of 2022. Jamie and Jeremy make the case on why Twins fans should continue to follow him in the upcoming college baseball season. View the full article

The dust is finally settling after MLB’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, and the Twins seem to have a more defined path forward. For weeks, the offseason was clouded by rumors surrounding Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Byron Buxton. That chatter quieted dramatically once Minnesota’s leadership met with the media. Instead of shopping their cornerstone pieces, the front office emphasized stability and a plan to keep the roster intact while searching for incremental upgrades. If Minnesota does plan to make a notable move, it likely will not come from a traditional sell-off. There were not many teams signaling that they were ready to move established players for futures. As president of baseball and business operations, Derek Falvey explained, this time of year is geared toward more balanced swaps between competitive clubs. “If two teams are both trying to compete and both have needs, and different ways, how can you swap them? It led to us in our Pablo acquisition a few years ago,” Falvey said. “They wanted Luis Arraez, and we wanted Pablo López, and that was ultimately a fit for us and a fit for them at the same time. It does not always happen like that, but we certainly are looking for that this time of year. We will see if we can execute.” This concept is not new for the Twins. The front office has repeatedly leaned on MLB-for-MLB trades in the winter because the marketplace is fundamentally different from the one in July. In the offseason, most organizations still believe they can compete, which limits the number of clear sellers. A deal becomes more about matching needs rather than collecting prospects. Falvey reinforced that point when he noted, “But it is not with a goal of trying to figure out how to push those guys out into the future in terms of players coming back.” The Twins want major league contributors, and they hope to exchange from areas of depth to address areas of need. Minnesota’s recent history supports this approach. The Arraez-for-López trade stands as the most successful example, giving the Twins a frontline starter who immediately helped anchor a playoff rotation. Two winters ago, the Jorge Polanco deal fit a similar mold. While the Mariners sent notable top prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, the swap also included MLB players Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa. The Twins targeted players who could help right away and found a club that valued Polanco in a win-now environment. This winter offers similar possibilities. Baltimore might be an interesting match after bringing in Pete Alonso to play first base. That decision could open the door for Ryan Mountcastle or highly touted corner infielder Coby Mayo. Mountcastle has one year remaining of team control but is coming off a career-worst season with an 83 OPS+ in 89 games. Mayo has a career 79 OPS+ in 102 big-league games and could be a good change-of-scenery candidate. In the outfield, the Twins could look toward the Angels, who have already traded one outfielder this winter. Last season, Jo Adell broke out with 37 home runs, 98 runs batted in, and a .778 OPS in 2025. He remains under control for two more seasons and would give Minnesota the right-handed power presence it currently lacks. Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos fits the same profile, though his remaining salary ($20 million) would require the Phillies to pay down a portion of the contract to make a deal work. He hit 17 homers last season, but was worth an 88 OPS+ and a -0.8 rWAR. Some ideas are bolder. Twins Daily’s Nate Palmer explored a scenario that would send Royce Lewis to Washington for shortstop C.J. Abrams. It is the type of headline-generating move that always sparks debate, yet it also reflects how the MLB-for-MLB framework can create opportunities when teams are searching for the right blend of skill and long-term control. Nothing is guaranteed as the Twins continue through the offseason, but their direction is now clearer than it was a week ago. They want to keep their core intact and make upgrades without sacrificing their ability to compete in 2026. If the next splash comes, it will likely come from a team looking for the same thing. Should the Twins target any of the players mentioned above? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The MLB Winter Meetings have come and gone with a general whimper for the Chicago Cubs, their only major-league transaction of the week being their recent signing of veteran left-handed reliever Hoby Milner on Thursday. They did, however, complete a minor-league deal signing Collin Snider, formerly of the Seattle Mariners. It's easy to have some cynicism when it comes to contracts like Sniders', especially due to the timing; the Orioles are signing Pete Alonso and the Cubs are throwing pasta at the wall on Collin Snider — the headline writes itself for the most part. But beyond the initial reaction of "who cares?", I think there is a genuinely interesting pitcher in Collin Snider, and one who could find his way into the Cubs' bullpen plans in 2026. First, it's probably important to point out that Snider isn't a particularly new name to those in the Cubs organization. While it's true the reliever has never been a Cub, he's worked with Tread Athletics and Tyler Zombro in the past (we'll come back to this later). So, while it's true that he's yet to wear the royal pinstripes, there's an air of familiarity for what he does well and how to work with him already. ZW5QeUFfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0FRaFJBVmRRQXdRQVdsQUxWZ0FBQ1FBQUFGa0NWMWtBQndaUVVnWUhWd0FIQmdBRg==.mp4 Beyond just some familiar vibes, Snider has had major-league success in the past, specifically in 2024. Over 40 innings, the right-handed reliever was able to post a 1.94 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 3.52 xFIP and a sparkling 27.8 K%. He was unable to keep up the good times in 2025, though, struggling in just 25 innings with the M's, being unceremoniously designated for assignment mid-summer. Attempting to diagnose what went wrong is key to figuring out how to get him back to his best. The most obvious thing that went off the rails was Snider's fastball. One of the things he did so well in 2024 was couple a low-release point with solid velocity to surprise hitters by attacking them up in the zone. Only 26 pitchers in baseball had a lower release point on their fastball in 2024, which makes his usage of the fastball at the top of the zone a bit of an awkward look for hitters — it has a "rising" action (look at how Luis Robert Jr. swings right through his fastball in the video above). Last year, the velocity on the fastball waned, dropping two full mph, and his shape dropped as well; an issue for someone who throws this pitch one-third of the time. Based on FanGraphs' Stuff+ model, it fell from a pretty excellent 111 Stuff+ to a below-average 97 Stuff+. Getting this pitch back to peak velocity and shape is a key to unlocking the 2024 version of the pitcher. Snider also dabbled with splitting his sweeper into two distinct pitches last year; his traditional one with more horizontal movement, and another with more vertical movement, classified as a slurve. This was a pitch designed to play nicely with his cutter-fastball combination and create a little extra depth in his arsenal. While solid in theory, this pitch was kind of a mess all season — MLB hitters crushed the thing, to a tune of a .351 xwOBA and a slugging percentage well north of .500. After he was DFA'd, he entirely lost feel for the thing, so while his velocity may have been up half a MPH while in Tacoma, this pitch became a real problem for him: It became too close to his actual sweeper much of the time, making it hard to differentiate, while also getting too far away from his cutter and fastball to create a difficult decision point for the hitter. It really might behoove everyone to entirely scrap this thing and go back to the 2024 pitch mix. One of the issues that we can point to when it comes to velocity and shape is that the pitcher spent nearly two months on the shelf for a lower-arm issue. Snider is a supinator and a pretty extreme one at that; he engages his lower arm to create the motion and the shapes of his pitches. This causes stress in that area, meaning that it's both not surprising that he suffered an injury here, but also gives us a place to point as to what went wrong last season. A healthy forearm may fix much of what was ailing the righty all on it's own, meaning less outside intervention required. The vision for Snider is likely something akin to what Tyson Miller was for the Cubs in 2024 (who they also acquired from Seattle). Miller was a slider-fastball pitcher with a low arm slot who the team used, especially, against RHH. When both relievers are going well, they uses a high fastball to play off their slider/sweeper to great effect. To get there, the fastball velocity will have to get back to where it was, and Snider's likely going to scrap the slurve (it's just a bad pitch). These pitches interact with each other very well and create difficult decision points for hitters, but if one of them isn't working, then the others will falter on their own merits. Snider would play really well with Hoby Milner, who's devastating against LHH. While they both may fit in more as "specialists". they can thrive in those defined roles. Bigger picture, I think Collin Snider helps us understand the types of pitchers the Cubs are targeting. While we can't say every pitcher is going to have the exact same profile, there are a lot of things that we can glean from this. Namely, that low arm slot Snider uses to great effect (when healthy). Thus far, the Cubs have signed three pitchers for their 2026 bullpen: Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, and Collin Snider, all three of whom have extremely low arm slots. They