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Here is what made Cam Cannarella the easy pick for Marlins Minor League Player of the Year. View the full article

As if the time crunch wasn’t already enough with a lockout looming in just over a month, the Milwaukee Brewers have plenty of decisions regarding their players who are up for arbitration. There are 16 players going through the process, several for the first time. Only the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox have more at 17. Decisions aren’t just monetary. Some might be facing reduced playing time in 2027—or at least a fight for their roster spot. Here is who is up for arbitration on the Brewers and what they are projected to make, via MLB Trade Rumors. Decisions on nontendering players aren't due until Nov. 20, with some players cutting deals before then to return. Most decisions will come down on that day, however. 1B Andrew Vaughn, $8.5 million If I told you that a Brewers first baseman hit 26 homers this year, you would have been hard-pressed to say that it was Jake Bauers. Vaughn, whose career had a resurrection after coming over from the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Aaron Civale in June 2025, hit nine homers in 254 plate appearances, including five homers in July, his first month with the team. This year? Vaughn hit just six long balls in 331 plate appearances, but had a very nice batting average as part of a .306/.390/.444 slash line, driving in 43. Prediction: The Brewers will have time to make a decision on Vaughn, who is in his last year of arbitration eligibility. He is not coming back at $8.5 million regardless of what happens with Bauers as he hits free agency and is due for a nice payday. The Brewers should have an idea whether they can re-sign Bauers by the time Nov. 20, the non-tender deadline, rolls around. It could be up to Vaughn if he will take a cut from the $7,650,000 he made in 2026 or choose to hit free agency. The guess here is Vaughn will be elsewhere in 2027. C William Contreras, $14.6 million If you had any doubt about the catcher’s value, all you had to do was watch what he did in the postseason, especially the World Series, as he was named MVP for everything he did. He was on his game, particularly defensively, while delivering big hit after big hit. Contreras had a .270/.341/.417 slash line during the regular season, which produced an OPS+ of 108, the lowest mark in his last four seasons. Still above average. Prediction: This is Contreras’ last trip through arbitration before he hits free agency following the 2027 season. The Brewers avoided a hearing with Contreras last offseason with a last-minute deal for $9.4 million (Brewers offered $8.5 million while Contreras sought $9.5 million). This year’s projection is $14.6 million, which is similar to the $14.5 million club option built into the previous settlement. Contreras is also a star Brewers player entering the dreaded final year of club control, which led to the exits of Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta (contract extension, not club control). As with others on this list, the Brewers will have a shorter window and an uncertain contractual landscape under the upcoming new collective bargaining agreement. A trade is certainly possible considering Contreras’ value will be the highest it has ever been, but the guess here is that the Brewers give him the Willy Adames treatment and take him to the end of his contract. There is not a great option in the minors waiting to take over as Jeferson Quero dealt with injuries this season, relegating him to mainly a designated hitter role (70 of 118 Triple-A starts). RHP Bryse Wilson, $1.1 million The right-handed reliever certainly had a strange travel itinerary for 2026. He signed a minor-league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies last offseason and started the year at Triple-A, then had an opt-out in June, so the Phillies called him up for a game before being designated for assignment. The pitching-desperate Chicago Cubs traded for Wilson, pitched him in two games, and DFA’d him. Wilson then landed with the Brewers, who had him on the MLB roster for 2023-24. He served as part of the B bullpen and did a solid job, posting a 2.95 FIP (3.51 ERA) over 13 appearances and 25⅔ innings. Prediction: Considering the MLB minimum is expected to be $1 million next season, bringing Wilson back would seem to be on the table, but perhaps on a minor-league contract to protect against any moves the Brewers make during the offseason, including a probable frenzy once the lockout ends. RHP Trevor Megill, $8 million The right-hander was very good, serving as the closer after initially sharing the role with Abner Uribe to begin the season. Megill was nails at the back end of the bullpen, converting 30 of 33 save opportunities while putting up a 1.85 FIP (2.63 ERA) with a career-best 6.2% walk rate and a strikeout rate of 28.5%, right near his 28.8% career mark. He also had a .181 opponent batting average, the best of his career. Prediction: Like Contreras, Megill is in his last year of arbitration and will be a free agent after 2027. His projected arbitration number of $8 million doesn’t blow the Brewers’ budget after he made $4.7 million in 2026. But as mentioned in the Contreras item above, Megill will be a popular trade candidate and one the Brewers might be more apt to move, getting prospects in return in the cycle of life with the Brewers. Uribe could become the closer if Megill does leave. LHP Angel Zerpa, $1.3 million The left-hander, acquired from the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears last offseason, looked really good in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela and then in his early-season outings. But then he started to struggle and required season-ending Tommy John surgery in May after just 12 appearances. That puts Zerpa out until late 2027 if not the entire year. Prediction: The price to bring Zerpa back is very low and a no-brainer at anything in this neighborhood. With some looming CBA changes, you wonder if the Brewers sign Zerpa to a two-year deal that would guarantee him being with the Crew in 2028. CF Garrett Mitchell, $2.7 million The center fielder had a breakout season while staying healthy for the first time since the Brewers drafted him in the first round of the 2020 draft. Mitchell established himself as the everyday center fielder with a .262/.354/.416 slash line, 11 homers and 65 RBIs. He stole only 14 times and was caught 11 times while playing in 145 games after being in just 141 over the past four seasons. Mitchell made the Brewers’ top defensive play of the postseason when he robbed Manny Machado’s ninth-inning drive in Game 4 of the NL Division Series. His defense is tremendous, but he could use more fine-tuning at the plate while increasing his success stealing bases. Prediction: Mitchell is in his second year of arbitration, and his projected $2.7 million salary is a bargain based on what he produced this year. Do the Brewers bank on Mitchell staying healthy in 2027 based on the training changes he made last offseason and blossom into the player they envisioned when they took him with the 20th overall pick in 2020? Or do they sell high on Mitchell knowing Luis Lara and Brandon Lockridge can man center field? While the Brewers will listen to offers for Mitchell, he returns next season. 2B Brice Turang, $9.5 million Already among the elite defensive second basemen in all of MLB, Turang has blossomed offensively the last two seasons. After hitting just .218 as a rookie in 2023, he posted a career-high .288 average in 2025. While that number slipped to .268 in 2026, he did hit career highs of 21 homers and 100 RBIs, resulting in an .816 OPS, the best of his four MLB seasons. He just missed a 20-20 season with 19 stolen bases, his lowest total. He was also a force in the postseason on both sides of the ball. Prediction: No decisions to be made here yet. Turang joined the arbitration process last year as a Super 2, making $4.15 million this year and projected to nearly double that this offseason to $9.5 million. Under club control through 2029, you wonder if the Brewers try to get Turang to sign an extension covering the next three seasons, perhaps buying out at least one free-agent year. Otherwise, the rumblings about moving Turang could begin following the 2027 season. OF Akil Baddoo, $1.3 million The outfielder was a weird signing for the Brewers to begin with last offseason, signing a split contract. He never appeared in the majors this season and slashed just .252/.342/.469 in 64 games at Triple-A Nashville while dealing with injuries. Prediction: Baddoo will be nontendered or traded. LHP DL Hall, $1 million Did anyone on the Brewers have a better, yet so quiet, 2026 than the left-handed reliever? Hall had a 1.91 ERA (3.88 FIP) in 47 appearances and 61⅓ innings. His walk rate was very high at 14.5%, while his 26.6% strikeout rate was solid. He developed into more leverage situations at the end of the season and when they presented themselves in the postseason. He picked up three playoff wins. Prediction: Again, with the MLB minimum expected to be $1 million in 2027, even doubling Hall’s projected salary would be a bargain for a reliable bullpen lefty as he goes through arbitration for the first time. RF Sal Frelick, $2.4 million The right fielder is not only one of the heart-and-soul players on the roster, but also one of the leaders. He faces offseason surgery on his right shoulder, with that injury contributing to his down season offensively. After being in contention for the NL batting title in 2025 before finishing with a .288/.351/.405 slash line, 12 homers and 63 RBIs, Frelick posted a .230/.295/.319 slash line with four homers and 40 RBIs in 384 plate appearances. But his season will be remembered for the big tying home run in Game 2 of the World Series. Prediction: In his first year of arbitration, Frelick is still very affordable at this price. But the Brewers’ outfield is becoming more crowded with the addition of Luis Lara and Mitchell establishing himself in center. At some point, another team will come after Frelick and the Brewers should seriously listen. 3B-SS Joey Ortiz, $2.4 million After being the Opening Day shortstop, Ortiz was knocked off the position when Cooper Pratt was called up in June to make his MLB debut. That moved Ortiz into a platoon at third base with David Hamilton, but that also seemed to free up Ortiz offensively. Ortiz was slashing .207/.299/.262 before Pratt’s promotion, then finished the season with a .270/.328/.402 slash line with nine homers and 45 RBIs. He also provided his top-shelf defense at both positions, standing out more at the hot corner than shortstop, where he was very steady, his error in the 12th inning of Game 4 of the World Series notwithstanding. Prediction: Ortiz is hitting arbitration for the first time. There is no doubt the Brewers would bring him back at anywhere near the $2.4 million he is projected to make in 2027. Complicating Ortiz’s outlook is the presence of Jesus Made, the top overall prospect in baseball who could be ready to make his MLB debut on Opening Day, if not sometime during the season. Ortiz may be attractive to another team, especially one looking for defense, but the Brewers will be happy having him on the roster in 2027. C Bo Naylor, $1.5 million Acquired from the Cleveland Guardians along with right-handed reliever Codi Heuer at the trade deadline, Naylor was around for depth and played in just three games during the final two months, mostly seeing action at Triple-A Nashville. He is offensively challenged, as evidenced by his career slash line of .200/.280/.374 with 41 homers and 128 RBIs in 349 games. He did hit double-digit homers in 2023-25 with the Guardians. Prediction: Up for arbitration for the first time, the Brewers would probably be satisfied to enter 2027 with Naylor as their backup catcher, but nothing more than that. The $1.5 million price tag could probably be settled with a split contract, leaving the Brewers wiggle room with possibly bringing Gary Sanchez back. A nontender candidate, too. 3B David Hamilton, $1.6 million The versatile infielder, acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin deal, was a surprising offensive force as the Brewers tapped into his speed. He led MLB in bunt hits and was the second-fastest baserunner behind Chandler Simpson of the Tampa Bay Rays. Even in a part-time role, he stole 30 bases and had a .245/.314/.336 slash line with four homers and 26 RBIs. Had two cool postseason moments, homering in the ninth inning of the clinching Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, then again to tie the game in Game 4 of the World Series. He also had a crucial error in World Series Game 4. Prediction: All those words are nice, but Hamilton is strictly a platoon player, albeit a valuable and versatile one. In arbitration for the first time, he turned in a solid season defensively after having a grand total of one game at third base previously, then 87 this year. Also filled in nicely at shortstop. Like Ortiz, Hamilton’s future with the Crew depends on what Made’s status is. If Made is with the team on Opening Day, one of Ortiz or Hamilton won’t be (both do have minor-league options remaining). RHP Grant Anderson, $1 million A key member of the Brewers’ B bullpen group, the right-hander had a solid second season with the Brewers. In 52 games and 59 innings, Anderson had a 4.32 FIP (3.36 ERA) with a 9.8% walk rate and 22.1% strikeout rate. He won’t excite you with anything he does, but a good guy to have on the roster. Prediction: Anderson, a first-timer in arbitration, wasn’t on any of the postseason rosters, but that doesn’t diminish his value. He is likely to return at this price. LHP Jared Koenig, $900,000 Remember him? The one-time valuable left-handed reliever sustained an elbow injury at the outset of the regular season after three outings. He came back for six appearances at the end of June and through mid-July, but was then optioned to Triple-A Nashville. He was good at Nashville, putting up a 2.21 ERA over 23 games and 20⅓ innings. Prediction: Also in arbitration for the first time, Koenig coming back at what is a minimal deal seems like a simple decision. It was surprising that he didn’t come up at any point down the stretch; perhaps that was because of Hall’s emergence and the acquisition of JoJo Romero, who will be a free agent this offseason. RHP Quinn Priester, $1.3 million This was a lost season for last year’s surprise starting pitcher. Priester was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in his right shoulder, but said during the postseason that he was on track to be ready for Opening Day. Prediction: Going through arbitration for the first time, Priester is coming back from a tricky injury. The price tag makes it a no-brainer to bring him back even before considering what he did in 2025 after coming over in an April trade from the Boston Red Sox. He should be in the mix for a rotation spot in 2027. View the full article

