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Lou Hennessy, Nick Nelson, and Jamie Cameron join John Bonnes live from the MLB Winter Meetings to discuss the latest Twins rumors, the MLB Draft lottery, and much more in this special episode of the Twins Off-Daily Podcast! Listen using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twins-off-daily-podcast/id1741266056 Listen using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tb78XlurcPTYYSsARdbD7 Listen using iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-twins-off-daily-podcas-167548600/ Listen using Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/nvclbt0w Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twinsdaily View the full article

The Chicago Cubs are among the teams "involved in the mix" as the Miami Marlins entertain trade offers for Edward Cabrera, a source with knowledge of talks said early Wednesday. It's not clear whether Chicago is the current frontrunner, but the Baltimore Orioles are also pursuing Cabrera, for whom the Marlins seek multiple pieces. In July, Cabrera was the Cubs' top priority as they focused on controllable starting pitchers ahead of the trade deadline. They didn't ultimately land him (or any such player), but the talks between the teams then have rekindled this winter, according to multiple sources. Miami has long coveted Owen Caissie, the left-handed slugger and a candidate to take over right field for the Cubs in 2026. Caissie would have been the main return if the two teams had completed a deal they nearly finalized last winter, which would have sent left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo to Chicago. That deal fell apart only because of medical concerns (on both sides), and Caissie showed in 2025 that he could bounce back after the sports hernia that hampered him in late 2024 and required surgery. Cabrera has three years of team control remaining, and will turn 28 years old in April. He's the kind of hard-throwing, bat-missing starter Chicago has been missing for the last few seasons, and in 2025, he made huge improvements in his control, which had been the stumbling block for him before that. He'd walked 13.3% of opposing batters through 2024, but that number was 8.3% this year. He achieved that leap without losing the strikeouts, which stayed north of 25% of opponents. When he's on the mound, Cabrera has the ability to dominate. Unfortunately, he wasn't as successful in shaking off the other big knock on him: that he's injury-prone. Cabrera did pitch a career-high 137 2/3 innings, but he missed the first fortnight of the year with a blister and three weeks in September with an elbow sprain. In 2023 and 2024, he was hampered by shoulder impingements, though he avoided major structural damage or surgery. The elbow issue from late in 2025, in particular, could complicate the Marlins' efforts to extract top value for him. Cabrera altered his arm slot this season to alleviate the strain on his shoulder and shore up his control, but if that just passed the problem down to his elbow, he could be in danger of blowing out as he accumulates a greater workload with the new delivery. Caissie could be one piece in a Cabrera trade, but not the only one. The Cubs will have to outbid teams (including the Orioles) who also have good young bats to trade, and the years of control and upside of Cabrera will make him expensive. Therefore, even as they remain engaged with Miami, the team has made inquiries with the Washington Nationals about MacKenzie Gore. The left-handed Gore has one fewer year of team control and (perhaps) a lower ceiling, but he also has a better track record when it comes to durability. The Nationals prefer Matt Shaw to Caissie, according to one source, so a deal for Gore could be part of a two-pronged maneuver: acquire the top-flight starter in a trade centered around Shaw, then sign one of Alex Bregman or Eugenio Suárez to take over at third base for multiple years. A source within a different front office speculated, based on the Cubs' recent activity behind the scenes, that the team wants to ensure they land one of Cabrera, Gore or Zac Gallen. The latter, of course, is a free agent, and his asking price remains higher than Chicago is willing to go. They can wait Scott Boras out a while, but Jed Hoyer would prefer to make a trade for one of the team-controlled starters and spend his money on a slugger. That would seem to better balance the team's dual mandates for this winter, too. While the Winter Meetings haven't yet yielded the big trades that made them famous, the Cubs (and plenty of other teams) have gotten deep into discussions on deals that could come to fruition in the next few days. With other items on their checklist (a key offensive infusion, bench and bullpen help), Hoyer and company want to get a starter as soon as possible—but they rarely allow that sense of urgency to force them into a move. They'll be patient, at least until more of their top targets come off the board. View the full article

Writing for the San Diego Union-Tribune, Kevin Acee reports that Padres' president of baseball operations, AJ Preller, isn't looking to trade some of the team's high-end relief pitching to fill other holes on the 2026 roster. The 2026 Padres bullpen currently projects to look similar to 2025, minus closer Robert Suarez. Adrian Morejon threw 73 2/3 innings in relief with a 24.5 percent K%, 5.9 percent BB%, and 2.28 FIP. Robert Suarez logged 69 2/3 innings, posting a 27.9 percent K%, 5.9 percent BB%, and 2.88 FIP. Mason Miller added 23 1/3 innings with a 54.2 percent K%, 12.0 percent BB%, and 1.12 FIP. Jeremiah Estrada and Wandy Peralta combined for 143 1/3 innings with K% marks of 35.5 and 19.7 percent, respectively. Overall, Padres relievers produced a 25.8 percent K%, 9.6 percent BB%, 3.53 FIP, and 7.6 WAR over 609 innings in 2025. The 2025 Padres offense finished with a team line of .252/.321/.390 and a 102 wRC+ over 6,087 plate appearances, close to league average, but designated hitters combined for a .207/.273/.300 slash and 66 wRC+, placing San Diego among the weakest DH groups. Left field was approximately replacement level as well. Depth in the infield bench also lagged, with Jose Iglesias (.229/.298/.294, 73 wRC+) and Tyler Wade (.206/.309/.252, 69 wRC+) both below league-average production. For 2026, lineup questions center on upgrading the DH and left field, and on finding more offense from the catcher and reserve infield roles. View the full article

With Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings underway this week, there are certainly questions as to how active A.J. Preller and the San Diego Padres stand to be. The needs are clear: The team needs supplementary offense, starting pitching, and relief depth. Resources, however, are limited in the face of a rumored exploration of a sale of the franchise and a farm system that sits at or near the bottom of just about every outlet's rankings. Which is why the pursuit of any meaningful addition is going to require the Padres to sacrifice from their big league roster more than they have in recent years. One name floating out in the trade ether at this point is Jake Cronenworth. We know that the team was getting calls on him prior to the trade deadline. The same is true now, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. We also know that among the team's long-term contracts, he offers the most reasonable for a team to fit into their payroll. His contract runs through 2030 and lives in the neighborhood of $12 million. This stands opposed to someone like Xander Bogaerts, whose contract runs through 2033 to the tune of more than $25 million a year. Of the team's position players, those are the two the team would likely be most willing to move, in contrast to names like Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, or Manny Machado. Cronenworth brings a level of versatility to his game and an approach that teams would love to add. While he's never replicated the power output he demonstrated back in 2021 (.194 ISO), his 13.4 percent walk rate stood as one of the best in baseball last season. The blend of approach and power, even if now only occasional, mixed with positional flexibility at a reasonable price point, could provide the Padres with an opportunity to bring in a starting arm that they're so desperately coveting at present. Perhaps a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates, starved for offense and always operating within a tight budget, could be a landing spot. Mitch Keller's name was out there at the 2025 trade deadline. He offers a mid-tier option capable of eating some innings. It's worth noting that the Pirates are also one of several teams that were recently linked to Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte. The Marte component becomes interesting because it indicates the market has a handful of teams looking to fill a spot at the keystone. The Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Toronto Blue Jays are all teams that have been mentioned in connection with some level of Marte interest. Not all of those teams have the starting pitching the Padres desire, but they also don't all have a clear vacancy at second base either. More than anything, this speaks to the fact that teams that miss out on Marte (should he actually be moved) could pivot to Cronenworth as a suitable backup capable of providing some stability in the lineup. A team like Toronto could be interesting given their newly-found depth on the heels of signing former Padre Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. Would someone like José Berríos fit into that Keller mold, where you get the contract through 2028 (at $24 million in the final two years) and hope for a bit more out of the upside? You get something of a middle-tier starter from a team with a rotation logjam while, in a roundabout way, not having to invest fully in a new contract. Teams like the Mariners or Rays certainly offer some organizational depth on the pitching front, as well. Either way, a potential shipping off of Cronenworth would appear to offer the most efficient path toward acquiring a starting pitcher. It's possible the team has to take on some salary, but Cronenworth's contract should help to offset things in a way that would make an acquisition less cumbersome against the payroll. Of course, then you have to reckon with the vacancy wrought by his departure. It's a complex situation, but the Winter Meetings present the Padres with an opportunity to earnestly begin their pursuit of a much-needed starting arm. Such an avenue could very well begin with trading their infield mainstay. View the full article