use them differently; Maton kills you horizontally, Snider attacks you at the top of the zone and then changes your eye level with a sweeper, and Milner is just funky as hell. I don't think it's an accident that they all have this type of arm slot. Further driving the point home: The Cubs signed Matthew Boyd last year and lowered the arm slot of Colin Rea to great effect, Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill, though. Collin Snider is a dart throw and will likely be one of many the Cubs attempt this offseason as they look to rebuild their bullpen. Given their track record, we should probably give them some runway, but it's very possible that even after reuniting with Tread Athletics and Tyle Zombro, Snider just cannot get back to what he was in 2024. The hope here is that as he gets beyond the forearm issue that clearly hurt his feel last season, he can get back to making his unique profile work. With as many 40-man spots as the Cubs have, there's a real path for the right-hander to make the Cubs out of spring training if he can show he's gotten himself right. While I doubt he's as good as Brad Keller, who they really struck gold with last season, there's probably a good reason to believe that despite the MiLB nature of his deal, the Cubs can at least strike silver with Snider. What do you think of Collin Snider? Do you think the Cubs can extract as much value from him as they did with Tyson Miller? Let us know in the comment section below! View the full article

The MLB Winter Meetings have come and gone with a general whimper for the Chicago Cubs, their only major-league transaction of the week being their recent signing of veteran left-handed reliever Hoby Milner on Thursday. They did, however, complete a minor-league deal signing Collin Snider, formerly of the Seattle Mariners. It's easy to have some cynicism when it comes to contracts like Sniders', especially due to the timing; the Orioles are signing Pete Alonso and the Cubs are throwing pasta at the wall on Collin Snider — the headline writes itself for the most part. But beyond the initial reaction of "who cares?", I think there is a genuinely interesting pitcher in Collin Snider, and one who could find his way into the Cubs' bullpen plans in 2026. First, it's probably important to point out that Snider isn't a particularly new name to those in the Cubs organization. While it's true the reliever has never been a Cub, he's worked with Tread Athletics and Tyler Zombro in the past (we'll come back to this later). So, while it's true that he's yet to wear the royal pinstripes, there's an air of familiarity for what he does well and how to work with him already. ZW5QeUFfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0FRaFJBVmRRQXdRQVdsQUxWZ0FBQ1FBQUFGa0NWMWtBQndaUVVnWUhWd0FIQmdBRg==.mp4 Beyond just some familiar vibes, Snider has had major-league success in the past, specifically in 2024. Over 40 innings, the right-handed reliever was able to post a 1.94 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 3.52 xFIP and a sparkling 27.8 K%. He was unable to keep up the good times in 2025, though, struggling in just 25 innings with the M's, being unceremoniously designated for assignment mid-summer. Attempting to diagnose what went wrong is key to figuring out how to get him back to his best. The most obvious thing that went off the rails was Snider's fastball. One of the things he did so well in 2024 was couple a low-release point with solid velocity to surprise hitters by attacking them up in the zone. Only 26 pitchers in baseball had a lower release point on their fastball in 2024, which makes his usage of the fastball at the top of the zone a bit of an awkward look for hitters — it has a "rising" action (look at how Luis Robert Jr. swings right through his fastball in the video above). Last year, the velocity on the fastball waned, dropping two full mph, and his shape dropped as well; an issue for someone who throws this pitch one-third of the time. Based on FanGraphs' Stuff+ model, it fell from a pretty excellent 111 Stuff+ to a below-average 97 Stuff+. Getting this pitch back to peak velocity and shape is a key to unlocking the 2024 version of the pitcher. Snider also dabbled with splitting his sweeper into two distinct pitches last year; his traditional one with more horizontal movement, and another with more vertical movement, classified as a slurve. This was a pitch designed to play nicely with his cutter-fastball combination and create a little extra depth in his arsenal. While solid in theory, this pitch was kind of a mess all season — MLB hitters crushed the thing, to a tune of a .351 xwOBA and a slugging percentage well north of .500. After he was DFA'd, he entirely lost feel for the thing, so while his velocity may have been up half a MPH while in Tacoma, this pitch became a real problem for him: It became too close to his actual sweeper much of the time, making it hard to differentiate, while also getting too far away from his cutter and fastball to create a difficult