As if the time crunch wasn’t already enough with a lockout looming in just over a month, the Milwaukee Brewers have plenty of decisions regarding their players who are up for arbitration. There are 16 players going through the process, several for the first time. Only the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox have more at 17. Decisions aren’t just monetary. Some might be facing reduced playing time in 2027—or at least a fight for their roster spot. Here is who is up for arbitration on the Brewers and what they are projected to make, via MLB Trade Rumors. Decisions on nontendering players aren't due until Nov. 20, with some players cutting deals before then to return. Most decisions will come down on that day, however. 1B Andrew Vaughn, $8.5 million If I told you that a Brewers first baseman hit 26 homers this year, you would have been hard-pressed to say that it was Jake Bauers. Vaughn, whose career had a resurrection after coming over from the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Aaron Civale in June 2025, hit nine homers in 254 plate appearances, including five homers in July, his first month with the team. This year? Vaughn hit just six long balls in 331 plate appearances, but had a very nice batting average as part of a .306/.390/.444 slash line, driving in 43. Prediction: The Brewers will have time to make a decision on Vaughn, who is in his last year of arbitration eligibility. He is not coming back at $8.5 million regardless of what happens with Bauers as he hits free agency and is due for a nice payday. The Brewers should have an idea whether they can re-sign Bauers by the time Nov. 20, the non-tender deadline, rolls around. It could be up to Vaughn if he will take a cut from the $7,650,000 he made in 2026 or choose to hit free agency. The guess here is Vaughn will be elsewhere in 2027. C William Contreras, $14.6 million If you had any doubt about the catcher’s value, all you had to do was watch what he did in the postseason, especially the World Series, as he was named MVP for everything he did. He was on his game, particularly defensively, while delivering big hit after big hit. Contreras had a .270/.341/.417 slash line during the regular season, which produced an OPS+ of 108, the lowest mark in his last four seasons. Still above average. Prediction: This is Contreras’ last trip through arbitration before he hits free agency following the 2027 season. The Brewers avoided a hearing with Contreras last offseason with a last-minute deal for $9.4 million (Brewers offered $8.5 million while Contreras sought $9.5 million). This year’s projection is $14.6 million, which is similar to the $14.5 million club option built into the previous settlement. Contreras is also a star Brewers player entering the dreaded final year of club control, which led to the exits of Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta (contract extension, not club control). As with others on this list, the Brewers will have a shorter window and an uncertain contractual landscape under the upcoming new collective bargaining agreement. A trade is certainly possible considering Contreras’ value will be the highest it has ever been, but the guess here is that the Brewers give him the Willy Adames treatment and take him to the end of his contract. There is not a great option in the minors waiting to take over as Jeferson Quero dealt with injuries this season, relegating him to mainly a designated hitter role (70 of 118 Triple-A starts). RHP Bryse Wilson, $1.1 million The right-handed reliever certainly had a strange travel itinerary for 2026. He signed a minor-league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies last offseason and started the year at Triple-A, then had an opt-out in June, so the Phillies called him up for a game before being designated for assignment. The pitching-desperate Chicago Cubs traded for Wilson, pitched him in two games, and DFA’d him. Wilson then landed with the Brewers, who had him on the MLB roster for 2023-24. He served as part of the B bullpen and did a solid job, posting a 2.95 FIP (3.51 ERA) over 13 appearances and 25⅔ innings. Prediction: Considering the MLB minimum is expected to be $1 million next season, bringing Wilson back would seem to be on the table, but perhaps on a minor-league contract to protect against any moves the Brewers make during the offseason, including a probable frenzy once the lockout ends. RHP Trevor Megill, $8 million The right-hander was very good, serving as the closer after initially sharing the role with Abner Uribe to begin the season. Megill was nails at the back end of the bullpen, converting 30 of 33 save opportunities while putting up a 1.85 FIP (2.63 ERA) with a career-best 6.2% walk rate and a strikeout rate of 28.5%, right near his 28.8% career mark. He also had a .181 opponent batting average, the best of his career. Prediction: Like Contreras, Megill is in his last year of arbitration and will be a free agent after 2027. His projected arbitration number of $8 million doesn’t blow the Brewers’ budget after he made $4.7 million in 2026. But as mentioned in the Contreras item above, Megill will be a popular trade candidate and one the Brewers might be more apt to move, getting prospects in return in the cycle of life with the Brewers. Uribe could become the closer if Megill does leave. LHP Angel Zerpa, $1.3 million The left-hander, acquired from the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears last offseason, looked really good in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela and then in his early-season outings. But then he started to struggle and required season-ending Tommy John surgery in May after just 12 appearances. That puts Zerpa out until late 2027 if not the entire year. Prediction: The price to bring Zerpa back is very low and a no-brainer at anything in this neighborhood. With some looming CBA changes, you wonder if the Brewers sign Zerpa to a two-year deal that would guarantee him being with the Crew in 2028. CF Garrett Mitchell, $2.7 million The center fielder had a breakout season while staying healthy for the first time since the Brewers drafted him in the first round of the 2020 draft. Mitchell established himself as the everyday center fielder with a .262/.354/.416 slash line, 11 homers and 65 RBIs. He stole only 14 times and was caught 11 times while playing in 145 games after being in just 141 over the past four seasons. Mitchell made the Brewers’ top defensive play of the postseason when he robbed Manny Machado’s ninth-inning drive in Game 4 of the NL Division Series. His defense is tremendous, but he could use more fine-tuning at the plate while increasing his success stealing bases. Prediction: Mitchell is in his second year of arbitration, and his projected $2.7 million salary is a bargain based on what he produced this year. Do the Brewers bank on Mitchell staying healthy in 2027 based on the training changes he made last offseason and blossom into the player they envisioned when they took him with the 20th overall pick in 2020? Or do they sell high on Mitchell knowing Luis Lara and Brandon Lockridge can man center field? While the Brewers will listen to offers for Mitchell, he returns next season. 2B Brice Turang, $9.5 million Already among the elite defensive second basemen in all of MLB, Turang has blossomed offensively the last two seasons. After hitting just .218 as a rookie in 2023, he posted a career-high .288 average in 2025. While that number slipped to .268 in 2026, he did hit career highs of 21 homers and 100 RBIs, resulting in an .816 OPS, the best of his four MLB seasons. He just missed a 20-20 season with 19 stolen bases, his lowest total. He was also a force in the postseason on both sides of the ball. Prediction: No decisions to be made here yet. Turang joined the arbitration process last year as a Super 2, making $4.15 million this year and projected to nearly double that this offseason to $9.5 million. Under club control through 2029, you wonder if the Brewers try to get Turang to sign an extension covering the next three seasons, perhaps buying out at least one free-agent year. Otherwise, the rumblings about moving Turang could begin following the 2027 season. OF Akil Baddoo, $1.3 million The outfielder was a weird signing for the Brewers to begin with last offseason, signing a split contract. He never appeared in the majors this season and slashed just .252/.342/.469 in 64 games at Triple-A Nashville while dealing with injuries. Prediction: Baddoo will be nontendered or traded. LHP DL Hall, $1 million Did anyone on the Brewers have a better, yet so quiet, 2026 than the left-handed reliever? Hall had a 1.91 ERA (3.88 FIP) in 47 appearances and 61⅓ innings. His walk rate was very high at 14.5%, while his 26.6% strikeout rate was solid. He developed into more leverage situations at the end of the season and when they presented themselves in the postseason. He picked up three playoff wins. Prediction: Again, with the MLB minimum expected to be $1 million in 2027, even doubling Hall’s projected salary would be a bargain for a reliable bullpen lefty as he goes through arbitration for the first time. RF Sal Frelick, $2.4 million The right fielder is not only one of the heart-and-soul players on the roster, but also one of the leaders. He faces offseason surgery on his right shoulder, with that injury contributing to his down season offensively. After being in contention for the NL batting title in 2025 before finishing with a .288/.351/.405 slash line, 12 homers and 63 RBIs, Frelick posted a .230/.295/.319 slash line with four homers and 40 RBIs in 384 plate appearances. But his season will be remembered for the big tying home run in Game 2 of the World Series. Prediction: In his first year of arbitration, Frelick is still very affordable at this price. But the Brewers’ outfield is becoming more crowded with the addition of Luis Lara and Mitchell establishing himself in center. At some point, another team will come after Frelick and the Brewers should seriously listen. 3B-SS Joey Ortiz, $2.4 million After being the Opening Day shortstop, Ortiz was knocked off the position when Cooper Pratt was called up in June to make his MLB debut. That moved Ortiz into a platoon at third base with David Hamilton, but that also seemed to free up Ortiz offensively. Ortiz was slashing .207/.299/.262 before Pratt’s promotion, then finished the season with a .270/.328/.402 slash line with nine homers and 45 RBIs. He also provided his top-shelf defense at both positions, standing out more at the hot corner than shortstop, where he was very steady, his error in the 12th inning of Game 4 of the World Series notwithstanding. Prediction: Ortiz is hitting arbitration for the first time. There is no doubt the Brewers would bring him back at anywhere near the $2.4 million he is projected to make in 2027. Complicating Ortiz’s outlook is the presence of Jesus Made, the top overall prospect in baseball who could be ready to make his MLB debut on Opening Day, if not sometime during the season. Ortiz may be attractive to another team, especially one looking for defense, but the Brewers will be happy having him on the roster in 2027. C Bo Naylor, $1.5 million Acquired from the Cleveland Guardians along with right-handed reliever Codi Heuer at the trade deadline, Naylor was around for depth and played in just three games during the final two months, mostly seeing action at Triple-A Nashville. He is offensively challenged, as evidenced by his career slash line of .200/.280/.374 with 41 homers and 128 RBIs in 349 games. He did hit double-digit homers in 2023-25 with the Guardians. Prediction: Up for arbitration for the first time, the Brewers would probably be satisfied to enter 2027 with Naylor as their backup catcher, but nothing more than that. The $1.5 million price tag could probably be settled with a split contract, leaving the Brewers wiggle room with possibly bringing Gary Sanchez back. A nontender candidate, too. 3B David Hamilton, $1.6 million The versatile infielder, acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin deal, was a surprising offensive force as the Brewers tapped into his speed. He led MLB in bunt hits and was the second-fastest baserunner behind Chandler Simpson of the Tampa Bay Rays. Even in a part-time role, he stole 30 bases and had a .245/.314/.336 slash line with four homers and 26 RBIs. Had two cool postseason moments, homering in the ninth inning of the clinching Game 4 of the NL Championship Series, then again to tie the game in Game 4 of the World Series. He also had a crucial error in World Series Game 4. Prediction: All those words are nice, but Hamilton is strictly a platoon player, albeit a valuable and versatile one. In arbitration for the first time, he turned in a solid season defensively after having a grand total of one game at third base previously, then 87 this year. Also filled in nicely at shortstop. Like Ortiz, Hamilton’s future with the Crew depends on what Made’s status is. If Made is with the team on Opening Day, one of Ortiz or Hamilton won’t be (both do have minor-league options remaining). RHP Grant Anderson, $1 million A key member of the Brewers’ B bullpen group, the right-hander had a solid second season with the Brewers. In 52 games and 59 innings, Anderson had a 4.32 FIP (3.36 ERA) with a 9.8% walk rate and 22.1% strikeout rate. He won’t excite you with anything he does, but a good guy to have on the roster. Prediction: Anderson, a first-timer in arbitration, wasn’t on any of the postseason rosters, but that doesn’t diminish his value. He is likely to return at this price. LHP Jared Koenig, $900,000 Remember him? The one-time valuable left-handed reliever sustained an elbow injury at the outset of the regular season after three outings. He came back for six appearances at the end of June and through mid-July, but was then optioned to Triple-A Nashville. He was good at Nashville, putting up a 2.21 ERA over 23 games and 20⅓ innings. Prediction: Also in arbitration for the first time, Koenig coming back at what is a minimal deal seems like a simple decision. It was surprising that he didn’t come up at any point down the stretch; perhaps that was because of Hall’s emergence and the acquisition of JoJo Romero, who will be a free agent this offseason. RHP Quinn Priester, $1.3 million This was a lost season for last year’s surprise starting pitcher. Priester was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in his right shoulder, but said during the postseason that he was on track to be ready for Opening Day. Prediction: Going through arbitration for the first time, Priester is coming back from a tricky injury. The price tag makes it a no-brainer to bring him back even before considering what he did in 2025 after coming over in an April trade from the Boston Red Sox. He should be in the mix for a rotation spot in 2027. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs have watched several key players officially become free agents over the last handful of days. None of them were surprise cases. Even though options could technically have kept Carson Kelly, Matthew Boyd and/or Clay Holmes around on their existing deals for 2027, that they would instead enter the open market was inevitable. The first real drama of the offseason comes Monday afternoon, when the Cubs not only have to decide about Colin Rea's club option for next year, but must also either extend (or elect not to extend) the qualifying offer to Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and/or Boyd. As I've already laid out, the team needs to be ready to spend big this winter and head into 2027 with a massive payroll, so I believe they should extend the QO to all three of their reasonable candidates. In all likelihood, either Happ or Boyd would accept it, but that would be fine: each is a solid use of $23 million and change on a one-year deal. Rea is a spare part, and while he's valuable both for his versatility and his amiable clubhouse presence, it's not at all clear that he can be worth $6.5 million in raw on-field value next year, so the team might need to cut ties. More important than any of those decisions, though, is what comes next, which will be a frenzy. One month from Monday, the owners will lock the players out and shut down the league for at least another couple of months. The offseason will enter a deep freeze, and whenever the lockout ends, there will be a scramble to accomplish spring training and get the season underway. Most of each team's business, therefore, needs to be done over the next four weeks. That's not how most winters work, but since it's what's happening this time, we'll see teams make a huge number of moves at a point in the offseason that's usually reserved for feeling-out processes. This evening, we'll see which players (not just on the Cubs, but league-wide) receive the QO, clarifying the market for top talent. That will be the real starter's gun for the offseason, and the Cubs need to react to it with a burst out of the blocks. Monday also marks the end of the five-day exclusive window in which teams can negotiate only with their own players, so this deadline coincides with the real beginning of the Freddy Peralta and Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, despite the fact that neither of those hurlers are eligible to receive the QO. Skubal, Peralta, and Michael King headline a strong class of starters who won't have the encumbrance of a QO on them as they enter free agency. Keep in mind that the Cubs, as competitive-balance tax payers in 2026 and a large-market team, get far worse compensation for their own players if they sign elsewhere after turning down the QO than they must give up if they sign a player who receives a QO this winter. For that reason, every decision to sign someone who has that attached to them (Trevor Rogers of the Orioles, for instance, is certain to receive one) will have to be weighed especially heavily, and the Cubs might be wise to get more aggressive in the pursuit of players without the QO to worry about than they otherwise would. Be it in free agency or via trade, and be they returnees or new faces, the Cubs need to add at least two corner outfielders, a catcher, four starting pitchers and two solid relievers this offseason. Ideally, one of those position players will be a big, middle-of-the-order bat, but if they aren't, the team needs to shop for one of those, too. Their shopping list is long and the items on it are expensive. The time they have to get it all done is short. Beginning Monday, it will be an extremely active month throughout baseball. The Cubs need to start finding fits almost as soon as the QO deadline passes at 4 PM CT Monday. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs have watched several key players officially become free agents over the last handful of days. None of them were surprise cases. Even though options could technically have kept Carson Kelly, Matthew Boyd and/or Clay Holmes around on their existing deals for 2027, that they would instead enter the open market was inevitable. The first real drama of the offseason comes Monday afternoon, when the Cubs not only have to decide about Colin Rea's club option for next year, but must also either extend (or elect not to extend) the qualifying offer to Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and/or Boyd. As I've already laid out, the team needs to be ready to spend big this winter and head into 2027 with a massive payroll, so I believe they should extend the QO to all three of their reasonable candidates. In all likelihood, either Happ or Boyd would accept it, but that would be fine: each is a solid use of $23 million and change on a one-year deal. Rea is a spare part, and while he's valuable both for his versatility and his amiable clubhouse presence, it's not at all clear that he can be worth $6.5 million in raw on-field value next year, so the team might need to cut ties. More important than any of those decisions, though, is what comes next, which will be a frenzy. One month from Monday, the owners will lock the players out and shut down the league for at least another couple of months. The offseason will enter a deep freeze, and whenever the lockout ends, there will be a scramble to accomplish spring training and get the season underway. Most of each team's business, therefore, needs to be done over the next four weeks. That's not how most winters work, but since it's what's happening this time, we'll see teams make a huge number of moves at a point in the offseason that's usually reserved for feeling-out processes. This evening, we'll see which players (not just on the Cubs, but league-wide) receive the QO, clarifying the market for top talent. That will be the real starter's gun for the offseason, and the Cubs need to react to it with a burst out of the blocks. Monday also marks the end of the five-day exclusive window in which teams can negotiate only with their own players, so this deadline coincides with the real beginning of the Freddy Peralta and Tarik Skubal sweepstakes, despite the fact that neither of those hurlers are eligible to receive the QO. Skubal, Peralta, and Michael King headline a strong class of starters who won't have the encumbrance of a QO on them as they enter free agency. Keep in mind that the Cubs, as competitive-balance tax payers in 2026 and a large-market team, get far worse compensation for their own players if they sign elsewhere after turning down the QO than they must give up if they sign a player who receives a QO this winter. For that reason, every decision to sign someone who has that attached to them (Trevor Rogers of the Orioles, for instance, is certain to receive one) will have to be weighed especially heavily, and the Cubs might be wise to get more aggressive in the pursuit of players without the QO to worry about than they otherwise would. Be it in free agency or via trade, and be they returnees or new faces, the Cubs need to add at least two corner outfielders, a catcher, four starting pitchers and two solid relievers this offseason. Ideally, one of those position players will be a big, middle-of-the-order bat, but if they aren't, the team needs to shop for one of those, too. Their shopping list is long and the items on it are expensive. The time they have to get it all done is short. Beginning Monday, it will be an extremely active month throughout baseball. The Cubs need to start finding fits almost as soon as the QO deadline passes at 4 PM CT Monday. View the full article