Byron Buxton has never been shy about his feelings toward Minnesota. Across multiple interviews last season, he made it clear that he wants to remain a Twin for life. His connection to the organization, the fan base, and the community is something he has spoken about with pride and sincerity. Under normal circumstances, that would make the idea of trading him seem almost unthinkable. This offseason has created a different kind of challenge. Reports have surfaced suggesting that Buxton may be open to waiving his no-trade clause if the Twins continue to move veteran players such as Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, or Ryan Jeffers. That possibility introduces a significant layer of complication. Even if the Twins found a strong market for Buxton, no deal could happen without his approval. Any conversation about trading him must account for whether he views the franchise as moving toward contention or slipping away from it. At the same time, the broader league context has changed in a way no one predicted. According to MLB.com, right-handed hitting outfielders have become the hardest type of player to find this winter. That reality could elevate Buxton’s value to its highest point in years. Look across free agency, and the scarcity becomes obvious. Rob Refsnyder, Miguel Andujar, and Harrison Bader headline the group. Each offers something useful. Refsnyder and Andujar can handle left-handed pitching. Bader’s defense remains elite (as Twins fans saw last season). But none of them are stars, and none profile as everyday impact players for contending teams. They are better suited for supporting roles. Beyond them is a class of respected veterans who have passed their prime. Andrew McCutchen, Tommy Pham, Starling Marte, and Chris Taylor have accomplished plenty in their careers, but they no longer have the upside or durability teams are seeking for a full season. They can help someone win, but they are not centerpieces. Scarcity has already pushed teams to surprising decisions. MLB.com highlighted the deal in which Baltimore traded four years of control over 24-year-old starter Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for just one year of 31-year-old outfielder Taylor Ward. It shocked the industry, but it also revealed how aggressively clubs may act to secure a reliable right-handed outfield bat. If that is the current price, Buxton becomes one of the most intriguing trade pieces (semi-)available. Even with the injuries, his ceiling remains extraordinary. When he is right, he alters games with power, speed, and strong defense. Last season was the most complete campaign of Buxton’s career, as he set career highs in home runs (35), RBIs (83), runs (97), walks (41), plate appearances (542), and at-bats (488) while topping 120 games played for the second time in 11 seasons. He posted a .264/.327/.551 line with a 136 OPS+ on his way to winning his first Silver Slugger. No free-agent right-handed outfielder offers anything close to that combination. In a market starving for this player type, someone may be willing to take a big swing. Buxton has three years remaining on his deal at only $15 million per season, a very team-friendly contract for whatever team he suits up for in 2026. For the Twins, the decision is delicate. Buxton’s desire to stay carries real weight, but so does the possibility that the roster could continue to change around him. If the team moves more veterans, he might view a fresh start as a better path. If they hold firm, he may want to remain the face of the franchise. Minnesota will need to balance his preferences, his health, the market forces working in their favor, and the long-term shape of the roster. Trading a player like Buxton requires conviction and timing. This winter presents a rare confluence of events. Right-handed-hitting outfielders are scarce; Buxton’s value may be peaking; and the Twins are navigating a crossroads. Whether they act on that opportunity or choose continuity will define much of their offseason, and possibly much more of their future. Should Buxton be the first veteran traded by the Twins this winter? Can they take advantage of the right-handed-hitting outfielder shortage? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Major League Baseball is full of oddities, and the Rule 5 draft feels like a convergence of many of them, as players are not always eligible at the same ages or what even feels like the same stages of their careers. It's a leveling ground of underrated, maybe-too-young for prime-time International Free Agents, over-the-hill former prospects, and middle-round picks mixed between. It's a time for MLB organizations to gamble and find talent that another team has overlooked. While the Rule 5 draft can feel like an afterthought, coming on the last full day of the MLB Winter Meetings every year, it's a day of hope for many players looking to get their shot in the big leagues. When: Wednesday, December 10, 2025 @ 2pm ET Players the Cubs may lose: SS Cristian Hernandez, SP Brandon Birdsell (injured), SP Grant Kipp, SP Connor Noland Recent Cub Rule 5 draft picks include: 2024: Gage Workman, INF (Detroit Tigers) 2020: Gray Fetner, P (Baltimore Orioles) 2019: Trevor Megill, P (San Diego Padres) The first two names on this list, Gage Workman and Gray Fetner are fairly inconsequential names; neither was any good with the Cubs and neither have settled in anywhere else. Workman posted a 38 wRC+ between both Chicago clubs before finding his way back to the Tigers organization for whom he performed well (for an older guy) at Triple-A. Fetner, who never made an appearance for the Cubs, has been out of Major League Baseball since 2023 after flaming out with the Yankees. As with most Rule 5 picks, they rarely pan out. Trevor Megill, however, has come back to haunt the Cubs a bit. Despite not making the Cubs directly in 2020, a deal was worked out between San Diego and Chicago for the reliever to remain a Cub. Megill got his chance in 2021 with the North Siders but struggled in his 23.0 IP with an ERA above 8.00, prompting the Cubs to allow Megill to leave the organization at the end of the season. Since then, he has turned into a dominant option for the Milwaukee Brewers, pitching against the Cubs in the playoffs and shutting down opponents left and right. While most picks are like Gage Workman or Gray Fetner, there are enough Trevor Megill-types who succeed (Hector Rondon, who would pitch almost 300 innings with the Cubs and even served as their closer for a time, was a Rule 5 pick in 2012) that this can be a sneaky way to add value. What might the Cubs do in 2025? Most years, the team does not make a selection. Because you need an open 40-man roster spot to begin with and then need to be willing to carry said-draft-pick for entirety of the season for them to remain within the organization, many teams just do not have the roster flexibility to make picks. On top of that, Rule 5 picks are available for a reason. They have some warts to them; a prospect without warts would be protected from this fate, making it hard for contending teams to see the reward beyond the risk. With the Cubs currently having plenty of open space on their 40-man roster and a clear need to rebuild their bullpen, it's fair to expect the Cubs will make a selection in the Rule 5 draft this year, with that pick likely coming from the pitching side of things. Who, then, might fit what they're looking for? Option #1: RJ Petit, P (Detroit Tigers) RJ Petit might have a second career as an NFL lineman, as he is currently listed at a massive 6'8 and 300 pounds. Beyond just the novelty of his size, there's a bit of a dude here, as the reliever was in the 98th (or better) percentile in the following categories: xwOBA against, average EV against, hard-hit%, whiff %, called strike% and K%. His walk rate wasn't great, but still sat at 10.4%. He sits mid-90's and has a good slider and a changeup that grades out well using TJ Nestico's tjStuff+ grades. For a team who is clearly looking to add swing and miss to their 'pen, Petit fits the mold. Plus, because I'm always biased towards a good mustache, Petit is rocking an 80-grade lip-curtain. The hulking righty would be near the top of my personal wish list. Option #2 - Samy Natera Jr, LHP (Los Angeles Angels) Grabbing pitchers out of organizations with poor reputations for pitching is a good gamble, and why I think Samy Natera Jr. could end up being a player the Cubs hone in on. Natera is a tall, 6'4 left-handed pitcher with big swing-and-miss stuff who has a tendency to walk far too many hitters. So, while the reliever flashes impressive strikeout numbers, punching out 34% of opposing hitters, he also gives a lot of that back by walking 16% as well. Netera Jr. may fit the Cubs program, though. With it looking like both Caleb Thielbar and Drew Pomeranz will be departing the organization, their is a clear need for plenty of lefties in the Cubs' 2026 bullpen. Natera Jr. offers a strong cut-ride fastball, a pitch shape the Cubs enjoy (they cut their fastball more than any other organization in the minors), and they may think they can fix his walk issues internally. He might not survive the MLB cuts in camp, but he could be a worthwhile gamble if they believe in the raw stuff. Option #3 - Peyton Pallette, RHP (Chicago White Sox) Peyton Pallette falls into the "former-top-draft pick" territory we see at times in the Rule 5 draft, as he was once a second-round pick of the South Siders. The RHP's best offering is a curveball, and he has a developing slider and a decent enough fastball that you can see the beginnings of a useful MLB reliever. Because he's off-speed heavy, he doesn't throw a lot of strikes, though he generates a good amount of chase to offset that. As he jumps up a level, he may not ever throw enough strikes, and he may struggle with walks. But he did have a 98th-percentile whiff rate, so there's definitely a real reason to believe in the strikeout capability of the former second-rounder. Perhaps a jump to a better organization (sensing a theme?) could help squeeze a few more strikes out of the breaking-ball specialist. Honorable Mention: Tyler Stuart, RHP (Washington Nationals) Tyler Stuart is yet another team from an organization I don't really trust to develop players well, but I kept him in the HM category for one important reason: he's not going to pitch in 2026 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery throughout the year. A team can still select him, but they would have to carry him on the 40-man roster until the start of the season when they could transfer him to the 60-man IL, locking up a useful slot for months. Then the team would need to keep him on the active roster for 90 days the following year. A contending team like the Cubs may find that a big ask for an unproven pitcher. However, Stuart does offer some fun upside, as he puts all of his 6'9 frame to use. The right-handed pitcher has piled up the strikeouts across the board and while his control comes and goes, a move to the bullpen could squeeze a little added juice and maybe could help him rein in his control a bit more. Players with his size tend to struggle to repeat a motion, so while he won't pitch next year, he could be a tantalizing member of a bullpen in 2027 if you have the patience (and roster space) to help him develop with MLB coaching. What do you think the team will do in the Rule 5 draft? Will they pick someone? Punt the pick? Or maybe there's a name I didn't cover? Sound off in the comment section below and let's start a discussion! View the full article