decision point for the hitter. It really might behoove everyone to entirely scrap this thing and go back to the 2024 pitch mix. One of the issues that we can point to when it comes to velocity and shape is that the pitcher spent nearly two months on the shelf for a lower-arm issue. Snider is a supinator and a pretty extreme one at that; he engages his lower arm to create the motion and the shapes of his pitches. This causes stress in that area, meaning that it's both not surprising that he suffered an injury here, but also gives us a place to point as to what went wrong last season. A healthy forearm may fix much of what was ailing the righty all on it's own, meaning less outside intervention required. The vision for Snider is likely something akin to what Tyson Miller was for the Cubs in 2024 (who they also acquired from Seattle). Miller was a slider-fastball pitcher with a low arm slot who the team used, especially, against RHH. When both relievers are going well, they uses a high fastball to play off their slider/sweeper to great effect. To get there, the fastball velocity will have to get back to where it was, and Snider's likely going to scrap the slurve (it's just a bad pitch). These pitches interact with each other very well and create difficult decision points for hitters, but if one of them isn't working, then the others will falter on their own merits. Snider would play really well with Hoby Milner, who's devastating against LHH. While they both may fit in more as "specialists". they can thrive in those defined roles. Bigger picture, I think Collin Snider helps us understand the types of pitchers the Cubs are targeting. While we can't say every pitcher is going to have the exact same profile, there are a lot of things that we can glean from this. Namely, that low arm slot Snider uses to great effect (when healthy). Thus far, the Cubs have signed three pitchers for their 2026 bullpen: Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, and Collin Snider, all three of whom have extremely low arm slots. They use them differently; Maton kills you horizontally, Snider attacks you at the top of the zone and then changes your eye level with a sweeper, and Milner is just funky as hell. I don't think it's an accident that they all have this type of arm slot. Further driving the point home: The Cubs signed Matthew Boyd last year and lowered the arm slot of Colin Rea to great effect, Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill, though. Collin Snider is a dart throw and will likely be one of many the Cubs attempt this offseason as they look to rebuild their bullpen. Given their track record, we should probably give them some runway, but it's very possible that even after reuniting with Tread Athletics and Tyle Zombro, Snider just cannot get back to what he was in 2024. The hope here is that as he gets beyond the forearm issue that clearly hurt his feel last season, he can get back to making his unique profile work. With as many 40-man spots as the Cubs have, there's a real path for the right-hander to make the Cubs out of spring training if he can show he's gotten himself right. While I doubt he's as good as Brad Keller, who they really struck gold with last season, there's probably a good reason to believe that despite the MiLB nature of his deal, the Cubs can at least strike silver with Snider. What do you think of Collin Snider? Do you think the Cubs can extract as much value from him as they did with Tyson Miller? Let us know in the comment section below! View the full article

The Brewers will open next season as the reigning three-time Central Division Champions; however, in some ways, the 2026 season feels like a placeholder until the next wave of premier prospects arrives in 2027. Four Brewers received Rookie of the Year votes this past season, but only Jacob Misiorowski was a top 100 prospect, and he only received one fourth-place vote. The 2027 Brewers could have four or five rookies receive votes, with multiple top 100 prospects among them. The Brewers are often described as “threading the needle” between competing for a championship and accumulating young talent to remain competitive on a budget – this winter, that needle hole feels finer than usual. Recent rumors suggest that the Brewers will possbily trade away ace Freddy Peralta, closer Trevor Megill, and setup man Nick Mears, and while recent trades of star pitchers have brought back plug-in contributors such as William Contreras (after a second masterstroke trade), Joey Ortiz, DL Hall, Nestor Cortes, and Caleb Durbin, the bar for the quality of the returning player to become an instant contributor has been substantially raised. This Brewers team just had the final pick in the Rule 5 Draft, where it didn’t select a player, and will have the last official pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft - the Brewers are good. Yes, the Brewers could be served well with more home run power in their lineup, and they might trade away their ace before the year ends, but the front office has