The Arizona Fall League enters its final full week of play for the 2026 season. On Saturday, November 7th, and Sunday, November 8th, the AFL hosts the Home Run Derby and Fall Stars Game, respectively. The playoffs then begin November 12th and run through November 14th. Right now, the Surprise Saguaros are in the thick of the race. They are 12-9, good for second in the AFL (behind only the Peoria Javelinas). It was an interesting week for Royals prospects playing for Surprise in week four. The bats didn't stand out as they did in weeks 2 and 3, though a couple had respectable weeks. On the mound, some Royals arms stood out, especially Justin Lamkin, the 71st overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. Let's break down the Royals hitters and pitchers in the AFL from this past week and what fans can expect as we reach the conclusion of the 2026 AFL campaign. Hitters: Bryan Sticks Out During Down Week for Royals Bats Hitting stats from October 25 to October 31st Zion Rose, OF: 13 AB, .231/.353/.231, 2 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, 3 SB. Brooks Bryan, C: 11 AB, .273/.385/.636, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K. Austin Charles, SS/3B: 8 AB, .000/.000/.000, 0 BB, 3 K. Angeibel Gomez, OF: 8 AB, .250/.250/.375, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 SB. Bryan had a solid week, collecting a home run and a pair of runs, RBI, and walks. The former Troy Trojan leads the Saguaros with four home runs and ranks third in OPS, behind only Welbyn Francisca and Aidan Miller, heralded prospects in the Guardians and Phillies organizations, respectively. Furthermore, Bryan's .430 wOBA is impressive, as are many of his other Statcast percentiles this fall. Based on this profile, it would not be surprising to see Bryan earn a spot in the Fall Stars game next weekend. He is definitely showing that he is ready for a spot in High-A Quad Cities in 2027. Rose and Gomez didn't collect many hits this week, but they didn't look overwhelmed, and they swiped some bags with four combined. There is no question that Rose and Gomez are showing they have the contact skills to reach the Major League level. However, the power and ability to barrel balls is still a question mark. Rose has less time than Gomez, as the Royals hope Rose can reach the Majors by midseason in 2028 at the latest. When looking at his Statcast percentiles in the AFL, Rose improving his LA Sweet-Spot%, Barrel%, and Pull Air% will be key. As for Gomez, he's hitting .306 with a .834 OPS in 36 at-bats this fall. This performance has turned some heads in the AFL, especially among coaches in rival organizations, as profiled in this piece below from MLB Pipeline. Here's a quote from Daniel Robertson, a former Major Leaguer now a coach in the Cleveland Guardians organization who's currently coaching in Arizona this fall. It will be interesting to see whether the Royals start Gomez in Low-A Columbia to begin 2027 or push him to High-A Quad Cities. Regardless, expect him to move up to High-A ball at some point next year, whether it's at the beginning or middle of the year. Charles has really struggled this fall, disappointing after his solid, albeit shortened, 2026 campaign in Quad Cities. The former 20th-round pick went hitless this week, and he's hitting just .143 with a .450 OPS in 42 at-bats. He's pulling the ball in the air well, but that's all he's really doing this fall, per his Statcast profile. I still see some upside with Charles, but he may be more of a long-term project, which isn't great news for a guy who's already 22 and currently Rule 5 eligible. Pitchers: Lamkin Carries the Surprise Staff (And Royals Pitching Prospects) Pitching Stats from October 25th to 31st. Lamkin, LHP: 1 G, 4 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1 BB, 5 K. Hiro Wyatt, RHP: 1 G, 2.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 2 BB, 2 K. Frank Mozzicato, LHP: 2 G, 1.1 IP, 20.25 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 2 BB, 2K. Felix Arronde, RHP: 1 G, 1.0 IP, 18.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 1 BB, 3 K. Josh Hansell, RHP: 1 G, 1.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1 BB, 1 K. Lamkin continues to impress in Surprise and should be representing the Saguaros and the Royals in the Fall Stars game next Saturday. After a one-run performance in four innings of work on October 29th, he now has a 3.52 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 14 K and just 4 BB in 15.1 IP. When looking at his season TJ Stuff+ summary this fall in Arizona, Lamkin is a conundrum of sorts. On one hand, all the results have been encouraging. He's been above average in zone rate, chase rate, whiff rate, and xwOBACON, which is what one wants to see from a pitching prospect in the AFL. On the other hand, his stuff has rated poorly, with his four-seamer (85 TJ Stuff+ and 30 grade) standing out the most. Even if the TJ Stuff+ metrics trend down this fall, his TJ Stuff+ still ranks in the 10th percentile, which isn't encouraging. It feels like something has to give with Lamkin soon: is his impeccable command and efficiency just dominating raw hitting prospects? Or does Lamkin have some secret sauce with his delivery that helps him overcome poor TJ Stuff+ metrics? The answer will likely come in Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he will start this season. Wyatt had an encouraging outing last week, allowing no runs in 2.2 innings against Mesa on October 29th. In addition to shutting the Solar Sox out in his relief appearance, he also generated a strong number of whiffs, something we really haven't seen from him this fall. In addition to a 29.4% whiff%, he also had a 0.089 xwOBACON, which shows that Mesa hitters struggled to square him up. He didn't generate much chase (18.5%), and his control was inconsistent (43.8% zone rate), but his 98 overall TJ Stuff+ was solid, with his cutter (107 TJ Stuff+) and slider (112 TJ Stuff+) standing out. Wyatt hasn't advanced beyond Low-A ball, but something about his six-pitch profile makes him an intriguing reliever who could thrive at the Major League level with more seasoning and experience. He definitely is a sleeper worth watching in High-A Quad Cities next year. If Lamkin has been the "good results, poor stuff" arm in Surprise, then Mozzicato may be the "good stuff, poor results" counterpart. In 6 outings and 4.1 IP, the former first-round pick has an 8.31 ERA and 2.31 WHIP with six walks and six strikeouts. Meanwhile, his TJ Stuff+ profile has arguably been the best of any Royals pitcher this fall in Surprise. Mozzicato has a 101 TJ Stuff+, which ranks in the 87th percentile this fall. He also has three pitches with grades over 50, including his four-seamer (56), cutter (56), and changeup (53). That has helped him generate a 36.1% whiff rate and .331 xwOBACON, both respectable marks. It's just that his control has been so bad this fall, as illustrated by his 34.7% zone rate. The control needs to improve quickly if Mozzicato wants any shot at making the Majors in 2027. That said, Mozzicato's profile reminds me a lot of Beck Way. Way struggled with control in the past, but he always had the stuff, and his control finally came together enough in 2026, leading to his MLB debut and a 3.86 ERA in 23.1 IP with the Royals last year. The stuff isn't as high-octane as Way yet, but I think Mozzicato could get there with a larger sample and a clearer bullpen role, which just began last year. The chips are still stacked against Mozzicato, but the stuff is good enough to keep believing in the polarizing pitching prospect. One last arm to talk about is Hansell, who's been good but hasn't been eye-popping in Arizona. He had another "good but not great" week, allowing no runs in his one outing with one strikeout and one walk in one inning of work. Even though his outings aren't "wowing" Royals fans, his body of work this fall looks more impressive. In 5.1 IP, he has a 1.69 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 2.96 FIP, 16% K-BB%, and 71.4% GB%. His TJ Stuff+ profile has also been solid, with his sinker and cutter as plus pitches this fall. Hansell posted a 4.87 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 4.50 FIP in 40.2 IP last year with the River Bandits. While those numbers aren't great, one has to wonder if a full-time move to the bullpen could help his stuff play up, which in turn could lead to better results. The former 16th-round pick was a groundball-heavy pitcher with the River Bandits (48.6% GB%), so Hansell could become a solid middle-innings reliever at the MLB level who gets out of jams by inducing groundball double plays. I'm not sure Hansell has a ton of upside, but his stuff and approach have been solid this fall, and he deserves more consideration from Royals fans in 2027, especially as he moves up to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. View the full article