On Wednesday, as the MLB Winter Meetings wind down, teams will make their selections in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft. The Twins protected most of the expected names: Andrew Morris, Connor Prielipp, Marco Raya, Hendry Mendez, Kendry Rojas, and Gabriel González. They also chose to protect one semi-surprising player, in John Klein. However, in adding six guys to the 40-man, they left a few surprising names unprotected. Some of them may be lost to other teams. It’s been a few years since they have lost anyone, but this year's crop may be better (and closer to the majors) than anyone Minnesota has left exposed since 2020. There are four names in particular to watch when the Draft begins. 1) Kala’i Rosario - Corner OF / DH Rosario is available in this pool for the second straight season. After 2024, it made some sense. That season, he had a .726 OPS as a right fielder, and his defensive chops are lacking, even far down the defensive spectrum. Now, however, his situation is different. In 2025, he walked more, struck out less, and added power, finishing the season with an .844 OPS (though it all came in Double A). More impressively, he added speed to his game, swiping 32 bags in 39 tries. While his best position is probably DH, a team that isn’t planning on contending in 2026 could very well be tantalized by the power-speed combination and stash him at the back of the bench as a fifth outfielder and part-time DH option. While he’s not quite ready for the majors, he has spent the past two seasons at Double-A Wichita and is certainly destined for Triple A at this point. Could a team like the White Sox, Rockies, or Pirates decide to take a chance on simply skipping a step? 2) C.J. Culpepper - Right-handed Starting Pitcher It’s surprising the Twins chose not to protect C.J. Culpepper, as he looks destined to be a big league pitcher. He boasts a deep arsenal of pitches, with several having the potential to be average or better. His command has come and gone, but he's enjoyed stretches of strong results. He has struggled with injuries and illness over the past two seasons, spending two months on the IL with a forearm strain in 2024 and another two with a pinched nerve in his throwing arm in 2025. In 2025, he pitched to a 2.43 ERA across 59 1/3 innings, but his underlying metrics were less favorable. His velo was down almost two ticks; his walk rate was up; and his strikeouts were down. This led to a FIP almost two full runs worse than his on-paper results. Perhaps the question marks around the combo of health and effectiveness give the Twins confidence he won’t be chosen, or perhaps they don’t see a path to a future with the team. However, one can look to 2020 for a comp that should have given them pause. In that year’s Rule 5 Draft, the Orioles chose Tyler Wells, a tall right-handed pitcher whom the Twins chose not to protect after he'd undergone Tommy John surgery mid-season in 2019 and missed the 2020 season due to cancellation. He’s been average-ish both by results and by Pitching+, but has struggled with injuries that have caused him to miss most of the past two seasons. It’s easy to envision a scenario in which a team will select Culpepper, then stash him in the bullpen or use him in mop-up situations while letting him continue to work on refining his pitch mix or sequencing. 3) Kyler Fedko, OF Kyler Fedko was always unlikely to crack the 2026 Twins roster. After all, while he’s an outfielder, he’s not left-handed. (We kid, we kid.) He’s been a slow mover through the minors and has been old for each level, but in 2025, he put it all together. Fedko posted an .854 OPS in the highest levels of the minors, while playing all three outfield positions. He was also a force on the basepaths, stealing 38 bases in 46 tries. Saints fans had a 30/30 watch going in the last week of the season, but he ended up with just 28 bombs. More likely than not, his future is as a Quadruple-A player, even if his 2025 gains are sustainable. Yet, he’s the sort of player on whom teams sometimes gamble to be a fourth or fifth outfielder. One can look back to 2020 (again), when the Tigers chose outfielder Akil Baddoo, to see a comp. Baddoo had a good rookie season, producing 1.4 fWAR. He failed to adapt to the league’s adjustments, was worth just 0.1 fWAR over parts of the next four seasons, and is currently a free agent. 4) Cory Lewis, Right-handed Starting Pitcher Cory Lewis is a knuckleballer, but not your typical type (if there is such a thing). Most knucklers resort to it as a way to reinvent a flagging career, and they rely on the pitch’s unpredictability to get outs. Lewis throws it harder, and has decent stuff aside from that pitch. At every level, he found success—until 2025, when he lost the ability to throw strikes. That’s not uncommon for pitching prospects, or for knuckleballers. When they are off their game, it can be tough to watch. And, it often takes that pitcher type some time to be successful. That said, walking nearly a batter per inning and finishing a season with a 6.30 FIP is a good way to find oneself without a 40-man roster spot. If you are curious about his 100th-percentile outcome, though, look no further than another hard knuckler the Twins lost in the Rule 5: R.A. Dickey. In 2007, the Twins signed him to a minor-league deal, and thus didn’t protect him. Less than two weeks later, he was gone, selected by the Mariners. The Twins signed him again, to another minor-league contract, the following year. It didn’t go well. However, after the Mets signed him as a free agent, he was one of the best starting pitchers in baseball for a three-year stretch, and he won the National League Cy Young Award in 2012. It’s certainly not realistic to predict the same path for Lewis, but a team could certainly assume they can work with him on limiting walks and see where it goes. Now it’s time to stay tuned for the draft and see which of these players, if any, find new homes. View the full article

The Winter Meetings are in full swing, and that has included managers holding press conferences this week. These press conferences allow managers to reflect on the past season, while also looking forward to the 2026 campaign, with pitchers and catchers reporting in a few months. John Bonnes of Diamondcentric was able to attend the press conference of Royals manager Matt Quatraro on Monday. In Quatraro's press conference, the fourth-year Kansas City skipper touched on key players' performances from last season and elaborated on their outlooks for the upcoming season. While the Royals are still constructing their roster this offseason, Quatraro discussed four players who are likely to be key members of a 2026 Kansas City squad looking to return to the postseason. Thus, let's look at those four players, what Quatraro said about them, and what it could mean as the Royals iron out their roster this winter in preparation for Spring Training. Carter Jensen Will Be Key Part of 2026 Team Quatraro gushed about Jensen and his performance in September last season. In 69 plate appearances, Jensen hit .300 with a .941 OPS and collected three home runs, scored 12 runs, and had 13 RBI. The rookie catcher and local Kansas City-grown product didn't get a whole lot of time behind the plate in his MLB debut, as Quatraro opted to use Salvador Perez and Luke Maile as the Royals' primary catchers down the stretch (which Quatraro admitted in his press conference). However, the Royals manager pointed out that Jensen adapted quickly at the Major League level, especially defensively. Thus, it sounds like the Park Hill High School product will be a crucial part of this Royals roster next spring, as illustrated in the quote below. With Maile becoming a free agent and Luca Tresh not being added to the 40-man roster (he is eligible for Wednesday's Rule 5 Draft), it seems like Jensen is slotted to be the Royals' primary backup catcher for 2026. It will be interesting to see if Quatraro utilizes him similarly to Freddy Fermin, whose strong play the past couple of seasons allowed Perez to get more time at first base and DH, which saved his legs and energy, and preserved his power at the plate. Royals Take Blame for Jonathan India and His 2025 Struggles It seems like the Royals believe that India can bounce back in 2026 after a rough debut season in Kansas City. In 567 plate appearances with the Royals last year, India hit .233 with a .669 OPS. He hit just nine home runs and scored 63 runs, the latter his lowest mark in that category since 2022, his second MLB season. Despite the heavy regression, the Royals opted to bring India back for 2026, agreeing to an $8 million deal this offseason. In Quatraro's press conference, the Royals manager mentioned that moving him around between third base, left field, and second base contributed heavily to his offensive struggles a season ago. If India is not traded away this offseason (I mentioned it as a possibility in my Luis Robert Jr. trade piece), Quatraro will likely keep him solely at second and lower in the batting order to ease the pressure and help him get off to a better start at the plate in 2026. A strong start offensively could help him recapture the productive player that he was in Cincinnati. Jac Caglianone Is Seen As Another Bounce-Back Candidate "Cags-Mania" was all the rage when Caglianone was called up on June 2nd. Unfortunately, the 2024 first-round pick and former Royals top prospect struggled in his Royals rookie debut last season. In 232 plate appearances, Caglianone slashed .157/.237/.295 with a .532 OPS. He hit seven home runs and posted a 12% barrel rate, but he struggled immensely with pitch recognition. That was evidenced by his 38.5% chase rate, 26.8% whiff rate, and 22.4% strikeout rate. He also had lackluster Statcast batted-ball metrics, especially when it came to launching the ball. Despite the rookie's struggles, Quatraro was optimistic about the growth he made at the plate after returning from his Triple-A rehab assignment last season and his outlook for the upcoming season. He also mentioned that a slow start to his MLB career didn't help things, either. Considering he's only 22 years old, Caglianone will likely get more of a leash to prove himself in 2026 than India, who will be a free agent after next season. Nonetheless, much like the Royals' second baseman, it seems Quatraro is planning for Caglianone to be part of the outfield picture in 2026, even if Kansas City acquires a couple of outfielders this offseason (which is their offseason priority, according to reports). Luinder Avila May Be Part of Rotation Mix in 2026 Avila ranked No. 13 in our latest prospect rankings, and he is coming off a solid MLB debut in 2025. In 13 outings and 14 IP, the 24-year-old righty posted a 1.29 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 2.05 xERA. He showed excellent command, with a 28.7% K rate, a 10.7% walk rate, and 17.9% K-BB%. He only had a 25.2% CSW (called-strike plus whiff), but he limited productive contact, as illustrated by a 29.2% hard-hit rate allowed and 50% groundball rate. The Venezuelan pitcher was primarily utilized out of the bullpen in Kansas City, but he made 12 starts in Omaha, albeit to mixed results. With the Storm Chasers, he posted a 5.01 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 59.2 IP in Triple-A. However, his FIP looked a lot better at 4.09. Though Avila looked stellar in the Royals bullpen in 2025, it seems like Quatraro and the Royals brass aren't shutting the door on Avila starting next season, even at the Major League level, as demonstrated in Quatraro's quote below. The Royals have been floating a lot of starting pitchers in trade talks, with Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek, and Noah Cameron mentioned today as possible candidates, according to MLB.com Royals beat writer Anne Rogers. Avila may be on the outside looking in when it comes to making the Royals' Opening Day rotation. However, if Royals starters are traded away or perhaps get hurt in Spring Training, it wouldn't be surprising to see Avila slide into the No. 4 or No. 5 spot in the Kansas City rotation to begin the season. The ability to seamlessly flip-flop between the rotation and the bullpen could help him make the Opening Day roster. View the full article