built this organization to sustain itself at a high level. Here’s what that could look like after next season. Catchers (2) William Contreras Jeferson Quero William Contreras would enter the 2027 season in his last year of team control. While the Brewers traded Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams and may be trading Freddy Peralta, they kept Willy Adames. They might be smart to keep Contreras as well. He is a very good-hitting catcher, a team leader, and works closely with the team’s deep and talented pitching staff. Quero would have a second year working as a backup and learning from Contreras, while the uber athletic and powerful hitting Marco Dinges would get a third full season in the minor leagues to work on his conversion to catcher and look to compete with Quero to be the starter in 2028. Infielders (6) Blake Burke (1B) Brice Turang (2B) Andrew Fischer (3B) Jesus Made (SS) Joey Ortiz (INF) Caleb Durbin (INF-OF) This is an exciting group! It may seem aggressive to have Burke, Fischer, and Made all on the 2027 Opening Day roster, but all three should move fast in the coming year. Made looks set to start 2026 as a still-18-year-old in Double-A, and reaching the major leagues in 2027 would put him on the same timeline as Jackson Chourio. The two former University of Tennessee corner infielders look ready to move as well. Burke took off after being promoted to Double-A Biloxi and could begin the 2026 season there. Fischer, who many thought was the most advanced college bat in the 2025 MLB Draft, had a strong start to his professional career at High-A Wisconsin and will likely also begin 2026 in Biloxi. Any one of these three could reach Milwaukee by the end of next season to help clinch a fourth straight Central Division title. Surrounding Team USA’s Brice Turang with the three young infielders could be risky, but the upside could be massive. Ortiz would make an excellent backup and defensive replacement anywhere on the infield, and as a right-handed batter, he could take the lineup spot for any of the three left-handed hitters on the dirt. Durbin would also fit as a right-handed option, both on the infield at second and third and in the outfield. Outfield (5) Jackson Chourio (LF) Luis Lara (CF) Sal Frelick (RF) Christian Yelich (DH) Blake Perkins (OF) The changes in the outfield between now and April 2027 are less obvious than in the infield. The Brewers may look to make an upgrade in the outfield this winter, and that player could have multiple years of control. But as it stands, this would be an excellent defensive outfield with potential at the plate. Lara is an elite center fielder and had a very good year at Double-A this past year. He won’t help the Brewers hit more home runs, but he should get on base at a strong clip, and has the speed to impact the game from there - he fits in well with the brand of baseball the 2025 Brewers played. The Brewers will hope Chourio has taken a big step forward and become an All-Star caliber player, and that Frelick is still playing elite defense while getting on base and turning the lineup over. This lineup will have great flexibility - with Made and Lara switch-hitting, Pat Murphy would have only two right-handed batters among his starting nine, but against a left-hander, he could utilize a lineup featuring only two left-handed batters. Starting Pitchers (5) Jacob Misiorowski Quinn Priester Chad Patrick Logan Henderson Robert Gasser Starting pitching is where the 2026 team potentially outshines this 2027 projection, especially if Peralta remains on the roster. However, this group has a lot of talent and should gain a lot of experience this coming year. The Miz has the stuff to be a true staff ace if he can limit the walks he allows and consistently pitch into the sixth and seventh innings. All four of Priester, Patrick, Henderson, and Gasser have had success at the major league level. Staying healthy and consistent will be the key to unlocking their potential and making this a very strong starting rotation. In addition to the outfield, starting pitching may be the position most likely to see a trade acquisition that could challenge for a roster spot between now and 2027. If Peralta and Megill do indeed get traded, it would be reasonable to expect that a highly rated pitching prospect will be a part of at least one of those trade returns, and one or more of those players could supplant a member of this group of incumbents. Bullpen (8) Abner Uribe Aaron Ashby Jared Koenig Brett Wichrowski Craig Yoho Coleman Crow DL Hall Tobias Myers The Brewers have an embarrassment of pitching riches - they really have impressive depth - there are another dozen or so pitchers in their minor league system that could potentially be ready to contribute to either the rotation or bullpen in 2027. In this projection, Uribe would remain the closer, with Ashby, Koenig, and Wichrowski as the high-leverage arms, and Yoho serving as a righty killer. Crow and Hall would offer longer middle relief from either side, and Myers would be the long man, capable of picking up a starter who has a bad day. A lot will happen between now and Opening Day 2027 - but the 2026 Brewers will be constructed with an eye towards the following year’s cadre of talented prospects that will reshape the lineup and keep this team in the hunt for many more division titles. View the full article