The Arizona Fall League enters its final full week of play for the 2026 season. On Saturday, November 7th, and Sunday, November 8th, the AFL hosts the Home Run Derby and Fall Stars Game, respectively. The playoffs then begin November 12th and run through November 14th. Right now, the Surprise Saguaros are in the thick of the race. They are 12-9, good for second in the AFL (behind only the Peoria Javelinas). It was an interesting week for Royals prospects playing for Surprise in week four. The bats didn't stand out as they did in weeks 2 and 3, though a couple had respectable weeks. On the mound, some Royals arms stood out, especially Justin Lamkin, the 71st overall selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. Let's break down the Royals hitters and pitchers in the AFL from this past week and what fans can expect as we reach the conclusion of the 2026 AFL campaign. Hitters: Bryan Sticks Out During Down Week for Royals Bats Hitting stats from October 25 to October 31st Zion Rose, OF: 13 AB, .231/.353/.231, 2 R, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 5 K, 3 SB. Brooks Bryan, C: 11 AB, .273/.385/.636, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, 4 K. Austin Charles, SS/3B: 8 AB, .000/.000/.000, 0 BB, 3 K. Angeibel Gomez, OF: 8 AB, .250/.250/.375, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 SB. Bryan had a solid week, collecting a home run and a pair of runs, RBI, and walks. The former Troy Trojan leads the Saguaros with four home runs and ranks third in OPS, behind only Welbyn Francisca and Aidan Miller, heralded prospects in the Guardians and Phillies organizations, respectively. Furthermore, Bryan's .430 wOBA is impressive, as are many of his other Statcast percentiles this fall. Based on this profile, it would not be surprising to see Bryan earn a spot in the Fall Stars game next weekend. He is definitely showing that he is ready for a spot in High-A Quad Cities in 2027. Rose and Gomez didn't collect many hits this week, but they didn't look overwhelmed, and they swiped some bags with four combined. There is no question that Rose and Gomez are showing they have the contact skills to reach the Major League level. However, the power and ability to barrel balls is still a question mark. Rose has less time than Gomez, as the Royals hope Rose can reach the Majors by midseason in 2028 at the latest. When looking at his Statcast percentiles in the AFL, Rose improving his LA Sweet-Spot%, Barrel%, and Pull Air% will be key. As for Gomez, he's hitting .306 with a .834 OPS in 36 at-bats this fall. This performance has turned some heads in the AFL, especially among coaches in rival organizations, as profiled in this piece below from MLB Pipeline. Here's a quote from Daniel Robertson, a former Major Leaguer now a coach in the Cleveland Guardians organization who's currently coaching in Arizona this fall. It will be interesting to see whether the Royals start Gomez in Low-A Columbia to begin 2027 or push him to High-A Quad Cities. Regardless, expect him to move up to High-A ball at some point next year, whether it's at the beginning or middle of the year. Charles has really struggled this fall, disappointing after his solid, albeit shortened, 2026 campaign in Quad Cities. The former 20th-round pick went hitless this week, and he's hitting just .143 with a .450 OPS in 42 at-bats. He's pulling the ball in the air well, but that's all he's really doing this fall, per his Statcast profile. I still see some upside with Charles, but he may be more of a long-term project, which isn't great news for a guy who's already 22 and currently Rule 5 eligible. Pitchers: Lamkin Carries the Surprise Staff (And Royals Pitching Prospects) Pitching Stats from October 25th to 31st. Lamkin, LHP: 1 G, 4 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1 BB, 5 K. Hiro Wyatt, RHP: 1 G, 2.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 2 BB, 2 K. Frank Mozzicato, LHP: 2 G, 1.1 IP, 20.25 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 2 BB, 2K. Felix Arronde, RHP: 1 G, 1.0 IP, 18.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 1 BB, 3 K. Josh Hansell, RHP: 1 G, 1.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 1 BB, 1 K. Lamkin continues to impress in Surprise and should be representing the Saguaros and the Royals in the Fall Stars game next Saturday. After a one-run performance in four innings of work on October 29th, he now has a 3.52 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 14 K and just 4 BB in 15.1 IP. When looking at his season TJ Stuff+ summary this fall in Arizona, Lamkin is a conundrum of sorts. On one hand, all the results have been encouraging. He's been above average in zone rate, chase rate, whiff rate, and xwOBACON, which is what one wants to see from a pitching prospect in the AFL. On the other hand, his stuff has rated poorly, with his four-seamer (85 TJ Stuff+ and 30 grade) standing out the most. Even if the TJ Stuff+ metrics trend down this fall, his TJ Stuff+ still ranks in the 10th percentile, which isn't encouraging. It feels like something has to give with Lamkin soon: is his impeccable command and efficiency just dominating raw hitting prospects? Or does Lamkin have some secret sauce with his delivery that helps him overcome poor TJ Stuff+ metrics? The answer will likely come in Double-A Northwest Arkansas, where he will start this season. Wyatt had an encouraging outing last week, allowing no runs in 2.2 innings against Mesa on October 29th. In addition to shutting the Solar Sox out in his relief appearance, he also generated a strong number of whiffs, something we really haven't seen from him this fall. In addition to a 29.4% whiff%, he also had a 0.089 xwOBACON, which shows that Mesa hitters struggled to square him up. He didn't generate much chase (18.5%), and his control was inconsistent (43.8% zone rate), but his 98 overall TJ Stuff+ was solid, with his cutter (107 TJ Stuff+) and slider (112 TJ Stuff+) standing out. Wyatt hasn't advanced beyond Low-A ball, but something about his six-pitch profile makes him an intriguing reliever who could thrive at the Major League level with more seasoning and experience. He definitely is a sleeper worth watching in High-A Quad Cities next year. If Lamkin has been the "good results, poor stuff" arm in Surprise, then Mozzicato may be the "good stuff, poor results" counterpart. In 6 outings and 4.1 IP, the former first-round pick has an 8.31 ERA and 2.31 WHIP with six walks and six strikeouts. Meanwhile, his TJ Stuff+ profile has arguably been the best of any Royals pitcher this fall in Surprise. Mozzicato has a 101 TJ Stuff+, which ranks in the 87th percentile this fall. He also has three pitches with grades over 50, including his four-seamer (56), cutter (56), and changeup (53). That has helped him generate a 36.1% whiff rate and .331 xwOBACON, both respectable marks. It's just that his control has been so bad this fall, as illustrated by his 34.7% zone rate. The control needs to improve quickly if Mozzicato wants any shot at making the Majors in 2027. That said, Mozzicato's profile reminds me a lot of Beck Way. Way struggled with control in the past, but he always had the stuff, and his control finally came together enough in 2026, leading to his MLB debut and a 3.86 ERA in 23.1 IP with the Royals last year. The stuff isn't as high-octane as Way yet, but I think Mozzicato could get there with a larger sample and a clearer bullpen role, which just began last year. The chips are still stacked against Mozzicato, but the stuff is good enough to keep believing in the polarizing pitching prospect. One last arm to talk about is Hansell, who's been good but hasn't been eye-popping in Arizona. He had another "good but not great" week, allowing no runs in his one outing with one strikeout and one walk in one inning of work. Even though his outings aren't "wowing" Royals fans, his body of work this fall looks more impressive. In 5.1 IP, he has a 1.69 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 2.96 FIP, 16% K-BB%, and 71.4% GB%. His TJ Stuff+ profile has also been solid, with his sinker and cutter as plus pitches this fall. Hansell posted a 4.87 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and 4.50 FIP in 40.2 IP last year with the River Bandits. While those numbers aren't great, one has to wonder if a full-time move to the bullpen could help his stuff play up, which in turn could lead to better results. The former 16th-round pick was a groundball-heavy pitcher with the River Bandits (48.6% GB%), so Hansell could become a solid middle-innings reliever at the MLB level who gets out of jams by inducing groundball double plays. I'm not sure Hansell has a ton of upside, but his stuff and approach have been solid this fall, and he deserves more consideration from Royals fans in 2027, especially as he moves up to Double-A Northwest Arkansas. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox's major strength entering the 2026 season was their rotation. Even after an offseason that saw Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins and Kyle Harrison among others traded, the organization had plenty of depth, to the point where where both Jake Bennett and Payton Tolle began the season in Triple-A. A rotation headlined by a three-headed monster of Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez was nothing to scoff at. Add in Connelly Early and Brayan Bello, and it was clear the group was destined for greatness. However. injuries and inconsistent pitching in the first month meant that, for the rest of the season, the plans had to be fluid. Crochet made just six starts while Bello was inconsistent to the point a demotion to Worcester was in order. Thankfully, Tolle and Bennett stepped up and provided quality innings for the majority of their time in the rotation, giving the team the confidence to trade Early. Despite all that shuffling, saying the rotation was dominant would be an understatement. They had the fourth-best ERA (3.92) in the American League. The group also took on notable volume, pitching 837⅔ innings while striking out 813 batters. Opponents hit just .252 against them. With the 2026 season over, the rotation might be one of the few areas of stability within the organization. Patrick Sandoval, who became the team’s fifth starter after missing nearly two years with injury, along with Gray will be the only free agents from this crop. Even if the Red Sox fail to replace either of them, their depth (while not as impressive as it was a year ago pre-trades) can still get the job done. As of right now, the team has the following pitchers on the 40-man roster for the 2027 season that could slot into the rotation: Garrett Crochet Ranger Suárez Payton Tolle Jake Bennett Brayan Bello Kutter Crawford Johan Oviedo Tanner Houck That group consists of three All-Stars in Crochet, Suárez, and Houck, along with two young pitchers in Tolle and Bennett who flashed immense potential in their respective rookie seasons. Even Bello as the number five starter would be incredible if he pitches like his second-half self; any team would love to have an arm give up just 12 earned runs in 51 innings during a playoff push. Not included in that batch is Alec Gamboa, who started the season in Worcester’s rotation before being moved to the bullpen for a role in Boston. The left-hander could be slotted back into the rotation at Triple-A should the organization feel he would be best utilized in a depth role sans Gray. When healthy, that’s an incredibly talented group of pitchers. Health is the key issue, however, as Crochet will have to prove he’s fully healthy in 2027 after missing nearly all of this past season. Likewise, between Crawford, Houck, and Oviedo, the team's top depth made just two appearances in 2026. Crawford also has made just one rehab appearance over the last two seasons due to an assortment of injuries. Those three are also in a unique situation when it comes to options, as only Crawford would be eligible to be sent to Worcester. Otherwise, if Houck and Oviedo fail to make the rotation out of spring training, they would need to be in the bullpen, a move that could cause problems if they were needed to be stretched out quickly. Suárez is another question mark, as he has never made more than 29 starts in a season. During his first season in Boston he was as good as advertised (after a few problematic outings in April), making the All-Star team and emerging as the No. 2 starter in the rotation. However, he still missed time with various injuries, including a span of 20 days with a left groin strain. Upon returning, it took a few outings for the left-hander to return to his former dominant self. Even their minor-league depth isn’t as deep as last year. There are no pitchers currently in Worcester that are as talented as Tolle or Bennett, but should the team need a spot start or two, there are three pitchers who could supply the innings; Blake Wehunt, Gage Ziehl and John Holobetz will all be called upon to provide rotational depth for the organization. Eduardo Rivera is also a potential option, but the team mainly used him as an opener or out of the bullpen. It seems unlikely he would be moved back into a rotational role. As of right now, the team has options, but if injuries occur like in 2026, they could be in trouble. The depth at the upper minors they built up over the previous seasons has either graduated to the majors or been traded. Outside of the trio in Worcester, Hayden Mullins would be the next likely candidate to get major-league innings, but he’s pitched a total of three innings in Triple-A and is more likely to move into a bullpen role. Despite a clear need for a little additional depth, it’ll be a surprise if the team spends on the rotation at this point with all the money already invested in it. Between Crochet, Suárez, and Bello, the team is looking at an outlay of more than $50 million for just three starters. Both Tolle and Bennett will be on pre-arb contracts. but with the team needing to fill other areas they may not look to spend on rotational help. Instead, they may turn to minor-league contracts for help on the depth front. It's a big "if," but if the team can get healthy seasons from every member of the projected rotation, they could be looking at the best starting five in the league. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox's major strength entering the 2026 season was their rotation. Even after an offseason that saw Richard Fitts, Hunter Dobbins and Kyle Harrison among others traded, the organization had plenty of depth, to the point where where both Jake Bennett and Payton Tolle began the season in Triple-A. A rotation headlined by a three-headed monster of Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez was nothing to scoff at. Add in Connelly Early and Brayan Bello, and it was clear the group was destined for greatness. However. injuries and inconsistent pitching in the first month meant that, for the rest of the season, the plans had to be fluid. Crochet made just six starts while Bello was inconsistent to the point a demotion to Worcester was in order. Thankfully, Tolle and Bennett stepped up and provided quality innings for the majority of their time in the rotation, giving the team the confidence to trade Early. Despite all that shuffling, saying the rotation was dominant would be an understatement. They had the fourth-best ERA (3.92) in the American League. The group also took on notable volume, pitching 837⅔ innings while striking out 813 batters. Opponents hit just .252 against them. With the 2026 season over, the rotation might be one of the few areas of stability within the organization. Patrick Sandoval, who became the team’s fifth starter after missing nearly two years with injury, along with Gray will be the only free agents from this crop. Even if the Red Sox fail to replace either of them, their depth (while not as impressive as it was a year ago pre-trades) can still get the job done. As of right now, the team has the following pitchers on the 40-man roster for the 2027 season that could slot into the rotation: Garrett Crochet Ranger Suárez Payton Tolle Jake Bennett Brayan Bello Kutter Crawford Johan Oviedo Tanner Houck That group consists of three All-Stars in Crochet, Suárez, and Houck, along with two young pitchers in Tolle and Bennett who flashed immense potential in their respective rookie seasons. Even Bello as the number five starter would be incredible if he pitches like his second-half self; any team would love to have an arm give up just 12 earned runs in 51 innings during a playoff push. Not included in that batch is Alec Gamboa, who started the season in Worcester’s rotation before being moved to the bullpen for a role in Boston. The left-hander could be slotted back into the rotation at Triple-A should the organization feel he would be best utilized in a depth role sans Gray. When healthy, that’s an incredibly talented group of pitchers. Health is the key issue, however, as Crochet will have to prove he’s fully healthy in 2027 after missing nearly all of this past season. Likewise, between Crawford, Houck, and Oviedo, the team's top depth made just two appearances in 2026. Crawford also has made just one rehab appearance over the last two seasons due to an assortment of injuries. Those three are also in a unique situation when it comes to options, as only Crawford would be eligible to be sent to Worcester. Otherwise, if Houck and Oviedo fail to make the rotation out of spring training, they would need to be in the bullpen, a move that could cause problems if they were needed to be stretched out quickly. Suárez is another question mark, as he has never made more than 29 starts in a season. During his first season in Boston he was as good as advertised (after a few problematic outings in April), making the All-Star team and emerging as the No. 2 starter in the rotation. However, he still missed time with various injuries, including a span of 20 days with a left groin strain. Upon returning, it took a few outings for the left-hander to return to his former dominant self. Even their minor-league depth isn’t as deep as last year. There are no pitchers currently in Worcester that are as talented as Tolle or Bennett, but should the team need a spot start or two, there are three pitchers who could supply the innings; Blake Wehunt, Gage Ziehl and John Holobetz will all be called upon to provide rotational depth for the organization. Eduardo Rivera is also a potential option, but the team mainly used him as an opener or out of the bullpen. It seems unlikely he would be moved back into a rotational role. As of right now, the team has options, but if injuries occur like in 2026, they could be in trouble. The depth at the upper minors they built up over the previous seasons has either graduated to the majors or been traded. Outside of the trio in Worcester, Hayden Mullins would be the next likely candidate to get major-league innings, but he’s pitched a total of three innings in Triple-A and is more likely to move into a bullpen role. Despite a clear need for a little additional depth, it’ll be a surprise if the team spends on the rotation at this point with all the money already invested in it. Between Crochet, Suárez, and Bello, the team is looking at an outlay of more than $50 million for just three starters. Both Tolle and Bennett will be on pre-arb contracts. but with the team needing to fill other areas they may not look to spend on rotational help. Instead, they may turn to minor-league contracts for help on the depth front. It's a big "if," but if the team can get healthy seasons from every member of the projected rotation, they could be looking at the best starting five in the league. View the full article

To say it was a disappointing season for the New York Mets would be an understatement. After finishing the year 14 games below .500, there’s plenty of work to be done this offseason, and that should probably begin with improving the starting rotation. Nolan McLean has looked like a quality starter since making his big-league debut in 2025, and Christian Scott flashed his upside this year. But aside from those two, there are more questions than answers with this unit. Someone like free agent left-hander Shota Imanaga could really help stabilize the rotation moving forward. Imanaga comes in as DiamondCentric’s 28th-ranked free agent, and he’s spent his three major-league seasons with the Chicago Cubs after signing as an international free agent out of Japan. He’s been a quality arm, too, posting a 3.45 career ERA and 3.71 expected ERA across 492 1/3 innings, along with 465 strikeouts to just 91 walks. His ability to pound the zone has always been one of his biggest strengths. He’s finished with a walk rate in the 95th percentile or better in all three seasons, and that command has helped him get hitters to chase when he expands the zone. He has a versatile six-pitch mix with different speeds and movement profiles, but he’s leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball and splitter throughout his big-league career. His four-seam doesn’t have overpowering velocity, sitting around 91 mph, but it has outstanding life. He’s also flattened out his arm angle a bit since entering the league, allowing him to generate more arm-side run on the pitch. The same can be said of his splitter. It doesn't have an especially sharp bite, but it runs away from right-handed hitters and comes in about nine miles per hour slower than his fastball. That deception helped the pitch generate whiffs on 41.4% of swings in 2026. Those two pitches accounted for 75% of his pitch selection this season, and they’re the foundation of his success. However, his sweeper adds another element to the mix. It made up another 15% of his usage, and at around 81 mph, it creates a slightly smaller velocity gap with his fastball than the average pitcher’s breaking ball. Still, it has a quality movement profile that gives hitters another look to consider. Imanaga threw the sweeper nearly as often against left-handed hitters as he did his four-seam fastball. When hitters have to respect a fastball that runs up and in but also account for a breaking ball moving in the opposite direction, things can get pretty difficult. That combination helps make his arsenal more effective than the velocity readings alone might suggest. His sinker, curveball and slider accounted for the remaining 10% of his pitch selection. However, his command of the sinker and curveball, in particular, remains a work in progress. Both pitches caught too much of the plate too often, and his sinker was hit extremely hard, allowing an average exit velocity of 92.3 mph. For pitches primarily intended to keep hitters off balance and give them a different look, they don't necessarily need to be located in spots where opposing hitters can do significant damage. In general, fly balls have really hurt Imanaga throughout his career. He has allowed 1.7 home runs per nine innings, and his ground-ball rate ranked in just the 23rd percentile this past season. That was actually a career best, which illustrates how much room there is for improvement in that department. Fortunately, moving from Wrigley Field to Citi Field could help. In 2026, the Mets' home stadium was one of the more pitcher-friendly ballparks in the league, while Wrigley ranked as the fourth-most hitter-friendly park, according to Statcast's Park Factors Leaderboard. Imanaga's four-seam fastball has accounted for most of the damage against him, and he's left it over the plate too often throughout his career. Getting that pitch to run up in the zone more consistently while allowing his secondary offerings to work down will continue to be a point of emphasis. The Mets were already in the top half of the league in home runs allowed this season, giving up 184. They don't need to regress further in that department, so Imanaga's tendency to surrender fly balls is something they'll need to consider before making a significant financial commitment. Still, there's reason to like the fit here, especially given the strength of the Mets' outfield defense with A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge entrenched out there now. So, what would a deal for Imanaga look like? He accepted the qualifying offer from the Cubs this past year at roughly $22 million. Before that, however, Chicago declined a three-year, $57.75 million club option that would have kept him under contract through 2028. That suggests the Mets wouldn't necessarily have to pay him like an ace to get a deal done. There's also the fact that Imanaga will turn 34 next September, making a shorter contract with a slightly higher annual average value a more likely outcome than a lengthy commitment. Despite the Cubs declining his club option, I suspect a lot of that decision stemmed from his poor second half of the 2025 season. Given his overall consistency, I have to imagine Imanaga will be looking for north of $20 million annually on his next deal. I could see a contract similar to the one Michael King signed with the San Diego Padres this past offseason. King received a three-year, $75 million deal that included options after each of the first two years. I'm not sure Imanaga would command quite that much money annually, but the structure could make sense. A three-year deal with multiple opportunities to opt out would give him some financial security while allowing him to return to the market if he pitches well enough to earn a more lucrative contract. Regardless, Imanaga feels like a good blend of a quality starting pitcher who could help stabilize the rotation without requiring an enormous financial commitment. He has his flaws, particularly when it comes to keeping the ball in the yard, but his command, ability to miss bats and diverse pitch mix give him a solid foundation to build on. The Mets have plenty of questions to answer this offseason, and improving their starting staff should be near the top of that list. Imanaga might not be the perfect solution, but he could be a sensible addition who gives them a more reliable rotation heading into 2027. View the full article