In 2025, the Brewers got excellent production (in the aggregate) at first base. Rhys Hoskins, Andrew Vaughn, and Jake Bauers each carried the team at times. Hoskins has departed via free agency, after the Brewers declined their end of a mutual option, but can first base be as productive in 2026 without the veteran? Let’s take a look. On The 40-Man Roster Andrew Vaughn .235/.333/.426 with five doubles, one triple, five home runs, and 27 RBI between Triple-A Charlotte and Triple-A Nashville .254/.307/.411 with 22 doubles, 14 home runs, and 65 RBI between Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox Vaughn was a somewhat under-the-radar acquisition, after Aaron Civale requested a trade. It worked out exceptionally well for the Brewers, with Vaughn posting an .869 OPS across 221 at-bats with his new team, a huge improvement over his totals with the White Sox. The question is, will Vaughn continue at the 141 OPS+ clip he had with the Crew, or will he fade to his pre-Milwaukee form? Jake Bauers .211/.318/.737 with one double, three home runs, and five RBI in Triple-A Nashville .235/.353/.399 with nine doubles, seven home runs, and 28 RBI in Milwaukee Bauers returned to the Crew on a minor-league deal after he was non-tendered in the 2024-2025 offseason. He was a solid complement to Hoskins in 2024, even with a batting average below the Uecker line. In 2025, his offense took a step up, and he posted a 111 OPS+. In addition to playing first base, he has also handled both corner outfield spots and taken some time on the mound. This time around, he signed a guaranteed big-league deal in November, and he's in line for more playing time than he got this season. Tyler Black .261/.388/.391 with 12 doubles, three triples, five home runs, and 39 RBI between Triple-A Nashville and Rookie League ACL Brewers .250/.538/.375 with one double and one RBI in Milwaukee Tyler Black is a one-time top-100 prospect. The problem came after a breakout 2023 season. In the 2023-2024 offseason, the Brewers acquired Joey Ortiz and Oliver Dunn, who crowded him out at third base. He moved to first base, but in 2025 suffered a hamate injury late in spring training. Now, he’s played left field, first base, and had a stint in right field for the Brewers. Nowhere, over the last two seasons, has he looked like a major contributor either in producing or preventing runs. Minor-League Players Who Could Impact 2026 Blake Burke .292/.379/.453 with 27 doubles, two triples, 16 home runs, and 82 RBI between Advanced-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi Burke was selected with the Competitive Balance Round A pick acquired by the Brewers in the Corbin Burnes trade during the 2023-2024 offseason. So far, he’s made that part of the deal look very good, rapidly moving up the minor-league ladder. While he won't be on the Opening Day roster, either his sheer talent or regression by Vaughn and Bauers could see him in Milwaukee by the end of the season. Luke Adams .231/.417/.436 with 15 doubles, 11 home runs, and 42 RBI between Advanced-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi .333/.471/569 with three doubles, three home runs, and 10 RBI with Surprise in the AFL Adams doesn’t get on the field much, but when he does, he’s been frighteningly productive wherever he’s playing—positionally, and in the Crew’s farm system. His stint in the Arizona Fall League was quite dominating. He’s split time at both corner infield positions and seen some limited action in left field. Adams could be a 30-30 player, if given enough playing time. Like Burke, he could force his way to Milwaukee sometime in 2026. Wild Cards Christian Yelich .264/.343/.452 with 21 doubles, 29 home runs, and 103 RBI in Milwaukee Yelich has mostly played the outfield, and is now Milwaukee’s primary DH, but the Crew could use him at first base in the event of injuries or slumps. The Florida Marlins selected him as a first baseman in the 2010 draft. The Brewers made a similar move with Ryan Braun at the start of the 2018 season, only to shift Braun back to the outfield after Jesús Aguilar caught fire. Yelich at first would be an emergency move, though. It's not a great position for a player with a recent spate of back problems on their medical chart. William Contreras .260/.355/.399 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs, and 76 RBI in Milwaukee Contreras is an anchor for the Crew behind the plate, so why is he a wild card at first base? Two reasons: First is the emergence of Jeferson Quero, who has been a top prospect on multiple lists (including Brewer Fanatic’s) for years. If the rookie wins the backup job, the team will want to play him more often than they've used previous backups, but they also won't want to lose Contreras's bat in the lineup. Second is the fact that the team looked wiped out during the NLCS, and they'll want to ease the burden on players like Contreras, whose brother Willson made the move to first this year for those fifth-rate flying rats in St. Louis. A similar shift might be good for the team as a whole. How do you think first base will shake out for the Brewers in 2026? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract earlier this offseason. It is the largest free agent contract they have ever given out, surpassing George Springer's deal. Manager John Schneider played a role in the entire process. He may not have forced the former San Diego Padres pitcher to sign that deal. Yet, Schneider did help out with the communications to convince Cease to come on board. The entire deal got done at an expedited pace, something that caught Schneider off guard. "Yeah, it happened really quick," Schneider said on Tuesday at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Fla, where he addressed reporters, including DiamondCentric's John Bonnes. It was Schneider's first press conference since he spoke to the media after losing Game 7 of the 2025 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I think just the initial Zoom call with him, you could tell he was pretty intrigued with what we were talking about." Right now, the Blue Jays can slot Cease into a probable Opening Day start. He's going to fit right in nicely with Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, José Berríos, and Trey Yesavage. "We obviously value him pretty highly, and it just kind of lined up," Schneider said. When it comes to Cease joining Toronto's starting rotation, Schneider was clear that he's looking forward to it. "After the initial communication -- really, I think the deal was done in about a week - which is really, really rare at that point in the offseason," he said. "I think it's important to keep some of that momentum building, building, and thrilled that he's part of our rotation. We've been in love with his stuff for a while, and I think there's a real opportunity for him to kind of continue to get better with what we can offer him." In each of the past five seasons, three for the White Sox and two for the Padres, Cease has pitched more than 165 innings. That speaks to how durable he can be for Toronto. He also totaled 200-plus strikeouts in each of those seasons, too. Last season for San Diego, Cease posted an 8-12 record, started 32 games and pitched 168 innings. He had a 29.8% strikeout rate, a 9.8% walk rate, and a 4.55 ERA. However, his FIP, SIERA, and xERA were all about one run lower. It appears that Cease wants to continue to grow and be even more consistent in his outings. Schneider truly believes that the Blue Jays' organization can help him a whole lot. "I think he's a really, really inquisitive mind, if you will," Schneider said on Tuesday. "We tried to kind of poke him with questions. Simple things like 'How has your fastball grip evolved?' It hasn't really, we learned, in quite a few years. Okay. 'Have you tried this?' He got intrigued with some of the things we were talking about. I think there's some delivery stuff that has been a little bit inconsistent, like every pitcher, over the last couple of years. "Hearing how aware of all those things he was and the openness to even start saying, 'Hey, let's start thinking more about a change-up that I've thrown a little bit and how can you help me develop it?'" Schneider said. "I think that kind of caught his attention as well," he continued. "I think Toronto is a perfect place for him to kind of spread his wings a little bit as he gets a little bit older, the city. Kind of those things, and the fact that we have the people that not only know that stuff but can really coach it, I think was appealing." After Cease's deal was announced, Mike Podhorzer of RotoGraphs took a look at how moving from Petco Park in San Diego to Rogers Centre in Toronto could affect the right-hander's numbers. "All else equal, the park switch is a slight negative for Cease's BABIP, WHIP, strikeouts, and home runs allowed, which would affect his ERA," Podhorzer wrote. "So basically, his projection should get just a bit worse after the move." Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how Cease adjusts to his new team and new home stadium. Schneider and the Blue Jays' front office will hope that Cease can show that he's worth all that money from the get-go. View the full article