During the Winter Meetings earlier this week, both Alex Cora and Craig Breslow offered a glimpse behind the curtain about outfield playing time for Wilyer Abreu in 2026. As MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported: “With Willy and some of the lefties, we have to see if they can do it,” said Cora. “It’s about that time, especially with Abreu. If he can hit lefties and hit for power and play defense the way he’s done the last few years, he can be the guy.” Breslow then offered this glowing remark: “Wilyer is a really good player. We’ve seen the way he’s able to impact both sides of the ball. He has earned the right to get some added runway against left-handed pitching. We feel like it’s an adjustment he’s capable of making. He’s got such a solid defensive floor that having him out there more often than not is going to help the overall team.” That’s a great sign for Abreu moving forward, provided he remains with the club in 2026. As with other young, left-handed players like Jarren Duran and Triston Casas, Abreu was placed in a platoon role with Rob Refsnyder for the last two seasons. It’s worked well so far, but it hamstrings the team a bit in the long run. Abreu is a two-time Gold Glove winner while playing far less than he should be. With even more games in right field under his belt, the sky is the limit. Additionally, Abreu was one of two primary sources of power on the team last season (Trevor Story being the other) after Rafael Devers was traded in June. Limiting his plate appearances keeps him from putting the bat to ball and improving against left-handed pitching. Abreu has started against left-handed pitching just 15 times. He’s slashing .205/.271/.318 with two home runs and a 25.5% strikeout rate. That’s pretty bad. When we break his stats down by season though, we can already start to see an upward trend. Per Baseball Savant, Abreu started to come around against southpaws last season. The numbers still aren’t great, but they show that with consistent reps, Abreu should be able to make significant positive strides in 2026. The one thing that could hold him up though, is that it appears Nate Eaton is in line to see more reps with Refsnyder possibly leaving the organization this offseason. The Red Sox don’t necessarily need both Eaton and Refsnyder in 2026, and will likely opt to go with the cheaper choice in Eaton. This shouldn’t prevent Abreu from seeing the majority of playing time in right field, but it will give him a chance to cycle through days off and possibly even the DH role if he proves capable of handling lefties with some amount of success early in the season. Now that we’re three seasons into Abreu’s MLB career, it's time to see what he can do in a full-time role. He is young, cost-controlled, and seems primed to fully break out at the plate in 2026. If he can put all the pieces together, the Red Sox may have a 30-homer threat with Gold Glove credentials. As far as valuable players go, it's hard not to salivate at the prospect of Abreu turning into that. View the full article

Good deals aren't always easy to come by in Major League Baseball. Free agent signings don't always work out. It can take years to determine if one team bettered the other in a trade, and sometimes there’s no winner. The Blue Jays don’t seem to be done with their offseason activities. In search of good deals, they appear to be in the conversation with and for everyone. On their radar are free agents like Kyle Tucker, Robert Suarez, and Bo Bichette, and trade targets like Ketel Marte. They have been doing their due diligence throughout the market. Free agents are one thing – money talks – but trades are another. The Jays have shown a willingness to spend when the fit is right. But trades are something entirely. To acquire talent via trade, the Jays must be willing to part with something of value as well. Even if they are interested in certain available players, who could they offer in return? If you think about the 40-man roster and beyond, the pieces that Jays fans might consider expendable won’t necessarily fetch a big return. There are some exciting prospects in the system, but if traded, the Jays would hamper their ability to sustain success in the long term. This balancing act could define the offseason. GM Ross Atkins must weigh immediate needs and chemistry with future stability. Do the Jays mortgage tomorrow for a shot at glory today, or do they hold firm, trusting their farm system to deliver reinforcements in the years ahead? Another path the Jays could consider is trading from their major league roster. Could they trade Anthony Santander? Santander is entering year two of his five-year $92.5 million deal (of