To say it was a disappointing season for the New York Mets would be an understatement. After finishing the year 14 games below .500, there’s plenty of work to be done this offseason, and that should probably begin with improving the starting rotation. Nolan McLean has looked like a quality starter since making his big-league debut in 2025, and Christian Scott flashed his upside this year. But aside from those two, there are more questions than answers with this unit. Someone like free agent left-hander Shota Imanaga could really help stabilize the rotation moving forward. Imanaga comes in as DiamondCentric’s 28th-ranked free agent, and he’s spent his three major-league seasons with the Chicago Cubs after signing as an international free agent out of Japan. He’s been a quality arm, too, posting a 3.45 career ERA and 3.71 expected ERA across 492 1/3 innings, along with 465 strikeouts to just 91 walks. His ability to pound the zone has always been one of his biggest strengths. He’s finished with a walk rate in the 95th percentile or better in all three seasons, and that command has helped him get hitters to chase when he expands the zone. He has a versatile six-pitch mix with different speeds and movement profiles, but he’s leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball and splitter throughout his big-league career. His four-seam doesn’t have overpowering velocity, sitting around 91 mph, but it has outstanding life. He’s also flattened out his arm angle a bit since entering the league, allowing him to generate more arm-side run on the pitch. The same can be said of his splitter. It doesn't have an especially sharp bite, but it runs away from right-handed hitters and comes in about nine miles per hour slower than his fastball. That deception helped the pitch generate whiffs on 41.4% of swings in 2026. Those two pitches accounted for 75% of his pitch selection this season, and they’re the foundation of his success. However, his sweeper adds another element to the mix. It made up another 15% of his usage, and at around 81 mph, it creates a slightly smaller velocity gap with his fastball than the average pitcher’s breaking ball. Still, it has a quality movement profile that gives hitters another look to consider. Imanaga threw the sweeper nearly as often against left-handed hitters as he did his four-seam fastball. When hitters have to respect a fastball that runs up and in but also account for a breaking ball moving in the opposite direction, things can get pretty difficult. That combination helps make his arsenal more effective than the velocity readings alone might suggest. His sinker, curveball and slider accounted for the remaining 10% of his pitch selection. However, his command of the sinker and curveball, in particular, remains a work in progress. Both pitches caught too much of the plate too often, and his sinker was hit extremely hard, allowing an average exit velocity of 92.3 mph. For pitches primarily intended to keep hitters off balance and give them a different look, they don't necessarily need to be located in spots where opposing hitters can do significant damage. In general, fly balls have really hurt Imanaga throughout his career. He has allowed 1.7 home runs per nine innings, and his ground-ball rate ranked in just the 23rd percentile this past season. That was actually a career best, which illustrates how much room there is for improvement in that department. Fortunately, moving from Wrigley Field to Citi Field could help. In 2026, the Mets' home stadium was one of the more pitcher-friendly ballparks in the league, while Wrigley ranked as the fourth-most hitter-friendly park, according to Statcast's Park Factors Leaderboard. Imanaga's four-seam fastball has accounted for most of the damage against him, and he's left it over the plate too often throughout his career. Getting that pitch to run up in the zone more consistently while allowing his secondary offerings to work down will continue to be a point of emphasis. The Mets were already in the top half of the league in home runs allowed this season, giving up 184. They don't need to regress further in that department, so Imanaga's tendency to surrender fly balls is something they'll need to consider before making a significant financial commitment. Still, there's reason to like the fit here, especially given the strength of the Mets' outfield defense with A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge entrenched out there now. So, what would a deal for Imanaga look like? He accepted the qualifying offer from the Cubs this past year at roughly $22 million. Before that, however, Chicago declined a three-year, $57.75 million club option that would have kept him under contract through 2028. That suggests the Mets wouldn't necessarily have to pay him like an ace to get a deal done. There's also the fact that Imanaga will turn 34 next September, making a shorter contract with a slightly higher annual average value a more likely outcome than a lengthy commitment. Despite the Cubs declining his club option, I suspect a lot of that decision stemmed from his poor second half of the 2025 season. Given his overall consistency, I have to imagine Imanaga will be looking for north of $20 million annually on his next deal. I could see a contract similar to the one Michael King signed with the San Diego Padres this past offseason. King received a three-year, $75 million deal that included options after each of the first two years. I'm not sure Imanaga would command quite that much money annually, but the structure could make sense. A three-year deal with multiple opportunities to opt out would give him some financial security while allowing him to return to the market if he pitches well enough to earn a more lucrative contract. Regardless, Imanaga feels like a good blend of a quality starting pitcher who could help stabilize the rotation without requiring an enormous financial commitment. He has his flaws, particularly when it comes to keeping the ball in the yard, but his command, ability to miss bats and diverse pitch mix give him a solid foundation to build on. The Mets have plenty of questions to answer this offseason, and improving their starting staff should be near the top of that list. Imanaga might not be the perfect solution, but he could be a sensible addition who gives them a more reliable rotation heading into 2027. View the full article

Turns out, you can't predict baseball. Every season, baseball throws something at us that no one expected. From statistical rarities like an unassisted triple play to a team going from three straight 100-loss seasons to suddenly making the playoffs, baseball always finds a way to surprise us. It truly is a sport where chaos is part of its nature. That’s why today we’re not going to try to predict baseball. (We already tried that.) The Jays Centre staff is taking our game another way, and we’re trying to make some bold predictions about baseball's offseason instead. Below, you'll find seven predictions from our staff, with my own analysis underneath. Whether it's guessing which players the Blue Jays will sign/trade for, predicting something lockout-related, or imagining something off the field, like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dying his hair pink (oh wait, that one happened), it’s time to call our shots. Matthew Creally - The Blue Jays eat money and move on from José Berríos or Andrés Giménez Front offices are always aware of how much money they spend on payroll. Even as the Blue Jays add to their roster, they could still find a way to move money, especially if the new CBA negotiations add major penalties. José Berríos and Andrés Giménez rank third and fourth, respectively, in average annual value going into 2027, with Berríos unlikely to exercise his opt-out and Giménez under team control through 2030. If the Blue Jays want to move some money around, moving on from one or both could be the play. It won't be easy and will likely involve the Blue Jays retaining money or including a prospect in the deal, but the front office will likely at least explore it. Whether it gets done is a different story, but that's what makes this prediction bold. Sam Charles - The Blue Jays find a second baseman via trade or free agency, giving the franchise another season to prepare for JoJo Parker The Blue Jays will likely look for middle infield help this winter. As our Middle Infield Depth Check notes, the group could use an upgrade, and the Blue Jays checked in on some middle infielders at the 2026 trade deadline. The real boldness of this prediction lies with JoJo Parker, not the potential new second baseman. If the Blue Jays believe Parker could be a high-impact player, they might not want to sign or trade for a second baseman with several years of team control. Could Jazz Chisholm Jr. be interested in a short-term deal and then try to enter free agency again? Brandon Lowe is 32 and may be better suited to a shorter term; Luis Arraez or Gleyber Torres could also serve as short-term replacements. The Blue Jays will try to walk a fine line: add offense in 2027 without making a long-term commitment that could block their prized infield prospect’s path to the majors. Bryan Jaeger - The Blue Jays' big-bat acquisition will come via trade. And Nolan Perry and/or Ricky Tiedemann will be the piece moved to get them The Blue Jays recently dipped into their prospect pool to improve the big league roster, trading away top infield prospect Arjun Nimmala at the most recent trade deadline to bolster their pitching staff. So there is certainly a case they will do it again. Nolan Perry has quickly risen through the Blue Jays' farm system and recently earned recognition as a runner-up for MiLB Breakout Player of the Year. His breakout season has increased his value around the league, potentially making him an attractive piece in a deal for an established big league bat. Ricky Tiedemann, on the other hand, has had some of the shine wear off since he was a top-100 prospect, but in 2026 he showed he could get healthy and had moments in the big leagues. Pitching primarily in relief, he appeared in five games and struck out 27.6% of batters he faced. The left-hander still has plenty of upside paired with big league experience, making him an intriguing option for any team looking for young, controllable starting pitching, particularly if another team wants to stretch him into a starting role this spring. The price will be high, but that's just the price of doing business in baseball. Leo Morgenstern - The Blue Jays' biggest free agent signing will be a pitcher, not a hitter Given how poor the Blue Jays offense was in 2026, most expect their biggest move to be on offense. However, there is more than one way to build a championship roster. Last season, the Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year contract, so they are no strangers to dipping into the pitching market. The Blue Jays may kick the tires on Tarik Skubal, or make calls on Michael King, Freddy Peralta, or Adrian Morejon, and rely more on bouncebacks from the players they already have to improve the offense. It won't be the most popular move, but that's what makes it bold, and while offense remains the most obvious area of need, the Jays may decide adding another high-end pitcher is the best way to improve their chances of competing again in 2027. Owen Hill - Brett Bateman does NOT open 2027 as the Blue Jays' starting center fielder No, this is not Brett Bateman slander. Bateman was incredible after he came over at the trade deadline and quickly became a mainstay for the Blue Jays down the stretch. After the trade deadline, he was the Blue Jays' second-best position player by fWAR, with a top-25 mark in baseball over that span. So it would be easy to just pencil him back in to center field going into 2027. But this prediction can come true in many ways. The Blue Jays outfield mix is already crowded. Addison Barger and Anthony Santander will return and get more time in the outfield. Nathan Lukes will still be around, and Jonatan Clase is out of options, so the Blue Jays will either have to move on from him or give him an extended look. Plus, the Blue Jays could add a center fielder. Tyrone Taylor or Trent Grisham could be of interest and play center field. Or the Blue Jays could bring back Myles Straw and go with elite defense in center field again, and they always have the option of going the trade route. Injuries, positional movement, and role will all play a factor here too, but on paper, Bateman seems set to be the everyday center fielder in 2027, which is what makes this prediction bold. Mike LeSage - Kevin Gausman will re-sign with the Blue Jays The fit makes too much sense to ignore. By all accounts, Kevin Gausman and his family loved their time in Toronto, and the Blue Jays loved having him around, as his five-year, $110 million contract may go down as one of the best in franchise history. Going into 2027, there may be a match. Gausman will be 36 by next season, and in 2026, his ERA rose above 4.00 for the first time since 2019, while his fastball velocity dropped, likely a testament to how many innings he’s thrown over the last half-decade. Pair that with the fact that the Blue Jays already seem to have several starting pitching options (stop me if you've heard that before), and the team might look elsewhere when deciding how to allocate its resources this winter. But that's what makes this prediction bold. Gausman knows he’ll be comfortable in Toronto, and much of the Blue Jays fanbase will be happy to see him return. He just put his Toronto home up for sale, and with several former Blue Jays scattered across free agent leaderboards, Gausman may be the Blue Jays' biggest temptation to reunite with. Jesse Burrill - The Blue Jays will prioritize range and speed with their outfield acquisitions this winter With recent reports of MLB testing outfield positional rules to spur offense, outfielders could soon need designated starting positions on the grass, meaning range and speed in the outfield will matter more, and the Blue Jays may use this winter to get a head start. Bateman already has range and speed in the outfield, and Lukes has a strong glove, too, but I bet the team wants to add a defensive first outfielder to double down on that strength and improve the offense elsewhere. Cedric Mullins was fifth in OAA among outfielders in 2026 and could be an interesting fit. The Jays may pick up the option on Straw again. Seiya Suzuki isn’t at the same level on defense, but he ranked in the 88th percentile in outs above average and provides the best mix of offensive impact with defensive prowess. He could be a target on the higher end. With Ross Atkins also identifying baserunning as an area for improvement in 2027, the Blue Jays could prioritize outfielders who address both needs. Adding a player with above-average speed and defensive range would improve Toronto's ability to take extra bases and cover more ground in the outfield, while they look to get their high-impact offensive addition at another position. Will any of these predictions come true? It's hard to say. Our regular season bold takes have proven that predicting baseball is nearly impossible, and with one of the more unpredictable offseasons ahead, the challenge gets even harder. But if even one of these comes true, that’s a success and worth celebrating. For now, baseball rests, and it's time for transactions. View the full article

Turns out, you can't predict baseball. Every season, baseball throws something at us that no one expected. From statistical rarities like an unassisted triple play to a team going from three straight 100-loss seasons to suddenly making the playoffs, baseball always finds a way to surprise us. It truly is a sport where chaos is part of its nature. That’s why today we’re not going to try to predict baseball. (We already tried that.) The Jays Centre staff is taking our game another way, and we’re trying to make some bold predictions about baseball's offseason instead. Below, you'll find seven predictions from our staff, with my own analysis underneath. Whether it's guessing which players the Blue Jays will sign/trade for, predicting something lockout-related, or imagining something off the field, like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dying his hair pink (oh wait, that one happened), it’s time to call our shots. Matthew Creally - The Blue Jays eat money and move on from José Berríos or Andrés Giménez Front offices are always aware of how much money they spend on payroll. Even as the Blue Jays add to their roster, they could still find a way to move money, especially if the new CBA negotiations add major penalties. José Berríos and Andrés Giménez rank third and fourth, respectively, in average annual value going into 2027, with Berríos unlikely to exercise his opt-out and Giménez under team control through 2030. If the Blue Jays want to move some money around, moving on from one or both could be the play. It won't be easy and will likely involve the Blue Jays retaining money or including a prospect in the deal, but the front office will likely at least explore it. Whether it gets done is a different story, but that's what makes this prediction bold. Sam Charles - The Blue Jays find a second baseman via trade or free agency, giving the franchise another season to prepare for JoJo Parker The Blue Jays will likely look for middle infield help this winter. As our Middle Infield Depth Check notes, the group could use an upgrade, and the Blue Jays checked in on some middle infielders at the 2026 trade deadline. The real boldness of this prediction lies with JoJo Parker, not the potential new second baseman. If the Blue Jays believe Parker could be a high-impact player, they might not want to sign or trade for a second baseman with several years of team control. Could Jazz Chisholm Jr. be interested in a short-term deal and then try to enter free agency again? Brandon Lowe is 32 and may be better suited to a shorter term; Luis Arraez or Gleyber Torres could also serve as short-term replacements. The Blue Jays will try to walk a fine line: add offense in 2027 without making a long-term commitment that could block their prized infield prospect’s path to the majors. Bryan Jaeger - The Blue Jays' big-bat acquisition will come via trade. And Nolan Perry and/or Ricky Tiedemann will be the piece moved to get them The Blue Jays recently dipped into their prospect pool to improve the big league roster, trading away top infield prospect Arjun Nimmala at the most recent trade deadline to bolster their pitching staff. So there is certainly a case they will do it again. Nolan Perry has quickly risen through the Blue Jays' farm system and recently earned recognition as a runner-up for MiLB Breakout Player of the Year. His breakout season has increased his value around the league, potentially making him an attractive piece in a deal for an established big league bat. Ricky Tiedemann, on the other hand, has had some of the shine wear off since he was a top-100 prospect, but in 2026 he showed he could get healthy and had moments in the big leagues. Pitching primarily in relief, he appeared in five games and struck out 27.6% of batters he faced. The left-hander still has plenty of upside paired with big league experience, making him an intriguing option for any team looking for young, controllable starting pitching, particularly if another team wants to stretch him into a starting role this spring. The price will be high, but that's just the price of doing business in baseball. Leo Morgenstern - The Blue Jays' biggest free agent signing will be a pitcher, not a hitter Given how poor the Blue Jays offense was in 2026, most expect their biggest move to be on offense. However, there is more than one way to build a championship roster. Last season, the Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year contract, so they are no strangers to dipping into the pitching market. The Blue Jays may kick the tires on Tarik Skubal, or make calls on Michael King, Freddy Peralta, or Adrian Morejon, and rely more on bouncebacks from the players they already have to improve the offense. It won't be the most popular move, but that's what makes it bold, and while offense remains the most obvious area of need, the Jays may decide adding another high-end pitcher is the best way to improve their chances of competing again in 2027. Owen Hill - Brett Bateman does NOT open 2027 as the Blue Jays' starting center fielder No, this is not Brett Bateman slander. Bateman was incredible after he came over at the trade deadline and quickly became a mainstay for the Blue Jays down the stretch. After the trade deadline, he was the Blue Jays' second-best position player by fWAR, with a top-25 mark in baseball over that span. So it would be easy to just pencil him back in to center field going into 2027. But this prediction can come true in many ways. The Blue Jays outfield mix is already crowded. Addison Barger and Anthony Santander will return and get more time in the outfield. Nathan Lukes will still be around, and Jonatan Clase is out of options, so the Blue Jays will either have to move on from him or give him an extended look. Plus, the Blue Jays could add a center fielder. Tyrone Taylor or Trent Grisham could be of interest and play center field. Or the Blue Jays could bring back Myles Straw and go with elite defense in center field again, and they always have the option of going the trade route. Injuries, positional movement, and role will all play a factor here too, but on paper, Bateman seems set to be the everyday center fielder in 2027, which is what makes this prediction bold. Mike LeSage - Kevin Gausman will re-sign with the Blue Jays The fit makes too much sense to ignore. By all accounts, Kevin Gausman and his family loved their time in Toronto, and the Blue Jays loved having him around, as his five-year, $110 million contract may go down as one of the best in franchise history. Going into 2027, there may be a match. Gausman will be 36 by next season, and in 2026, his ERA rose above 4.00 for the first time since 2019, while his fastball velocity dropped, likely a testament to how many innings he’s thrown over the last half-decade. Pair that with the fact that the Blue Jays already seem to have several starting pitching options (stop me if you've heard that before), and the team might look elsewhere when deciding how to allocate its resources this winter. But that's what makes this prediction bold. Gausman knows he’ll be comfortable in Toronto, and much of the Blue Jays fanbase will be happy to see him return. He just put his Toronto home up for sale, and with several former Blue Jays scattered across free agent leaderboards, Gausman may be the Blue Jays' biggest temptation to reunite with. Jesse Burrill - The Blue Jays will prioritize range and speed with their outfield acquisitions this winter With recent reports of MLB testing outfield positional rules to spur offense, outfielders could soon need designated starting positions on the grass, meaning range and speed in the outfield will matter more, and the Blue Jays may use this winter to get a head start. Bateman already has range and speed in the outfield, and Lukes has a strong glove, too, but I bet the team wants to add a defensive first outfielder to double down on that strength and improve the offense elsewhere. Cedric Mullins was fifth in OAA among outfielders in 2026 and could be an interesting fit. The Jays may pick up the option on Straw again. Seiya Suzuki isn’t at the same level on defense, but he ranked in the 88th percentile in outs above average and provides the best mix of offensive impact with defensive prowess. He could be a target on the higher end. With Ross Atkins also identifying baserunning as an area for improvement in 2027, the Blue Jays could prioritize outfielders who address both needs. Adding a player with above-average speed and defensive range would improve Toronto's ability to take extra bases and cover more ground in the outfield, while they look to get their high-impact offensive addition at another position. Will any of these predictions come true? It's hard to say. Our regular season bold takes have proven that predicting baseball is nearly impossible, and with one of the more unpredictable offseasons ahead, the challenge gets even harder. But if even one of these comes true, that’s a success and worth celebrating. For now, baseball rests, and it's time for transactions. View the full article