The Rule 5 Draft will take place later today, December 10, at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings. With it comes an opportunity for teams to poach talented minor league players from their competition. For the players selected, it allows them an opportunity that may not have been reachable with their former organization. The Boston Red Sox have been on the receiving end of both outcomes, having lost players due to the draft while also significantly improving their roster because of it. Taking a look back at every Rule 5 Draft in the past 10 years, Boston has selected four players — two infielders and two pitchers. All four players were influential in their own ways in Boston, with infielder Jonathan Araúz arguably being the worst of them depending on who you ask. The first of the four, Josh Rutledge, had been a part of the Red Sox organization prior to being selected. He was acquired in a July 2015 trade for Shane Victorino and appeared in 39 games before being outrighted off the roster. Rutledge would go on to sign a minor-league deal with the Colorado Rockies. only to then be selected by the Red Sox in the Rule 5 Draft. Overall, Rutledge would go on to play in 104 games across three seasons where he hit .252/.319/.313 with nine doubles, a triple, one home run and 22 RBIs. Defensively, Rutledge found playing time all around the diamond but was mainly used at third base and second base by the Red Sox. After the 2017 season, the team allowed him to become a free agent where he would go on to sign with the San Francisco Giants. The other infielder was Jonathan Araúz, who, at the time, was the Houston Astros’ 25th-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline. Just 20 years old, Araúz was coming off a season that saw him hit .249/.319/.388 with a .707 OPS between High-A and Double-A. The Red Sox liked what they saw and picked in the Rule 5 Draft. Fortunately for them, the Covid-shortened 2020 season made it easy to keep him on the active roster for the entire season. Appearing in 25 games, Araúz wound up hitting .250/.325/.319 with a .644 OPS as a 21-year-old. He also had two doubles, one home run and nine RBIs. His time with Boston was not for long, spending most of the 2021 season in Triple-A where he provided depth for the major-league club. In 28 games with Boston in 2021, Araúz slashed just .185/.274/.369 with three doubles and three home runs to go along with eight RBIs. Though, Araúz did deliver what may have been one of the biggest hits in the second half of the 2021 season in a late-August game against the Cleveland Guardians. In need of the win, Araúz wound up hitting a three-run home run that gave the Red Sox the lead and eventually the game. He would go on to play in just six games with Boston in 2022 before being released, bringing his time with Boston to 59 games across three seasons for a stat line of .204/.280/.320 with a .600 OPS along with five doubles, four home runs and 18 RBIs. Defensively, he mainly played second base or shortstop but did have a few appearances at third base. However, it was the 2020 offseason that saw the Red Sox have their best Rule 5 selection of the bunch, as the team selected a starting pitcher from the Yankees who had injury issues. That pitcher was Garrett Whitlock, whom the team transformed into a key reliever in his rookie season. That year, Whitlock was a big part of why the Red Sox made it back to the postseason, anchoring the backend of the bullpen and being an arm that could get the ball to closer Matt Barnes. Overall, he went 8-4 with 14 holds and two saves in 46 appearances. He threw 73 1/3 innings out of the pen and struck out 81 batters. And after a few injury-filled years after trying to convert back to starting, Whitlock was back to his old self in 2025 as he appeared in 62 games, tossing 72 innings and striking out 91 batters. Whitlock in his five seasons with Boston has gone 25-14 with a 3.13 ERA in 165 appearances, 23 of them starts. He’s tossed 313 2/3 innings and struck out 343 batters. He’ll be looked to as a key figure in the bullpen for the 2026 season. The other prominent reliever that the Red Sox got through the draft was Justin Slaten, a key piece of the bullpen since his rookie season in 2024 where he appeared in 44 games and went 6-2 with a 2.93 ERA. He would throw 55 1/3 innings and strike out 58 batters proving himself to be a reliable option for manager Alex Cora. His sophomore season may not have looked as good on paper, but Slaten’s numbers were hampered by a couple bad outings in April along with some missed time due to injury. In 2025, he only appeared in 36 games because of that, tossing 34 innings and striking out just 25 batters while having an ERA of 4.24. Now healthy, Slaten will look to repeat his 2024 season and continue to build off of his first two years in Boston. Taking that into consideration, should the Red Sox draft someone on Wednesday (which isn’t a guarantee at the moment), the team could likely turn towards someone they deem as a potential impact arm or even a multi-position player. As an organization, the team has developed an affinity for versatility up and down the roster. With the way the roster is currently constructed, the Red Sox have limited options for their corner infield positions and could look for a potential diamond in the rough to fill out the back of their bench, especially if the player has showcased some in-game power. Of the players who could likely come off the bench, Nick Sogard, David Hamilton and Nate Eaton are not known for their power, and it’s very likely that Romy González could be in the starting lineup based on how the rest of the offseason plays out. With that said, the Red Sox could look to a young, versatile player to help fill out the end of their bench. Now, a potential option should he fall to the Red Sox could be their very own former prospect, Blaze Jordan. Traded to the Cardinals, Jordan struggled with Memphis after a very impressive season in the Boston organization. After hitting .198/.242/.366 with the Redbirds, the Cardinals did not add him to their 40-man roster to protect him. Jordan has potential game-altering power as he’s hit double-digit home runs in every season he’s been healthy. He has a keen eye and understands the strike zone as he only struck out in 60 at-bats last season. Should the Red Sox choose to target an arm, they could choose to go after Chicago White Sox prospect Peyton Pallette. Pallette fits the mold of both Whitlock and Slaten, being a pitcher who has a strong fastball, as it sat 94-96 mph last season. It was part of a repertoire that includes a high-spin curveball that was consistently north of 3000 rpms with break that sees it fall right off the table. He also threw a changeup that had a 50.8% whiff rate during his time in Triple-A in 2025. To compare his curve to Slaten’s, Pallette gets almost 300 more rpm than Slaten does on his. Thanks to those three pitches, Pallette posted a career-high 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings last season between Double-A and Triple-A. The Red Sox do have an open spot on their 40-man roster after trading Vaughn Grissom to the Los Angeles Angels, so they can make one pick in the Rule 5 Draft as things currently stand. However, since the draft order goes from the worst record to the best, there is a chance the Red Sox might have to trade for the player much like they did with Slaten (who was actually selected by the Mets as part of a trade with the Red Sox for 2023 10th-round draft pick Ryan Ammons and cash considerations). The Red Sox have a lot of planning to do as the Winter Meetings come to a close, and that begins with how they choose to approach the Rule 5 Draft. View the full article

ORLANDO, FL—Edward Cabrera is no stranger to trade rumors, whether it be this past MLB trade deadline or previous offseasons. Right now, his value is as high as it's ever been. In the late hours of Day 2 of the Winter Meetings, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that Cabrera's market is heating up, with the Baltimore Orioles as a possible landing spot. In 2025, Cabrera broke out, posting a 3.53 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 9.81 K/9 and 3.14 BB/9 through a career-high 137 ⅔ innings pitched. His talent is undeniable, but the Marlins already have a very deep rotation for 2026 and beyond, opening up the possibility that they could flip Cabrera to address other areas of need. These teams had a positive experience trading with each other in 2024 when the Marlins sent Trevor Rogers to the Orioles in exchange for Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers. That could lead to them once again linking up on a big deal. Mock Trade #1 Orioles receive Edward Cabrera Marlins receive 1B Coby Mayo and LHP Boston Bateman Mayo, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft, was a consensus Top 100 prospect entering 2024 and 2025. However, he hasn't lived up to the hype since being called up, slashing .217/.299/.388/.687 with 11 home runs, 28 RBI and a 95 wRC+ last season. With that being said, a right-handed hitting first baseman is exactly what the Marlins are looking for. The Marlins organization remains extremely high on Deyvison De Los Santos despite coming off a disappointing season of his own. Perhaps they could co-exist in the future with Mayo moving over to third base. The second piece in this deal, Boston Bateman was acquired from the San Diego Padres in July. Bateman spent most of 2025 at Low-A, but was promoted to High-A for his final three starts. Overall, he finished the season with a 4.14 ERA and 3.54 FIP in 87 total innings. The 20-year-old's best pitch is his slider, which is a 60-grade pitch, per Baseball America. The 6'7" lefty could have a future in the bullpen or as a back-end starter. Either way, he's a couple seasons away from contributing in the majors. Trade #2 Orioles receive Edward Cabrera Marlins receive OF Nate George, LHP Luis De León and OF Austin Overn George, who was selected in the 16th round of the 2024 MLB Draft, has gotten off to a phenomenal start to his professional career. At age 19, he posted a 158 wRC+ with 50 stolen bases through his first 87 career games. Ranked as the number four Orioles prospect by Baseball America and ninth by Just Baseball's Aram Leighton, George is still raw, but if it goes well, he can be the future at center field with a nice hit tool. In 2025 between three levels, De León posted a 3.30 ERA, 2.59 FIP, 11.03 K/9 and 4.23 BB/9 through 87 ⅓ innings pitched. After that, he did well in the Arizona Fall League, raising his strikeout rate even more with a fastball that sat in the mid-90s. He did not allow a single home run all year. Baseball America has his fastball as a 70-grade pitch and his slider and changeup as 60-grade pitches. The lefty could eventually be a number two or three starter in the rotation. De León's control/command will need some improving as he continues to develop. The final piece is Overn, who is the 30th-ranked Orioles prospect, per MLB Pipeline. Across High-A and Double-A, he slashed .249/.355/.399/.754 with 13 home runs, 43 RBI, 64 stolen bases and a 123 wRC+. With his combination of speed and swing decisions, the hope is that Overn can follow in the footsteps of someone like Jakob Marsee. View the full article

Recorded immediately after learning the results of the MLB Draft Lottery, Ely Sussman, Isaac Azout, Kevin Barral, Nate Karzmer, Hector Rodriguez and special guest Marcel Sparks discuss where things stands with the Miami Marlins in the midst of the Winter Meetings. Topics include the consequences of falling to 14th in the draft order, missing out on veteran relievers in free agency, mutual interest between the Marlins and Jakob Marsee regarding a contract extension, 2026 Opening Day being rescheduled and a preview of Wednesday's Rule 5 draft. You can find Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our audio programming also includes The Offishial Show, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. The Marlins received the 14th overall pick in the 2026 draft. The San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals both leapfrogged the Fish and won top-six lottery picks despite finishing last season with better records. Follow Ely (@RealEly), Marcel (@MarcelSparks04), Isaac (@IsaacAzout), Kevin (@kevin_barral), Nate (@NateKarzmer), Hector (@Hector_Baseball) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View the full article