which $61.75 million is deferred). There’s also a sixth-year team option. If the Jays could manage a deal, it would reduce the logjam in the outfield and at DH. Yet, after an injury-plagued season, his value on the market can’t be high, especially considering his contract. The Jays would likely need to absorb salary or package him with prospects to entice a buyer. What about José Berríos? Berríos has an opt-out after the 2026 season, but based on his recent body of work, he isn’t likely to exercise it. He has three years and $67 million remaining on his seven-year contract. His departure would unclutter the starting rotation, but at what cost? As with Santander, the Jays would likely have to eat a significant portion of Berríos's salary or package him with prospects to bring back a meaningful return. Moreover, Berríos has been a stabilizing force, a pitcher capable of eating innings and delivering quality starts. Removing him from the equation would leave a significant hole. Clearly, he wasn't happy with the way his role evolved last season. Can the relationship be salvaged? The Jays must also ask themselves: Is any potential return worth the risk of destabilizing their pitching staff? Fan favourites like Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, Davis Schneider, Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes, and Jeff Hoffman won't be nearly as sought-after as the top prospects in the Jays’ system. These players are valuable within the organization because they provide depth, versatility, leadership, and clubhouse chemistry, but they are not the kind of assets that move the needle in blockbuster negotiations. To land a star, Toronto must consider bigger chips. It is highly unlikely that the Jays would trade Trey Yesavage, but it's not inconceivable to think they could consider a trade that includes Kevin Gausman, especially with Dylan Cease under contract. Gausman is entering the final year of a five-year, $110 million deal. His value lies not only in his performance but also in his contract, which could appeal to teams seeking short‑term pitching help without long‑term financial commitments. Of course, you’d have to think that such a deal would need to be lopsided in favour of the Jays for them to consider it at all. Obviously, there are examples of the Jays making blockbuster trades in the past... Mind you, when they were under different leadership. In 1990, the Jays acquired Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter from the Padres for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. They would eventually lead the team to two World Championships. In 2012, the Jays made a trade with the Mets for R.A. Dickey in exchange for Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud. And in 2014, the Jays swapped Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, Kendall Graveman and Franklin Barreto for Josh Donaldson. Syndergaard and d’Arnaud were top prospects in the Jays’ system when they were traded. It all comes back to prospects. Former general manager Alex Anthopolous was criticized by some for trades that emptied out the farm system. Since Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins have been in their roles, the franchise has been slowly building the system back up. Yesavage would be a good example, albeit a rare one, of a draft pick who has made an immediate impact. There is no question that several of Toronto's top prospects would be of interest to other teams. The Jays’ farm system boasts some exciting names. Players who could be part of the next wave of stars. Trading them might yield immediate help, but at the expense of long‑term sustainability. The Jays must decide which prospects are truly untouchable and which can be leveraged to acquire established talent. Scouting, analytics, and gut instinct converge when it comes to prospects. A prospect’s value is not just in their potential but in how the organization projects their fit on rosters down the line. Do they address a future need? Do they align with the team’s timeline? These questions shape the calculus of every trade discussion. As the offseason unfolds, the Jays will continue to face tough decisions. Their willingness to explore every option is exciting, but they need to be decisive when it comes time to pull the trigger. The path to contention is narrow, requiring precision, patience, and courage. Whether through free agency or trades, the Jays must craft a roster that balances immediate competitiveness with long‑term viability. Outside of that equation, the team needs to ensure that the chemistry inside the clubhouse remains strong. Every move (and non-move) in the offseason is a gamble. Some pay off, others backfire, and many linger in ambiguity. For the Jays, this offseason feels like a particularly defining moment. The choices they make now will reverberate for years, shaping the franchise. The question is not whether the Jays will make moves, but it is whether those moves will propel them to a World Series championship. View the full article