Later this week, Peter Bendix will be celebrating the third anniversary of his hiring as Miami Marlins president of baseball operations. For the longtime Tampa Bay Rays executive, this has been his first opportunity running a baseball ops department, and the results have been mixed. The Marlins got off to a historically bad start in 2024 on their way to posting a 62-100 record, trading away many key veterans in the process. However, they surged to 79 games in 2025 and got to 80 wins this past season with improved underlying stats. None of these teams made the playoffs. Overall, Miami's .455 winning percentage under Bendix is slightly better than their .453 winning percentage during the three prior seasons under general manager Kim Ng. The Marlins have made hundreds of transactions in what we'll refer to as "the Bendix era." Let's go through the three best and the three worst of them. Best Moves Claiming Otto Lopez off waivers There is no question this is the best move of Bendix's tenure so far. Lopez, originally a highly touted prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system, was designated for assignment and the San Francisco Giants claimed him. He was then claimed by the Marlins soon after the start of the 2024 season. Lopez made a strong impression in 2024, posting a 92 wRC+, stole 20 bags and had 16 outs above average playing second base. In 2025, although his wRC+ went down, it was a larger sample size. Most importantly, he and Xavier Edwards swapped spots in the infield, allowing Lopez to prove himself as a good defensive shortstop. In 2026, Lopez had a first half to remember, slashing .334/.368/.505/.874 with nine home runs and 45 RBI. He was named to his first All-Star Game and led the National League batting title race. Even with Lopez regressing in the second half, he still posted 5.9 fWAR and 6.1 bWAR while leading MLB with 191 total hits. He was the most valuable all-around position player that the Marlins have had in nearly a decade. Lopez is under club control through 2029 and now going into his first year of arbitration, meaning he is due for a major pay raise. The Marlins are willing to listen on what teams have to offer for the 28-year old shortstop, although a trade is highly unlikely. There also exists an avenue to extend Lopez and keep him in Miami for years to come. This is a dream scenario for any team: getting an everyday player at a premium position who has an All-Star ceiling without giving anything up. Lopez needed Miami as much as Miami needed him. It's been a perfect fit so far. Selecting Liam Hicks in Rule 5 Draft In Bendix's second offseason, he selected catcher Liam Hicks in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Hicks won the backup catcher job in spring training and made the Opening Day roster. Hicks slashed .247/.346/.346/.693 with six home runs, 45 RBI and a 99 wRC+ in his rookie season. He was very consistent and his role expanded as the year went on, getting occasional playing time at first base in addition to catcher. In the offseason, Hicks focused on increasing his bat speed and did so without sacrificing his elite contact ability. He appeared in 101 games leading up to the trade deadline, slashing .282/.363/.432/.795 with 14 home runs, 62 RBI and a 120 wRC+. His strikeout rate dropped to 9.5%, ranking second among Marlins players behind only Javier Sanoja. In less than two years, Hicks went from an unprotected prospect to an impact bat on a World Series contender (to be covered in more detail later). Even with such a short stint as a Marlin, he was the franchise's best Rule 5 pick since Dan Uggla in 2006. Acquiring Tyler Phillips for cash On the eve of Opening Day in 2025, the Marlins acquired Phillips from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations (a tiny step up from being a standard waiver claim). The right-hander had no minor league options remaining and his only MLB accomplishment was tossing a complete game shutout in 2024. Outside of that, he had struggled as a starter with the Phillies. After originally functioning as a low-leverage reliever for the Marlins, Phillips began to pitch well enough to see higher-leverage action. He continued to improve throughout the summer and finished the 2025 season posting a 2.78 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 6.03 K/9 and 2.78 BB/9 in 54 appearances. Phillips had more success early in the 2026 season out of the bullpen, but a plethora of starting pitching injuries pushed the Marlins to try him as a starter. That meant a huge increase to his workload and the results were solid, totaling 126 ⅔ innings with a 3.34 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 7.18 K/9 and 3.98 BB/9. As a starter, Phillips had a 3.90 ERA, compared to a 1.96 ERA as a reliever. Having Phillips return to the bullpen in 2027 would make the most sense, but now the Marlins know he can contribute in any role. Also, a pitcher going two full years without missing any time due to injury is a rare accomplishment. Honorable Mention: Claiming Ronny Henriquez off waivers Right before 2025 spring training, Henriquez was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. In 69 appearances, Henriquez posted a 2.22 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 12.08 K/9, 3.33 BB/9 and seven saves. His 98 strikeouts tied Edwin Díaz for second-most among National League relievers that year. He didn't spend any time on the IL. Henriquez also recorded strikeouts in 60 separate appearances, which set an all-time Marlins single-season record. Repeating that production for another season would have been enough for Henriquez to crack the top three, but he missed all of 2026 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He is on track to be fully ready to bounce back in 2027, potentially working the majority of the Marlins' save opportunities. Worst Moves Trading Jesús Luzardo to Phillies Acquiring Luzardo at the 2021 trade deadline in exchange for Starling Marte was one of Kim Ng's best moves. Marte was a pending free agent anyway and the Marlins swapped him for four years of a 4.15 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 9.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and 6.7 bWAR. The Broward kid was critical to the club's 2023 postseason berth, pitching Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series. Following an injury-shortened 2024 season, Luzardo's value dropped. He was 27 years old at the time and two years away from reaching free agency. He had also spoken publicly about hoping to stay long term with his hometown team. Instead of giving Luzardo an opportunity to reestablish himself, Bendix traded him and minor league catcher Paul McIntosh to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd. Caba was ranked as Baseball America's No. 54 MLB prospect on the strength of excellent shortstop defense. Boyd was a player who had plus speed and could play all three outfield spots, but a weak hit tool. He was a throw-in. Luzardo has dominated with the Phillies. They signed him to a five-year contract extension worth $135M going into 2026, and that already looks like a bargain after he posted a 2.86 ERA, 2.78 FIP, 11.07 K/9 and 2.60 BB/9 in 179 ⅔ innings pitched. He has helped them to back-to-back postseason appearances, though no series wins. Luzardo is an ace camouflaged as a mid-rotation starter in Philly where he's surrounded by Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler. In 2025, Caba missed most of the season due to a left thumb sprain. In a 51 games, he slashed .222/.335/.278/.613 with one home run, 21 RBI, 14 stolen bases and an 85 wRC+. After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, Caba started the 2026 season with High-A Beloit, where in 82 games, he slashed .236/.389/.378/.767 with seven home runs, 47 RBI, 21 stolen bases and a 112 wRC+. The glove has been as good as advertised, but the offensive ceiling isn't the highest given he doesn't hit for much power. He is also coming off a season where he struck out 24.1% of the time, a sharp increase from the previous season. In a best-case scenario, Caba could make it to the majors in 2028. After posting a 100 wRC+ in 2025 (league average on the dot), Boyd's production plummeted, finishing the 2026 season with a 72 wRC+ in 65 games with Double-A Pensacola. Without even focusing on the results, Bendix went away from his core principles with this trade, selling low on a talented player entering his prime and going for quality over quantity in return. He got burned for it. Trading Victor Mesa Jr. to Rays The logic behind trading Mesa was easier to follow. He had no evidence of MLB success yet and the Marlins felt good about their other left-handed-hitting outfielders. Mesa suffered an injury during spring training and did not make Tampa Bay's Opening Day roster, but in Triple-A, he had a 145 wRC+ and was called up. In 79 regular season games, Mesa slashed .260/.327/.498/.825 with 14 home runs, 34 RBI and posted a 128 wRC+. Defensively, his eight outs above average ranked in the 93rd percentile, according to Baseball Savant. He has the skill set and instincts to be a perennial contender for Gold Gloves in right field. In the postseason, Mesa was in the middle of several brilliant defensive plays. He struggled offensively, but hit the go-ahead home run in the American League Divisional Series clincher. In return, the Marlins acquired minor leaguer Angel Brachi, who in 2026 posted a 112 wRC+ between the complex league and Low-A. Brachi is homeless in 130 career MiLB games. Trading Liam Hicks to Rays The foundation for a big move is sometimes laid way in advance. There was some discussion of trading Hicks to the Rays on the day that the Marlins originally picked him in 2024. Eventually, the teams revived those talks. Miami made this trade because Joe Mack had emerged as their clear catcher of the future. Between that and a supply of other left-handed bats to use at first base and designated hitter, Hicks was less valuable to them than he was to other teams. They may have also had doubts about him sustaining his power hitting from the first half of 2026. Unfortunately, Kyle Stowers suffered a left hamstring strain almost immediately after the trade. Without Hicks around to fill the void, their offense slumped and the team quickly slipped out of the playoff picture. With the Rays, Hicks slashed .288/.379/.440/.819 with four home runs, 20 RBI and posted a 130 wRC+. That was a huge win for a franchise that hasn't had a lot of production from the catching position throughout its history. In the postseason, Hicks hit one home run and drove in eight runs, posting a 98 wRC+ and guiding their pitching staff to great effectiveness, catching almost every game. Looking ahead, losing Hicks could haunt the Marlins for years to come. He is still pre-arbitration eligible and under club control through 2030. The best of the three prospects acquired, Brayden Taylor, slashed .194/.372/.418/.790 with four home runs, 14 RBI and a 116 wRC+ with the Marlins organization. Right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting posted a 1.88 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 11.63 K/9 and 2.63 BB/9 in five Double-A starts. The final piece, infielder Adrian Santana, slashed .246/.326/.310/.636 with 12 RBI and a 76 wRC+. Honorable Mention: 2025-26 free agent signings I'll combine all of these moves into one section since Bendix failed to get his money's worth from any of them. The Marlins signed Christopher Morel, Chris Paddack, John King, Austin Slater and Pete Fairbanks to one-year contracts last winter. By the final game of the 2026 season, none of them were left on the active roster. Morel joined the Marlins in hopes of looking like his 2023 self. An injury on Opening Day delayed his season debut, but in 22 games with the organization, he posted an 18 wRC+ and had one RBI and three extra-base hits during that tenure. He would be designated for assignment on June 21. He signed with the New York Mets, and after a torrid stretch in Triple-A, he was called up, but only played in 14 games. King, a left-handed reliever, looked like a great signing early on. The Marlins proposed some pitch-mix changes and he bought into them. Up until July 9, when he was placed on the IL, King threw to a 2.48 ERA and 3.90 FIP. His struggles started when he came off the IL, posting a 10.24 ERA in 10 appearances. He later signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, but did not appear in a MLB game with them. Paddack joined the Marlins to help the back end of the rotation. Well, in his first start, he allowed eight runs, and it didn't get much better from there. He finished his Marlins tenure making seven appearances (six starts), posting a 7.63 ERA, 4.96 FIP, 7.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. He signed with both the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers, but those were short stints. He finished the year in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Samsung Lions. In 13 KBO appearances (12 starts), he posted a 2.95 ERA. Slater was signed the day before Opening Day to specialize in facing lefties. He only played in 12 games, sporting a .460 OPS. He was designated for assignment on April 23 and then signed with both the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays. Fairbanks received $13M guaranteed, more than the other four veterans combined and the biggest contract that Bendix has handed out since he's been in Miami. He converted 19 saves as the team's closer, but had a career-worst year with a 6.31 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 12.4 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9. He also blew four saves and was placed on the injured list three times, all due to nerve irritation. Fairbanks underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in October, potentially keeping him out deep into the 2027 season. View the full article