The Miami Marlins are "progressing in their efforts" to trade right-hander Edward Cabrera, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported Tuesday night. They identify the Baltimore Orioles as one of Cabrera's suitors, with Jon Heyman of the New York Post adding that "numerous teams" are involved in the bidding. Cabrera enjoyed the best season of his career in 2025. The 27-year-old posted a 3.53 ERA, 3.99 xERA with 150 strikeouts and 2.8 bWAR in 137 ⅔ innings pitched. As always, though, his workload was limited by injury—he suffered a right middle finger blister in spring training and a right elbow sprain in late August. He's under club control for three more seasons via arbitration. MLB Trade Rumors projects him for a $3.7 million salary in 2026. The Orioles' reported interest is unsurprising considering that these teams collaborated on a win-win trade at the 2024 trade deadline when the Fish exchanged Trevor Rogers for Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby. Rogers was Baltimore's best starter last season, but he will be eligible for free agency next winter, and regardless, the O's need more rotation depth behind him to realistically contend during this upcoming campaign. With the Marlins in need of upgrades at the corner infield spots, Jordan Westburg and Coby Mayo are among the names they could be seeking in return. Catcher Samuel Basallo is Baltimore's top-ranked prospect, but he has already been signed to an eight-year contract extension, making it highly unlikely that he'd be available. View the full article

Anne Rogers, in her latest rundown from the Winter Meetings, mentioned that the Kansas City Royals are receiving interest in several of their young players. Noah Cameron, Ryan Bergert, and Stephen Kolek all finished 2025 on the big-league pitching staff. Cameron worked 138 1/3 innings with a 2.99 ERA, 109 hits allowed, 46 earned runs, 43 walks, and 114 strikeouts. His line included a FIP of 4.18, with 7.4 strikeouts and 2.8 walks per 9 innings. Bergert split his debut season between San Diego and Kansas City, totaling 76 1/3 innings with a 3.66 ERA, 4.00 FIP, 61 hits allowed, 35 walks, and 73 strikeouts. Kolek also pitched for both clubs in 2025 and finished with 112 2/3 innings, 98 hits allowed, 44 earned runs, 31 walks, and 77 strikeouts, producing a 3.51 ERA (3.82 FIP). From a team control and expense standpoint, all three are pre-arbitration. Players do not become arbitration-eligible until roughly three years of service, and do not reach free agency until about six years. As recent rookies with less than two years of service time, Cameron, Bergert, and Kolek are projected to remain under club control for at least half a decade. View the full article

In my last article, I examined the unusual case of Tyler Rogers (Why The Royals Should Sign Quirky Submariner Tyler Rogers). As discussed there, while Rogers may be an outlier because of his unorthodox mechanics, it is not typically a good strategy to rely on pitchers who lack swing-and-miss stuff and instead rely on generating soft contact to get outs. Despite a bullpen that ranked third in Save%, and statistics indicative of swing-and-miss ability, like K% and Whiff%, paint a far less optimistic picture for repeating that success in 2026 with the current cast of candidates. According to FanGraphs, the 2025 Royals bullpen ranked 28th in K% (20.5%), was in the middle of the pack in BB% (8.3%), and ranked 24th in both xFIP (4.21) and K%-BB% (12.2). They benefited from a .284 BABIP (batting average on balls in play; 8th-lowest in MLB) and a 74.6% left-on-base percentage (LOB%; 3rd-highest), well above the league average of 72%. All of this tells me what my blood pressure metrics told me every time Carlos Estevez came in to protect a one-run lead…. The Royals' pen got more than a bit lucky and is ripe for regression. This "luck" in stranding runners and low BABIP added an estimated 0.38 runs to their ERA performance vs. xFIP and represents a major regression risk for 2026 without improvement in peripheral statistics. Estevez is the poster child of the group, posting just a 20.1% strikeout rate, a 77.6% LOB rate, and a .234 BABIP and a xFIP that was more than double his actual ERA (2.45 vs 4.95)! His K% in 2023 and 2024 were much better, at 27.8% and 23.6%, respectively. Unless those K% numbers come back to his 2024/2024 levels, Estevez’s career FIP of 3.99 is very likely a much stronger indicator of his success in 2026 than the identical 2.45 ERAs he has posted the last two years. Estevez’s slider is his best pitch by Stuff+ estimates, and he has increased his usage of it consistently since the 2022 season. His four-seam fastball is average by Stuff+ and was down slightly to 95.9 mph in 2026 from his career average of 97.1. The decrease was mainly due to lower velocity in April, and it increased as the season progressed, but it remains something to keep an eye on in his age-33 season. Also of concern, his SwStr% of 8.2% last year was a career low. Lucas Erceg, number two in Matt Quatraro’s circle of trust, similarly struggled with his peripheral stats while still somehow managing to limit runs scored. After posting strong K/9 numbers in his first two MLB seasons (10.8 K/9), he dropped off significantly to 7.0 K/9 in 2025. Concerningly, his Whiff% dropped from an elite level of 31.9% in 2024 to 24.7% in 2025. As the 2025 season progressed, Erceg never looked quite right, and he went on the injured list first with a back issue in late May and later with a shoulder impingement injury. The Royals need the healthy, bat-missing version of Erceg in 2026. If Estevez regresses, Erceg will need to step back into the closer role. John Schreiber turned in another decent season and will be counted on again in 2026. He led all Royals relievers (with over 50 IP) in K%, 23.4% and K%-BB%, 16.2%. He’s never managed to match his early career K% numbers, and his Whiff% was below average at 23.4%, but he has established himself as an above-average reliever entering his age-32 season. Angel Zerpa returns in 2026. Stuff+ metrics love his sinker and slider. He has middling 21.1 K% and 8.0 BB% numbers, but a 2nd-percentile Whiff% of 16.4. He gets by on a 99th percentile ground ball percentage of 63.7. Despite 96+ mph four-seam/sinker velocities from the left-hander, he misses very few bats. Daniel Lynch IV, like Zerpa, is a left-handed pitcher with high ground-ball rates and low whiff rates, just not as extreme as Zerpa's. His 2025 season 15.5 K% and 9.0 BB% rates are not headed in the right direction, and his roster spot may very well be in jeopardy. Steven Cruz is a big young right-hander obtained in the Michael A. Taylor trade with the Twins, who has struggled with command thus far in his career. He possesses elite fastball velocity along with good extension provided by his 6’7” frame. All three of his pitch offerings in 2025 were rated by Stat+ as well above average. His four-seamer had an average velocity of 98.2 mph and a Stat+ mark of 121, while his cutter had a 107 Stat+ value, and his slider was even better at 125. His Location+ of 83 and his 9.5 BB% demonstrate where the issues are. Despite his impressive velocity and stuff, his Whiff% and K% were both just OK (24.3%, 20.1%). Cruz took some significant steps forward in 2025 before also ending his season on the IL. Unlocking his potential will be important if the Royals' pen is to improve in 2026. The Royals signed local kid Alex Lange to a near league minimum “prove it” contract after he was designated for assignment by division rival, the Detroit Tigers. Lange was a key member of the Tigers' bullpen in 2022 and 2023, saving 26 games in ’23 before suffering a lat injury that required surgery in 2024. When healthy, Lange features a curveball-heavy repertoire along with a 96 mph fastball, a sinker, and a changeup. In 2023, that repertoire led to a whiff rate of 39.1%, which ranked in the 99th percentile. Unfortunately, it was accompanied by a 1st percentile BB% of 15.6%. The signing of Lange should be taken as a tacit admission by the Royals of needing more guys with power swing and miss stuff, even if there is a tradeoff in walks. Former 2nd-round pick Jonathan Bowlan was part of the college pitching-heavy 2018 class that included Brady Singer, Kris Bubic, Jackson Kowar, and Daniel Lynch, along with Jonathan Heasley and Austin Cox. For a time, it appeared that Bowlan might be the best of the bunch. He threw a no-hitter for Wilmington in 2019, starting 23 games between Low A and High A, and striking out 150 in only 146 innings. Bowlan lost the 2020 season to COVID and then appeared in only four games in 2021 before losing that season to Tommy John surgery. He struggled in 2022 and 2023 before regaining some level of success with Omaha in 2024. Bowlan spent the 2025 season traveling back and forth between Omaha and Kansas City and put up decent numbers at both stops. At 6’6”, Bowlan has good extension and above-average velocity. He features a 5-pitch mix from his starting days, but as a reliever, he is primarily a four-seam fastball and slider pitcher, mixing in a sinker, curveball, and changeup. His Stuff+ metrics are above average for Stuff+, Location+, and Pitching+, with his slider being his highest-rated pitch. Perhaps because he pitched mostly in low-leverage situations, I didn’t realize his metrics were as good as they were. His Whiff Rate was elite at 33.7, his K% good at 25.6, and he got a lot of ground balls. His BB% was high at 9.4, and at 29, the ceiling is somewhat limited, but he has earned the opportunity for a second look. Luinder Avila debuted in 2025 and looked good in doing so. His 2025 Baseball Savant Pitching Percentile rankings are a sea of red, with only his walk rate being poor. It should be noted that these are based on only 14 innings pitched, though. He has a good frame with nasty movement on his breaking pitches, along with more than adequate fastball velocity. He is a potential breakout bullpen candidate this year. Eric Cerantola was added to the 40-man roster last year to protect him from the Rule 5 draft after a successful season at Omaha. He’s another big kid with a big arm. He’s struck out 11.9 batters per nine innings in his minor league career, but also has had his share of command issues with 5.4 BB/9. An athletic Canadian kid with a background in hockey, he is a fastball-slider pitcher who throws an occasional curve. His slider is arguably the best in the upper-level Royals minor league system and has received 70 grades. He may be this year’s Jonathan Bowlan, shuttling back and forth from Omaha as needed. Relief pitcher performance year-over-year is inherently volatile. Undoubtedly, the Royals got lucky in 2025, which screams regression in 2026. For that not to happen, some of the internal options currently on the roster need to step up. The Royals probably also need to add more options from the free agent and/or trade market. Stay tuned for that in Part II. View the full article