Later this week, Peter Bendix will be celebrating the third anniversary of his hiring as Miami Marlins president of baseball operations. For the longtime Tampa Bay Rays executive, this has been his first opportunity running a baseball ops department, and the results have been mixed. The Marlins got off to a historically bad start in 2024 on their way to posting a 62-100 record, trading away many key veterans in the process. However, they surged to 79 games in 2025 and got to 80 wins this past season with improved underlying stats. None of these teams made the playoffs. Overall, Miami's .455 winning percentage under Bendix is slightly better than their .453 winning percentage during the three prior seasons under general manager Kim Ng. The Marlins have made hundreds of transactions in what we'll refer to as "the Bendix era." Let's go through the three best and the three worst of them. Best Moves Claiming Otto Lopez off waivers There is no question this is the best move of Bendix's tenure so far. Lopez, originally a highly touted prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays system, was designated for assignment and the San Francisco Giants claimed him. He was then claimed by the Marlins soon after the start of the 2024 season. Lopez made a strong impression in 2024, posting a 92 wRC+, stole 20 bags and had 16 outs above average playing second base. In 2025, although his wRC+ went down, it was a larger sample size. Most importantly, he and Xavier Edwards swapped spots in the infield, allowing Lopez to prove himself as a good defensive shortstop. In 2026, Lopez had a first half to remember, slashing .334/.368/.505/.874 with nine home runs and 45 RBI. He was named to his first All-Star Game and led the National League batting title race. Even with Lopez regressing in the second half, he still posted 5.9 fWAR and 6.1 bWAR while leading MLB with 191 total hits. He was the most valuable all-around position player that the Marlins have had in nearly a decade. Lopez is under club control through 2029 and now going into his first year of arbitration, meaning he is due for a major pay raise. The Marlins are willing to listen on what teams have to offer for the 28-year old shortstop, although a trade is highly unlikely. There also exists an avenue to extend Lopez and keep him in Miami for years to come. This is a dream scenario for any team: getting an everyday player at a premium position who has an All-Star ceiling without giving anything up. Lopez needed Miami as much as Miami needed him. It's been a perfect fit so far. Selecting Liam Hicks in Rule 5 Draft In Bendix's second offseason, he selected catcher Liam Hicks in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Hicks won the backup catcher job in spring training and made the Opening Day roster. Hicks slashed .247/.346/.346/.693 with six home runs, 45 RBI and a 99 wRC+ in his rookie season. He was very consistent and his role expanded as the year went on, getting occasional playing time at first base in addition to catcher. In the offseason, Hicks focused on increasing his bat speed and did so without sacrificing his elite contact ability. He appeared in 101 games leading up to the trade deadline, slashing .282/.363/.432/.795 with 14 home runs, 62 RBI and a 120 wRC+. His strikeout rate dropped to 9.5%, ranking second among Marlins players behind only Javier Sanoja. In less than two years, Hicks went from an unprotected prospect to an impact bat on a World Series contender (to be covered in more detail later). Even with such a short stint as a Marlin, he was the franchise's best Rule 5 pick since Dan Uggla in 2006. Acquiring Tyler Phillips for cash On the eve of Opening Day in 2025, the Marlins acquired Phillips from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations (a tiny step up from being a standard waiver claim). The right-hander had no minor league options remaining and his only MLB accomplishment was tossing a complete game shutout in 2024. Outside of that, he had struggled as a starter with the Phillies. After originally functioning as a low-leverage reliever for the Marlins, Phillips began to pitch well enough to see higher-leverage action. He continued to improve throughout the summer and finished the 2025 season posting a 2.78 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 6.03 K/9 and 2.78 BB/9 in 54 appearances. Phillips had more success early in the 2026 season out of the bullpen, but a plethora of starting pitching injuries pushed the Marlins to try him as a starter. That meant a huge increase to his workload and the results were solid, totaling 126 ⅔ innings with a 3.34 ERA, 4.65 FIP, 7.18 K/9 and 3.98 BB/9. As a starter, Phillips had a 3.90 ERA, compared to a 1.96 ERA as a reliever. Having Phillips return to the bullpen in 2027 would make the most sense, but now the Marlins know he can contribute in any role. Also, a pitcher going two full years without missing any time due to injury is a rare accomplishment. Honorable Mention: Claiming Ronny Henriquez off waivers Right before 2025 spring training, Henriquez was claimed off waivers from the Minnesota Twins. In 69 appearances, Henriquez posted a 2.22 ERA, 3.15 FIP, 12.08 K/9, 3.33 BB/9 and seven saves. His 98 strikeouts tied Edwin Díaz for second-most among National League relievers that year. He didn't spend any time on the IL. Henriquez also recorded strikeouts in 60 separate appearances, which set an all-time Marlins single-season record. Repeating that production for another season would have been enough for Henriquez to crack the top three, but he missed all of 2026 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He is on track to be fully ready to bounce back in 2027, potentially working the majority of the Marlins' save opportunities. Worst Moves Trading Jesús Luzardo to Phillies Acquiring Luzardo at the 2021 trade deadline in exchange for Starling Marte was one of Kim Ng's best moves. Marte was a pending free agent anyway and the Marlins swapped him for four years of a 4.15 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 9.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and 6.7 bWAR. The Broward kid was critical to the club's 2023 postseason berth, pitching Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series. Following an injury-shortened 2024 season, Luzardo's value dropped. He was 27 years old at the time and two years away from reaching free agency. He had also spoken publicly about hoping to stay long term with his hometown team. Instead of giving Luzardo an opportunity to reestablish himself, Bendix traded him and minor league catcher Paul McIntosh to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd. Caba was ranked as Baseball America's No. 54 MLB prospect on the strength of excellent shortstop defense. Boyd was a player who had plus speed and could play all three outfield spots, but a weak hit tool. He was a throw-in. Luzardo has dominated with the Phillies. They signed him to a five-year contract extension worth $135M going into 2026, and that already looks like a bargain after he posted a 2.86 ERA, 2.78 FIP, 11.07 K/9 and 2.60 BB/9 in 179 ⅔ innings pitched. He has helped them to back-to-back postseason appearances, though no series wins. Luzardo is an ace camouflaged as a mid-rotation starter in Philly where he's surrounded by Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler. In 2025, Caba missed most of the season due to a left thumb sprain. In a 51 games, he slashed .222/.335/.278/.613 with one home run, 21 RBI, 14 stolen bases and an 85 wRC+. After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League, Caba started the 2026 season with High-A Beloit, where in 82 games, he slashed .236/.389/.378/.767 with seven home runs, 47 RBI, 21 stolen bases and a 112 wRC+. The glove has been as good as advertised, but the offensive ceiling isn't the highest given he doesn't hit for much power. He is also coming off a season where he struck out 24.1% of the time, a sharp increase from the previous season. In a best-case scenario, Caba could make it to the majors in 2028. After posting a 100 wRC+ in 2025 (league average on the dot), Boyd's production plummeted, finishing the 2026 season with a 72 wRC+ in 65 games with Double-A Pensacola. Without even focusing on the results, Bendix went away from his core principles with this trade, selling low on a talented player entering his prime and going for quality over quantity in return. He got burned for it. Trading Victor Mesa Jr. to Rays The logic behind trading Mesa was easier to follow. He had no evidence of MLB success yet and the Marlins felt good about their other left-handed-hitting outfielders. Mesa suffered an injury during spring training and did not make Tampa Bay's Opening Day roster, but in Triple-A, he had a 145 wRC+ and was called up. In 79 regular season games, Mesa slashed .260/.327/.498/.825 with 14 home runs, 34 RBI and posted a 128 wRC+. Defensively, his eight outs above average ranked in the 93rd percentile, according to Baseball Savant. He has the skill set and instincts to be a perennial contender for Gold Gloves in right field. In the postseason, Mesa was in the middle of several brilliant defensive plays. He struggled offensively, but hit the go-ahead home run in the American League Divisional Series clincher. In return, the Marlins acquired minor leaguer Angel Brachi, who in 2026 posted a 112 wRC+ between the complex league and Low-A. Brachi is homeless in 130 career MiLB games. Trading Liam Hicks to Rays The foundation for a big move is sometimes laid way in advance. There was some discussion of trading Hicks to the Rays on the day that the Marlins originally picked him in 2024. Eventually, the teams revived those talks. Miami made this trade because Joe Mack had emerged as their clear catcher of the future. Between that and a supply of other left-handed bats to use at first base and designated hitter, Hicks was less valuable to them than he was to other teams. They may have also had doubts about him sustaining his power hitting from the first half of 2026. Unfortunately, Kyle Stowers suffered a left hamstring strain almost immediately after the trade. Without Hicks around to fill the void, their offense slumped and the team quickly slipped out of the playoff picture. With the Rays, Hicks slashed .288/.379/.440/.819 with four home runs, 20 RBI and posted a 130 wRC+. That was a huge win for a franchise that hasn't had a lot of production from the catching position throughout its history. In the postseason, Hicks hit one home run and drove in eight runs, posting a 98 wRC+ and guiding their pitching staff to great effectiveness, catching almost every game. Looking ahead, losing Hicks could haunt the Marlins for years to come. He is still pre-arbitration eligible and under club control through 2030. The best of the three prospects acquired, Brayden Taylor, slashed .194/.372/.418/.790 with four home runs, 14 RBI and a 116 wRC+ with the Marlins organization. Right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting posted a 1.88 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 11.63 K/9 and 2.63 BB/9 in five Double-A starts. The final piece, infielder Adrian Santana, slashed .246/.326/.310/.636 with 12 RBI and a 76 wRC+. Honorable Mention: 2025-26 free agent signings I'll combine all of these moves into one section since Bendix failed to get his money's worth from any of them. The Marlins signed Christopher Morel, Chris Paddack, John King, Austin Slater and Pete Fairbanks to one-year contracts last winter. By the final game of the 2026 season, none of them were left on the active roster. Morel joined the Marlins in hopes of looking like his 2023 self. An injury on Opening Day delayed his season debut, but in 22 games with the organization, he posted an 18 wRC+ and had one RBI and three extra-base hits during that tenure. He would be designated for assignment on June 21. He signed with the New York Mets, and after a torrid stretch in Triple-A, he was called up, but only played in 14 games. King, a left-handed reliever, looked like a great signing early on. The Marlins proposed some pitch-mix changes and he bought into them. Up until July 9, when he was placed on the IL, King threw to a 2.48 ERA and 3.90 FIP. His struggles started when he came off the IL, posting a 10.24 ERA in 10 appearances. He later signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers, but did not appear in a MLB game with them. Paddack joined the Marlins to help the back end of the rotation. Well, in his first start, he allowed eight runs, and it didn't get much better from there. He finished his Marlins tenure making seven appearances (six starts), posting a 7.63 ERA, 4.96 FIP, 7.9 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9. He signed with both the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers, but those were short stints. He finished the year in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Samsung Lions. In 13 KBO appearances (12 starts), he posted a 2.95 ERA. Slater was signed the day before Opening Day to specialize in facing lefties. He only played in 12 games, sporting a .460 OPS. He was designated for assignment on April 23 and then signed with both the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays. Fairbanks received $13M guaranteed, more than the other four veterans combined and the biggest contract that Bendix has handed out since he's been in Miami. He converted 19 saves as the team's closer, but had a career-worst year with a 6.31 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 12.4 K/9 and 4.6 BB/9. He also blew four saves and was placed on the injured list three times, all due to nerve irritation. Fairbanks underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in October, potentially keeping him out deep into the 2027 season. View the full article

The New York Mets already knew they had a good starting pitcher in Nolan McLean after the right-hander put up very nice numbers during his rookie season. His stock just went up a little bit after he became the first rookie pitcher to win a Gold Glove on Sunday. McLean joins Ron Darling in 1989 as the only pitchers in Mets history to win the NL honor. This is also the first Mets Gold Glove since 2014, when center fielder Juan Lagares won it. The only team with a longer Gold Glove drought is the Washington Nationals (14 years). McLean committed three errors among his 43 chances during his 31 starts this year for a fielding percentage of .930. He had 24 assists and was part of two double plays. McLean had four defensive runs saved, tied for fourth-most among MLB pitchers. He also controlled the running game with three pickoffs and only six steals in eight attempts against him. McLean, who went 12-10 with a 3.16 ERA this year, is an NL Rookie of the Year candidate. View the full article

The New York Mets already knew they had a good starting pitcher in Nolan McLean after the right-hander put up very nice numbers during his rookie season. His stock just went up a little bit after he became the first rookie pitcher to win a Gold Glove on Sunday. McLean joins Ron Darling in 1989 as the only pitchers in Mets history to win the NL honor. This is also the first Mets Gold Glove since 2014, when center fielder Juan Lagares won it. The only team with a longer Gold Glove drought is the Washington Nationals (14 years). McLean committed three errors among his 43 chances during his 31 starts this year for a fielding percentage of .930. He had 24 assists and was part of two double plays. McLean had four defensive runs saved, tied for fourth-most among MLB pitchers. He also controlled the running game with three pickoffs and only six steals in eight attempts against him. McLean, who went 12-10 with a 3.16 ERA this year, is an NL Rookie of the Year candidate. View the full article

One of the reasons behind the Boston Red Sox's rise from early-season struggles to earning a postseason berth was their defense. So it was no surprise Sunday when three players were awarded Gold Gloves. Right fielder Wilyer Abreu, center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and third baseman Caleb Durbin each took home the AL honor at their respective positions. It was Abreu's third Gold Glove in as many MLB seasons, while Rafaela has won it back-to-back in his third full season (fourth overall) and Durbin for the first time in his second MLB season. This is the first time since 2018 that the Red Sox won three Gold Gloves in a single year and the fifth time in club history (also in 1968, 1979, 2011). Abreu and Rafaela are the third pair of teammates to win back-to-back Gold Gloves and the second from the Red Sox. Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn did it in 1978-79 and the Pittsburgh Pirates' Andy Van Slyke and Barry Bonds won three in a row from 1990-92. Rafaela had 17 outs above average in center field, second in MLB behind NL Gold Glove winner Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs, who had 26. Rafaela also had an AL-best eight assists and .994 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in 352 chances. He also had a hand in two double plays. Abreu had just two OAA, but his reputation preceded him. He is always in the right position and possesses a rocket arm. His 13 assists were the most in MLB and he also had two doubles, while committing nine errors, the most among MLB right fielders for a .971 fielding percentage. Durbin only became a regular third baseman when he was called up by the Milwaukee Brewers in April 2025 to make his MLB debut. He led MLB third basemen with 282 assists and 31 double plays, while topping the AL with a .972 fielding percentage (he had 11 errors). He had six OAA. All three are now eligible to win the AL Platinum Glove, which goes to the league's top overall defender regardless of position. The winner will be announced Friday. View the full article

One of the reasons behind the Boston Red Sox's rise from early-season struggles to earning a postseason berth was their defense. So it was no surprise Sunday when three players were awarded Gold Gloves. Right fielder Wilyer Abreu, center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and third baseman Caleb Durbin each took home the AL honor at their respective positions. It was Abreu's third Gold Glove in as many MLB seasons, while Rafaela has won it back-to-back in his third full season (fourth overall) and Durbin for the first time in his second MLB season. This is the first time since 2018 that the Red Sox won three Gold Gloves in a single year and the fifth time in club history (also in 1968, 1979, 2011). Abreu and Rafaela are the third pair of teammates to win back-to-back Gold Gloves and the second from the Red Sox. Dwight Evans and Fred Lynn did it in 1978-79 and the Pittsburgh Pirates' Andy Van Slyke and Barry Bonds won three in a row from 1990-92. Rafaela had 17 outs above average in center field, second in MLB behind NL Gold Glove winner Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs, who had 26. Rafaela also had an AL-best eight assists and .994 fielding percentage, committing just two errors in 352 chances. He also had a hand in two double plays. Abreu had just two OAA, but his reputation preceded him. He is always in the right position and possesses a rocket arm. His 13 assists were the most in MLB and he also had two doubles, while committing nine errors, the most among MLB right fielders for a .971 fielding percentage. Durbin only became a regular third baseman when he was called up by the Milwaukee Brewers in April 2025 to make his MLB debut. He led MLB third basemen with 282 assists and 31 double plays, while topping the AL with a .972 fielding percentage (he had 11 errors). He had six OAA. All three are now eligible to win the AL Platinum Glove, which goes to the league's top overall defender regardless of position. The winner will be announced Friday. View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers already landed the postseason hardware they were seeking. Now, some players are starting to haul in some trophies of their own. Just days after winning the World Series, second baseman Brice Turang and left fielder Jackson Chourio each won NL Gold Gloves on Sunday. For Turang, it was his second Gold Glove, having also won in 2024 when he snagged the Platinum Glove as the NL's top overall defender regardless of position. Chourio's Gold Glove was the first of his three-year career. Turang, in his fourth MLB season, made just five errors in 593 chances at second base, seeing time at the position in 151 games, including 148 starts. He also led the NL with 219 putouts and was tops in MLB at the position with 91 double plays. His 15 total zone rating led MLB, according to Baseball Reference In 151 games (148 starts) at second base, Turang had a .992 fielding percentage, with a career-low five errors in 593 chances. He led the NL with 219 putouts and MLB with 91 double plays. He also led MLB with 15 total zone field runs above average, per Baseball Reference, and 19 outs above average, per Statcast. Chourio has made a remarkable improvement in his defense since breaking into the majors. While he has made just two errors, both in center field in 2025, during his three seasons, his paths to balls and reluctance to make certain plays marked the early portion of his young career. Not this year. Chourio looked like a defensive star in left field this year and even his 13 appearances in center. But in 123 games (112 starts) in left, he caught all 199 fly balls and liners, while notching eight assists for a .989 fielding percentage. He had eight total zone field runs above average and seven OAA. Chourio halted the five-year run of Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs as the NL Gold Glove left fielder. Both players are now eligible to win the NL Platinum Glove, which will be announced Friday. View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers already landed the postseason hardware they were seeking. Now, some players are starting to haul in some trophies of their own. Just days after winning the World Series, second baseman Brice Turang and left fielder Jackson Chourio each won NL Gold Gloves on Sunday. For Turang, it was his second Gold Glove, having also won in 2024 when he snagged the Platinum Glove as the NL's top overall defender regardless of position. Chourio's Gold Glove was the first of his three-year career. Turang, in his fourth MLB season, made just five errors in 593 chances at second base, seeing time at the position in 151 games, including 148 starts. He also led the NL with 219 putouts and was tops in MLB at the position with 91 double plays. His 15 total zone rating led MLB, according to Baseball Reference In 151 games (148 starts) at second base, Turang had a .992 fielding percentage, with a career-low five errors in 593 chances. He led the NL with 219 putouts and MLB with 91 double plays. He also led MLB with 15 total zone field runs above average, per Baseball Reference, and 19 outs above average, per Statcast. Chourio has made a remarkable improvement in his defense since breaking into the majors. While he has made just two errors, both in center field in 2025, during his three seasons, his paths to balls and reluctance to make certain plays marked the early portion of his young career. Not this year. Chourio looked like a defensive star in left field this year and even his 13 appearances in center. But in 123 games (112 starts) in left, he caught all 199 fly balls and liners, while notching eight assists for a .989 fielding percentage. He had eight total zone field runs above average and seven OAA. Chourio halted the four-year run of Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs as the NL Gold Glove left fielder. Both players are now eligible to win the NL Platinum Glove, which will be announced Friday. View the full article