Last week, the Chicago Cubs traded low-level minor leaguer Nico Zeglin to the Houston Astros, in exchange for $250,000 in spending allotments for the 2025 international free agent period. Zeglin, 25, is essentially a non-prospect, and ostensibly, the right to spend an extra $250,000 on (mostly) teenagers from Latin America is low in value, too. There's little time left to spend that money; the signing period ends on December 15. After a one-month pause, the 2026 IFA period will open on January 15, but that will be a different budget. The Cubs can't roll over any savings. Ostensibly, then, they have some plan to shell out a small amount of money (in baseball terms) to a couple of late-blooming players who are already eligible, before the window closes for 2025. As a revenue-sharing payor, the Cubs cycle only from the bottom tier to the middle of the pack from year to year, in terms of the amount they're allowed to spend in the international free-agent space. For 2026, they'll enjoy a relatively robust budget of $6.68 million, but that's about $1 million less than (for instance) the Brewers have. Interestingly, too, despite having that flexibility, the Cubs haven't been tied to any of the top 30 projected bonus earners for the upcoming class, via Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. (Those lists overlap, but not perfectly, so in effect, the Cubs appear to be frozen out on the top 35 bonus babies of the coming year.) Taken together, that small trade with Houston and the fact that the Cubs appear poised to spread their bonus money pretty widely next year point in a particular direction: the team might be looking to diversify more and chase high-end talent less in Latin America. That would be good news, because it sure seems like that's the best way to efficiently extract value from the endeavor of signing young players from those nations. Strict limits on the number of players a team can have on their roster and inside the United States make it harder than it was a decade ago to stockpile talent and get quality from quantity in the minor leagues. One remaining way to do that, though, is by signing a glut of youngsters from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, and other countries in the Caribbean basin, who can be retained much more easily until they're ready for Stateside assignments. Furthermore, splashing money on the highest-paid players each year comes with more concentrated risk; a case of age or performance-enhancing drug fraud can bait a team into a bad spend. Teams commit to these players so young that a player's stock is sometimes on the wane by the time they actually, officially sign, even if they've been tied irrevocably to a team for 18 months by then. The Cubs would not be the first team to move away from focusing on those players who appear to merit seven-figure bonuses and toward accumulating talent at low individual costs. It's a case of "fast follow" on a trend gaining momentum throughout the league. They appear to have a player or two in mind for a last-second pickup before the end of this international signing window. When the next one opens, they'll continue to rebuild what has been an underperforming international amateur scouting and development operation—not one player at a time, perhaps, but in bunches and bundles. View the full article

On Tuesday evening, Major League Baseball conducted the MLB Draft lottery. After an 82-80 season, the Royals entered the lottery with the third-lowest odds to get the No. 1 pick (0.84%). Only the Mets (0.67%) and the Astros (0.34%) had lower odds than the Royals. However, after some years of tough lottery luck (they fell out of the top six despite having the second-best lottery odds in 2023), they jumped their projected draft position, which was No. 16, and landed the No. 6 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. The No. 6 pick gives the Royals increased slot money and more flexibility in the 2026 Draft. After being awarded a competitive balance round pick this offseason, they will hold the sixth, 31st, and 56th picks in the upcoming draft. Having three picks in the Top-60 will give JJ Picollo and scouting director Brian Bridges millions more in bonus money to play with, which could help them net some much-needed top-end talent. It's still early, but Kansas City could be in play to select a top college outfielder, such as Georgia Tech's Drew Burress and LSU's Derek Curiel, or prep left-handed pitcher Carson Bolemon, according to MLB Pipeline's Top-100 2026 MLB Draft prospects. The No. 6 selection could also allow the Royals to trade their competitive balance round pick at No. 31 to net a high-profile player or larger prospect package. The Royals have traded their competitive balance round pick twice: in 2022 (with Atlanta in the Drew Waters trade) and 2024 (with Washington in the Hunter Harvey trade). The 2026 MLB Draft will be at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia during All-Star Week, with the first round taking place on Saturday, July 11th. The remaining rounds will take place on Sunday, July 12th, and Monday, July 13th. View the full article

The hated Chicago White Sox, who already got Justin Ishbia and the Pope this year, win again. They will pick first in the 2026 MLB Draft, after winning the annual MLB Draft Lottery on Tuesday evening in Orlando. The Twins will pick third, but can find some consolation in not having fallen any further. The division-rival Royals also got a bump, as they entered with the 16th slot in the theoretical draft order but landed the sixth overall pick. The Royals, San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Rays all jumped into the lottery section (the top six selections), so the Twins were more fortunate than the Orioles, Athletics, or Braves, who all tumbled to the back half of the top 10. More to come. View the full article

Earlier this afternoon, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters at the Winter Meetings (including our own John Bonnes) that his coaching staff for 2026 has been finalized. "We have filled [the] assistant hitting coaching job," he said. "We have kind of backfilled [former bench coach Don Mattingly's] spot in a variety of ways. I'm giving those guys time to finalize with the teams they were with, and you'll have that full list really soon. One is internal, and two from outside." Sportnet's Shi Davidi reports that former White Sox catching coach Drew Butera is one of the two external additions. The other is former Rangers minor league hitting director Cody Atkinson, according to Mitch Bannon of The Athletic. Bannon also notes that Eric Duncan was promoted to the major league coaching staff from within the organization. He was previously Toronto's director of position player development. Presumably, Atkinson is the new assistant hitting coach, but it is not yet official what roles any of the Blue Jays' new coaches will be taking on. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox have remained busy on the trade front as they attempt to rebuild and bolster their starting rotation, as they've made two deals that brought back Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo. Despite that, the team is still in need of a true number two starter, and there may be a solution on, you guessed it, the trade market. Washington National's head of baseball operations Paul Toboni has been on the record as stating “it would just be kind of negligent to not entertain it” when talking about the organization listening on trade offers for both shortstop CJ Abrams and staff ace MacKenzie Gore. With that, the two teams could line up as perfect trade partners. Especially after the previous trades the Red Sox have made this offseason. Toboni was previously a member of the Red Sox's front office prior to taking on his current roll in the National's organization and has a good understanding of both the players at the major-league level and across the organization’s minor-league organizations. There shouldn't be much issue in him finding enough value to part with Gore. The Red Sox, on the other hand, have the capital of both major-league talent and prospects to get a deal done if they wanted to. And if the Nationals wanted young, controllable pitching, the Red Sox have plenty to offer as they have eight starters on the 40-man roster currently projected to open next season in the minor leagues. Gore would be a welcomed addition to the staff, as the 26-year-old would slot in nicely between Garrett Crochet and Gray. Still arbitration eligible for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, the Red Sox would not have to worry about a large salary constraint while also working to sign him to a long-term deal during the 2026 season; in that instance, his new contract wouldn’t kick in until after Gray's salary would come off the books. The left-hander is without a doubt the ace of the Nationals, and even after coming off a year where he missed a little time with injuries, he still led the rotation and made a name for himself as an All-Star pitcher. In 2025, Gore made 30 starts for the Nationals and went 5-15 while tossing 159 2/3 innings. In that span, he walked 64 batters and struck out 185. Despite an ERA of 4.17, Gore is one of the more exciting pitchers in the sport. Gore ticks off a lot of boxes the Red Sox. He has great extension, averaging 6.9 feet, can generate strikeouts, has a fastball that averaged 95.3 mph in 2025, and his breaking pitches generated a run value of five last season. With the southpaw, you’re getting a young pitcher who is in his peak form and should remain in his prime for the next half-decade. He generates whiffs at an amazing rate of 29.7% and strikes out batters at a 27.2% rate as well. Not to mention how he can get batters to chase around 30% of the time a pitch is out of the zone. And despite his fastball being his most used pitch, it’s how he utilizes the remainder of his repertoire that makes him so dangerous. Gore’s changeup (which he uses exclusively against right-handed batters) generated soft contact and a high whiff percentage in 2025. While batters hit .271 off of it, there was a lot of luck as the expected batting average was much lower, sitting at .214 (the average exit velocity on batted balls from the pitch was just 80.9 mph). The upside was even more impressive, as batters missed at 47.2% of changeups they swung at. His cutter was just as good (though not used as much), being saved mostly for right-handed batters too (just thrown seven times to left-handed batters); that pitch generated an expected batting average of just .187 while batters whiffed on it 40.9% of the time. In fact, only Gore’s fastball had a whiff rate of under 35%, sitting at 20.7%. Not a number to be taken lightly, but it helps to show how the fastball was used to help set up his other pitches and make them more dangerous. And while he walks his fair share of batters (9.4% in 2025), Gore manages to strand runners on base as he left 75.6% of baserunners stranded. Last season. his numbers could have been negatively impacted due to the defense of a team like the Nationals, especially when he allows fly balls at a 40.8% rate. With an outfield of Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony tracking down baseballs, there’s a chance opponents don’t have a .325 batting average for balls in play like they did in 2025. Gore is young and he’s still improving; with a team like the Red Sox, he could truly break out into the star most expected him to be. It would make sense for the Boston to engage in trade discussions for the young left-hander at the least, and if they did have to part with a young pitcher, it wouldn’t be a fatal blow with Gore and Crochet owning the top of the major-league rotation. Thankfully, the Red Sox have a surplus of pitching depth to use in a trade for a pitcher like Gore. Craig Breslow has the Red Sox set up perfectly for a blockbuster trade. The only question is who the team is targeting. Among every possible trade candidate, Gore stands out as the perfect option. View the full article