Every offseason, we offer our You’re The GM! tool to build your ideal Padres roster. This year, we’ve updated and streamlined the tool a bit to improve the experience. The idea behind this feature is to give fans a chance to play the role of General Manager (or CBO or PoBO… you get the idea) for their favorite team, the San Diego Padres. It’s meant to give fans the opportunity to discuss (and, let’s be honest, argue) how they would approach the long, dark MLB offseason. This tool is intended to be informal and fun, so we’ve left it as open as possible. There is a payroll “budget” that loosely resembles the Padres 2026 payroll, but there is no penalty for going over that number. It’s a guideline, nothing more. Second, you can submit as many blueprints as you like throughout the offseason. As the offseason landscape changes, users often return multiple times over the winter and create new blueprints. Before we get into the breakdown of the tool, you can save your blueprint and come back to it at any time. The only restriction is that you must register an account on the site to create a blueprint (so we can save a draft for you and also post the blueprint for others to discuss). Create an account on DiamondCentric.net, then return here, log in using those credentials, and get to creating your 2027 blueprint! Let’s get into the tool itself. It has four quadrants that work best if addressed in a counter-clockwise order (this tool works much better on a desktop due to its complexity, but it will work on mobile devices if need be). Top Left: The 26-Man Roster We have created a rough guideline for the Padres 26-man roster. The roster is flexible; you can add or remove players as you see fit. We’ve also included either guaranteed salaries or, in the case of arbitration and contract options, the recommendations of MLB Trade Rumors. This section is where you build your roster and make changes based on the following two sections. As you make changes to players and salaries, the total payroll number (right side of the screen) will change, allowing you to track your budget on the fly. The bottom field in both columns is for any dead money you assume during the course of your offseason. Acquiring dead money should be uncommon, but we want to give users the option to take on dead salary if it suits their purposes. Bottom Left: Arbitration & Trade Decisions Here, you will find a selection of arbitration options and internal options (usually from the 40-man roster or minor leagues) to assist in building your offseason roster. On the right-hand side of this column, you will see Trade Candidates, a list of the 40 players most likely to be traded this offseason, again per MLB Trade Rumors. To help you get up to speed with these candidates, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on trade candidates. Bottom Right: Free Agents Here, you will find the top 75 free agents according to our rankings on DiamondCentric. These are sorted by position to facilitate quickly finding your desired free agent and include the recommended salary for that player. Because this is a blueprint for a single year, we only include their projected salary for the coming season, not the number of years, deferrals, or anything else. Top Right: Dead Money, Your Total Payroll, & Commentary The only unalterable field on the page is Dead Money; it is players to whom the team has committed money but has no reasonable way to get out of the contract. Below that, you will see the recommended budget, your current total, and the percentage you are over or under that budget. Again, keep in mind the budget is only a guideline, and you can go above it as much as you like… But defend your choices, coward! The following field is Title, which gives other users an idea of what to expect with your blueprint (e.g., Be Unreasonable, Sign Tarik Skubal!). When your blueprint posts for other users, it will read “Your Username’s 2027 Payroll Blueprint: Be Unreasonable, Sign Tarik Skubal!”. The following field is Your Comments & Explanation, a long-form field meant to type out the rationale behind your decisions. Here is the place to fully explain your trades (including which players are leaving the Padres to bring in new players), why you targeted specific free agents, and any promotions from the minors you advocate or any options you declined to extend to a specific player. This is often multiple paragraphs; you can write up as much detail as you desire. That’s it, you’re done! At this point, you can either publish your blueprint to the forums or save it for later if you feel it’s incomplete. Thank you for joining us at Padres Mission. I hope you enjoy playing the role of general manager, at least for a moment! Start Your Payroll Blueprint Now View the full article

Every offseason, we offer our You’re The GM! tool to build your ideal Royals roster. This year, we’ve updated and streamlined the tool a bit to improve the experience. The idea behind this feature is to give fans a chance to play the role of General Manager (or CBO or PoBO… you get the idea) for their favorite team, the Kansas City Royals. It’s meant to give fans the opportunity to discuss (and, let’s be honest, argue) how they would approach the long, dark MLB offseason. This tool is intended to be informal and fun, so we’ve left it as open as possible. There is a payroll “budget” that loosely resembles the Royals 2026 payroll, but there is no penalty for going over that number. It’s a guideline, nothing more. Second, you can submit as many blueprints as you like throughout the offseason. As the offseason landscape changes, users often return multiple times over the winter and create new blueprints. Before we get into the breakdown of the tool, you can save your blueprint and come back to it at any time. The only restriction is that you must register an account on the site to create a blueprint (so we can save a draft for you and also post the blueprint for others to discuss). Create an account on DiamondCentric.net, then return here, log in using those credentials, and get to creating your 2027 blueprint! Let’s get into the tool itself. It has four quadrants that work best if addressed in a counter-clockwise order (this tool works much better on a desktop due to its complexity, but it will work on mobile devices if need be). Top Left: The 26-Man Roster We have created a rough guideline for the Royals 26-man roster. The roster is flexible; you can add or remove players as you see fit. We’ve also included either guaranteed salaries or, in the case of arbitration and contract options, the recommendations of MLB Trade Rumors. This section is where you build your roster and make changes based on the following two sections. As you make changes to players and salaries, the total payroll number (right side of the screen) will change, allowing you to track your budget on the fly. The bottom field in both columns is for any dead money you assume during the course of your offseason. Acquiring dead money should be uncommon, but we want to give users the option to take on dead salary if it suits their purposes. Bottom Left: Arbitration & Trade Decisions Here, you will find a selection of arbitration options and internal options (usually from the 40-man roster or minor leagues) to assist in building your offseason roster. On the right-hand side of this column, you will see Trade Candidates, a list of the 40 players most likely to be traded this offseason, again per MLB Trade Rumors. To help you get up to speed with these candidates, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on trade candidates. Bottom Right: Free Agents Here, you will find the top 75 free agents according to our rankings on DiamondCentric. These are sorted by position to facilitate quickly finding your desired free agent and include the recommended salary for that player. Because this is a blueprint for a single year, we only include their projected salary for the coming season, not the number of years, deferrals, or anything else. Top Right: Dead Money, Your Total Payroll, & Commentary The only unalterable field on the page is Dead Money; it is players to whom the team has committed money but has no reasonable way to get out of the contract. Below that, you will see the recommended budget, your current total, and the percentage you are over or under that budget. Again, keep in mind the budget is only a guideline, and you can go above it as much as you like… But defend your choices, coward! The following field is Title, which gives other users an idea of what to expect with your blueprint (e.g., Be Unreasonable, Sign Tarik Skubal!). When your blueprint posts for other users, it will read “Your Username’s 2027 Payroll Blueprint: Be Unreasonable, Sign Tarik Skubal!”. The following field is Your Comments & Explanation, a long-form field meant to type out the rationale behind your decisions. Here is the place to fully explain your trades (including which players are leaving the Royals to bring in new players), why you targeted specific free agents, and any promotions from the minors you advocate or any options you declined to extend to a specific player. This is often multiple paragraphs; you can write up as much detail as you desire. That’s it, you’re done! At this point, you can either publish your blueprint to the forums or save it for later if you feel it’s incomplete. Thank you for joining us at Royals Keep. I hope you enjoy playing the role of general manager, at least for a moment! Start Your Payroll Blueprint Now View the full article

Every offseason, we offer our You’re The GM! tool to build your ideal Royals roster. This year, we’ve updated and streamlined the tool a bit to improve the experience. The idea behind this feature is to give fans a chance to play the role of General Manager (or CBO or PoBO… you get the idea) for their favorite team, the Kansas City Royals. It’s meant to give fans the opportunity to discuss (and, let’s be honest, argue) how they would approach the long, dark MLB offseason. This tool is intended to be informal and fun, so we’ve left it as open as possible. There is a payroll “budget” that loosely resembles the Royals 2026 payroll, but there is no penalty for going over that number. It’s a guideline, nothing more. Second, you can submit as many blueprints as you like throughout the offseason. As the offseason landscape changes, users often return multiple times over the winter and create new blueprints. Before we get into the breakdown of the tool, you can save your blueprint and come back to it at any time. The only restriction is that you must register an account on the site to create a blueprint (so we can save a draft for you and also post the blueprint for others to discuss). Create an account on DiamondCentric.net, then return here, log in using those credentials, and get to creating your 2027 blueprint! Let’s get into the tool itself. It has four quadrants that work best if addressed in a counter-clockwise order (this tool works much better on a desktop due to its complexity, but it will work on mobile devices if need be). Top Left: The 26-Man Roster We have created a rough guideline for the Royals 26-man roster. The roster is flexible; you can add or remove players as you see fit. We’ve also included either guaranteed salaries or, in the case of arbitration and contract options, the recommendations of MLB Trade Rumors. This section is where you build your roster and make changes based on the following two sections. As you make changes to players and salaries, the total payroll number (right side of the screen) will change, allowing you to track your budget on the fly. The bottom field in both columns is for any dead money you assume during the course of your offseason. Acquiring dead money should be uncommon, but we want to give users the option to take on dead salary if it suits their purposes. Bottom Left: Arbitration & Trade Decisions Here, you will find a selection of arbitration options and internal options (usually from the 40-man roster or minor leagues) to assist in building your offseason roster. On the right-hand side of this column, you will see Trade Candidates, a list of the 40 players most likely to be traded this offseason, again per MLB Trade Rumors. To help you get up to speed with these candidates, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on trade candidates. Bottom Right: Free Agents Here, you will find the top 75 free agents according to our rankings on DiamondCentric. These are sorted by position to facilitate quickly finding your desired free agent and include the recommended salary for that player. Because this is a blueprint for a single year, we only include their projected salary for the coming season, not the number of years, deferrals, or anything else. Top Right: Dead Money, Your Total Payroll, & Commentary The only unalterable field on the page is Dead Money; it is players to whom the team has committed money but has no reasonable way to get out of the contract. Below that, you will see the recommended budget, your current total, and the percentage you are over or under that budget. Again, keep in mind the budget is only a guideline, and you can go above it as much as you like… But defend your choices, coward! The following field is Title, which gives other users an idea of what to expect with your blueprint (e.g., Be Unreasonable, Sign Tarik Skubal!). When your blueprint posts for other users, it will read “Your Username’s 2027 Payroll Blueprint: Be Unreasonable, Sign Tarik Skubal!”. The following field is Your Comments & Explanation, a long-form field meant to type out the rationale behind your decisions. Here is the place to fully explain your trades (including which players are leaving the Royals to bring in new players), why you targeted specific free agents, and any promotions from the minors you advocate or any options you declined to extend to a specific player. This is often multiple paragraphs; you can write up as much detail as you desire. That’s it, you’re done! At this point, you can either publish your blueprint to the forums or save it for later if you feel it’s incomplete. Thank you for joining us at Royals Keep. I hope you enjoy playing the role of general manager, at least for a moment! Start Your Payroll Blueprint Now View the full article

Every offseason, we offer our You’re The GM! tool to build your ideal Cubs roster. This year, we’ve updated and streamlined the tool a bit to improve the experience. The idea behind this feature is to give fans a chance to play the role of General Manager (or CBO or PoBO… you get the idea) for their favorite team, the Chicago Cubs. It’s meant to give fans the opportunity to discuss (and, let’s be honest, argue) how they would approach the long, dark MLB offseason. This tool is intended to be informal and fun, so we’ve left it as open as possible. There is a payroll “budget” that loosely resembles the Cubs 2026 payroll, but there is no penalty for going over that number. It’s a guideline, nothing more. Second, you can submit as many blueprints as you like throughout the offseason. As the offseason landscape changes, users often return multiple times over the winter and create new blueprints. Before we get into the breakdown of the tool, you can save your blueprint and come back to it at any time. The only restriction is that you must register an account on the site to create a blueprint (so we can save a draft for you and also post the blueprint for others to discuss). Create an account on DiamondCentric.net, then return here, log in using those credentials, and get to creating your 2027 blueprint! Let’s get into the tool itself. It has four quadrants that work best if addressed in a counter-clockwise order (this tool works much better on a desktop due to its complexity, but it will work on mobile devices if need be). Top Left: The 26-Man Roster We have created a rough guideline for the Cubs 26-man roster. The roster is flexible; you can add or remove players as you see fit. We’ve also included either guaranteed salaries or, in the case of arbitration and contract options, the recommendations of MLB Trade Rumors. This section is where you build your roster and make changes based on the following two sections. As you make changes to players and salaries, the total payroll number (right side of the screen) will change, allowing you to track your budget on the fly. The bottom field in both columns is for any dead money you assume during the course of your offseason. Acquiring dead money should be uncommon, but we want to give users the option to take on dead salary if it suits their purposes. Bottom Left: Arbitration & Trade Decisions Here, you will find a selection of arbitration options and internal options (usually from the 40-man roster or minor leagues) to assist in building your offseason roster. On the right-hand side of this column, you will see Trade Candidates, a list of the 40 players most likely to be traded this offseason, again per MLB Trade Rumors. To help you get up to speed with these candidates, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on trade candidates. Bottom Right: Free Agents Here, you will find the top 75 free agents according to our rankings on DiamondCentric. These are sorted by position to facilitate quickly finding your desired free agent and include the recommended salary for that player. Because this is a blueprint for a single year, we only include their projected salary for the coming season, not the number of years, deferrals, or anything else. Top Right: Dead Money, Your Total Payroll, & Commentary The only unalterable field on the page is Dead Money; it is players to whom the team has committed money but has no reasonable way to get out of the contract. Below that, you will see the recommended budget, your current total, and the percentage you are over or under that budget. Again, keep in mind the budget is only a guideline, and you can go above it as much as you like… But defend your choices, coward! The following field is Title, which gives other users an idea of what to expect with your blueprint (e.g., Be Unreasonable, Sign Tarik Skubal!). When your blueprint posts for other users, it will read “Your Username’s 2027 Payroll Blueprint: Be Unreasonable, Sign Tarik Skubal!”. The following field is Your Comments & Explanation, a long-form field meant to type out the rationale behind your decisions. Here is the place to fully explain your trades (including which players are leaving the Cubs to bring in new players), why you targeted specific free agents, and any promotions from the minors you advocate or any options you declined to extend to a specific player. This is often multiple paragraphs; you can write up as much detail as you desire. That’s it, you’re done! At this point, you can either publish your blueprint to the forums or save it for later if you feel it’s incomplete. Thank you for joining us at North Side Baseball. I hope you enjoy playing the role of general manager, at least for a moment! Start Your Payroll Blueprint Now View the full article