In mid-August, the Pohlad family announced they were no longer selling the team, and instead, would sell stakes in it to two limited partners. Then, for nearly four months, nothing. On Saturday, Charley Walters of St. Paul Pioneer Press broke some news regarding the first of the two limited partner groups who will be purchasing part of the Twins. “‘Look for Minneapolis-based Värde Partners, a worldwide multi-billion dollar credit investment corporation, to be announced soon as a limited partner with the Minnesota Twins," Walters wrote. "The firm is one of at least two limited partners expected to assist in diminishing the team’s reported $500-million debt.” Shortly after, Dustin Morse, the Twins Vice President of Communications and Content, told beat reporters that Walters’s reporting was inaccurate, but failed to elaborate. Cue the record scratch. That’s pretty significant news to get wrong—not quite to the level of “Dewey Defeats Truman”, but for Twins fans? Potentially huge. Also, $500 million in debt now? Yikes. What should we make of this: the report, the rebuttal, and the refusal to say more? Let’s look at some bread crumbs, to better understands what we might expect. To be clear, before I get started, I’ll simply be working off quotes from Twins officials at the Winter Meetings, where Twins Daily’s own John Bonnes is at the scene searching for clues to this and myriad other topics that can inform the trajectory of the 2026 season and beyond. Let's start with clues directly addressing the limited partnership news. Bonnes asked Derek Falvey on Monday whether he is in conversations with the limited partners currently, and if Värde Partners are in fact the first group. “it’s a fair question,” Falvey replied, but Morse interjected: “It’s an inaccurate report.” The follow-up: How inaccurate? Falvey deferred to Morse. “Yeah, we'll have this all wrapped up early next week. We'll put a release out with the names and the LPs that you guys can write," Morse said. Based on that messaging, it seems as though both groups will be announced. That’s huge news, and will have potentially significant ramifications on the offseason. For the first two months of the offseason (and really, dating back to the trade-deadline teardown), the assumption was the selloff would continue. Yet, Falvey was cagey about future plans, refusing to talk about a rebuild. Then, in yesterday’s presser, he added: “I said this at GM Meetings, I was hoping to find a way to build around the core that we have. I think we have that ability now to try and navigate through that.” When asked how sure Falvey was that he would be able to add pieces to the roster, he said: “Now it involves a few more people that we get to talk to about it. I think that’s helpful to share some broader perspective around where we think our team is. I was hopeful, as I said at GM Meetings, that we’d get to this place … I think, at this stage, figuring a way to add to this group was clearly the best fit for all what we aligned around.” Ok, great. Sounds like with the addition of the limited partners, there might be some payroll flexibility. How much, of course, remains to be seen. One of the major things we do not know (aside from the identity of the limited partners) is exactly how big a stake they are buying. Another crucial piece of missing information is how the cash will be used. Will it go toward eliminating the Pohlad family's debt, perhaps in its entirety? Or will it be used to buy out specific Pohlad family members, who are less interested in owning part of the asset? Perhaps a combination of both? The answer to these questions is needed to have a better sense of the financial landscape of the team. However, it does sound as though Falvey truly considers the Twins’ window of contention to be open, after all. He reiterated this in an interview on MLB Radio. “My job is to try and educate [ownership] in aggregate, around the current state of our team and what it could look like if we invest in it, what it looks like going into [20270], '28, '29, because you're never building for one year. You're always thinking multiple years ahead.” At the Winter Meetings, Falvey also spoke to his role, adding additional context about how it shifts slightly in light of the new limited partners. When asked specifically about what it will look like for him to make meaningful additions to the team: "I’ll still continue to work with ownership to position different opportunities to them, that these are the right fits for us right now and what does it afford us. Some of that’s an education process. There’s a little bit more education that’s on my shoulders now, to make sure that I’m sharing what this looks like, what it means for our short-term team, what it means for long term. And that’ll be a big part of my role, to inform.” From that, it’s clear that Falvey sees it as part of his role to sell ownership on the viability of adding. It also sure sounds like he's working with someone new, rather than Joe Pohlad remaining essentially in charge. And, it sounds as though he sees that being successful, as Jeremy Zoll spoke to the types of players they are looking to pursue this offseason: “Obviously, bullpen feels like the area that, after we went through what we did at the deadline, rebuilding that group and reinforcing in that space I think would give us a chance to push forward. And then on the offensive side, another bat or two with some thump, with some impact, to bolster a group that we’re excited about and that young core that we’re excited to keep growing with. That’s kind of the biggest opportunities and needs on our mind, trying to work for all that and making sure that we’re staying in sync with the market.” So, we know the new limited partners will be announced next week; there’s some payroll flexibility; and the Twins intend to address the bullpen and potentially add (multiple?) impact bats. After the dark fall of our discontent, it seems there are reasons to be cautiously optimistic for the remainder of the offseason, and the 2026 season. Stay tuned. View the full article

On Tuesday, the Boston Red Sox pulled the plug on the Vaughn Grissom era, trading him to the Los Angeles Angels, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. The return for Grissom is outfielder Isaiah Jackson, whom the Angels drafted in the eighth round this past summer. Jackson spent three seasons at Arizona State University. In his final year for the Sun Devils, Jackson hit .310 with 18 home runs and 14 stolen bases, but his calling card is his defense. The move clears a 40-man spot for the Red Sox, with the Rule 5 Draft scheduled for Wednesday. Grissom showed flashes of the player Boston coveted when it dealt 2024 National League Cy Young winner Chris Sale to Atlanta, but ultimately fell out of favor fast. In two seasons, he played just 31 big-league games, slashing .190/.246/.219 with a 30 wRC+ and -0.7 fWAR. He was a fine ballplayer in Triple-A Worcester, hitting 19 homers in 151 games, but simply didn't do enough to win himself an opportunity at any point in 2025. With the Red Sox scouring the market for infield help, even reportedly exchanging names with the Arizona Diamondbacks for Ketel Marte, there was seemingly no chance for the 24-year-old to ever wear a Red Sox uniform again barring something extreme. They tried moving him around the infield in 2025, even giving him 12 games at first base. Ultimately, the team felt the contingent of Abraham Toro, Nick Sogard, Romy Gonzalez, and Nathaniel Lowe gave them a better chance to win games in 2025. With, at the very least, Triston Casas slated to return from a ruptured patellar tendon at some point in 2026, opportunities were growing scarce. Grissom will try to revive his career in Los Angeles from here on out. View the full article

ORLANDO, FL—Day 2 of the Winter Meetings is underway in Central Florida. While Kyle Schwarber and Edwin Díaz have received much of the attention, the Marlins are quietly conducting business as well. Here is what Kevin Barral and I are hearing: Free Agency According to industry sources, free-agent reliever Pete Fairbanks is expected to command more than the $11 million option the Tampa Bay Rays declined last month. That price point, sources say, likely takes the Marlins out of the running. Fish On First initially reported the club’s interest in the 31-year-old closer, who overlapped with president of baseball operations Peter Bendix while they were both with the Rays. Another name Miami remains interested in is submariner Tyler Rogers, though he is believed to be seeking a multi-year deal. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald previously linked the Fish to Rogers. Trade Market The Marlins front office continues to hold longtime ace Sandy Alcantara in extremely high regard. The team will not trade its longest-tenured player unless it receives an overwhelming offer, and even then, ownership would have to be persuaded to finalize a deal. All indications are that the Dominican flamethrower, who recently accepted an invitation to pitch for his country in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, is lined up to take the ball on Opening Day, now set for March 27 at 7:10 p.m. Starters Ryan Weathers and Edward Cabrera continue to draw strong interest on the trade market, sources tell Fish On First. While not impossible, it's deemed highly unlikely that Miami would trade both starters. The one player on the 40-man roster who the Marlins will not entertain offers for is Eury Pérez. Extensions According to a source, there is mutual interest in a potential extension for Jakob Marsee. While Fish On First has confirmed that no formal offer has been made, discussions have taken place, and the two sides are expected to meet in the weeks following the Winter Meetings. In 55 games as a rookie, Marsee slashed .292/.363/.478 with five home runs and 14 stolen bases. He was the Marlins' most valuable player during that span with 2.2 fWAR. Poached coaches! As reported Monday afternoon, Alon Leichman—who served as Miami’s assistant pitching coach in 2025—has been hired by the Colorado Rockies as their head pitching coach. Leichman is the fourth member of last season's coaching staff to earn an elevated role with another organization, a trend that speaks highly of Miami’s ability to identify coaching talent. The Marlins are now searching for Leichman’s replacement. Peter Bendix, general manager Gabe Kapler, manager Clayton McCullough, director of pitching Bill Hezel, and pitching coach Daniel Moskos are all heavily involved in the hiring process, sources tell Fish On First. The Marlins have hired Blake Butler to be their new infield coach, sources told Fish On First on Monday. Butler replaces Tyler Smarslok, who previously held the position for Miami before joining the Washington Nationals. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox made a move to continue their attempts to stockpile pitching depth, as the team agreed to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training with left-handed pitcher Alec Gamboa. The signing was first announced by Will Sammon of The Athletic. Gamboa was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2019 and made it to Triple-A by 2023. He would go on to spend all of 2024 and open the 2025 season in Triple-A before being released to pursue an opportunity overseas. In 53 appearances at Triple-A, Gamboa tossed 133 1/3 innings while striking out 106 batters. Signing with the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization league, Gamboa would make 19 starts and go 7-8 with a 3.58 ERA. He also struck out 117 batters in 108 innings. Should Gamboa make the major league roster, his salary would increase to $925,000. View the full article