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Earlier this week, we discussed the many, many candidates for not-so-many spots in the Cubs' Opening Day bullpen, focusing on the right-handed hurlers in the mix. Today, let's tackle the lefties vying for the few open spots, and the way the team will utilize those who don't make the cut. It's a different exercise than with the righties. In all likelihood, only two lefties will make the Opening Day bullpen, and if Caleb Thielbar and Hoby Milner are each healthy, they'll be the two. Each signed with the team as free agents this winter. Neither can be optioned to the minors. A third lefty could crack the group, but two things are working against that: The sheer volume of useful and intriguing right-handed arms they've collected, vying for spots; and The fact that the team has two left-handed starters (Matthew Boyd and Shota Imanaga) slated for the Opening Day rotation, with another (Justin Steele) likely to join the mix somewhere around the All-Star break, making matchup lefties out of the pen a bit less of a pressing need. We can approach the questions of who brings what and how each pitcher might be used (or disused) differently, then, when it comes to the lefties. Nonetheless, we can begin with the same graphic showing the arsenals and arm slots of the candidates. The six key southpaws in the bullpen mix are Thielbar, Milner, Jordan Wicks, Luke Little, Ryan Rolison, and Riley Martin. As indicated by the gold hues of the backgrounds on each of their profiles, Wicks, Little, Rolison and Martin can all be optioned to Triple-A Iowa, so tentatively, we can expect all of them to start the season there. Wicks, the club's first-round pick in the 2021 Draft, is also a candidate to start, though his star has dimmed over time. As is true of Ben Brown and Javier Assad from the right side, Wicks is likely to stay stretched out this spring (if he remains with the Cubs), but unlike those two, the team will be very reluctant to use Wicks as a starter in the majors. His path to helping the team is by staying capable of multi-inning stints in relief. As high as his upside seemed to be just a year or two ago, Little now looks like the first name on the chopping block the next time the Cubs need to open a 40-man roster spot. Unless he comes to camp with his velocity restored, he's not going to be able to help the Cubs. His fastball sat near 96 miles per hour and flirted with 100 as recently as 2024, but last year, it averaged just over 93. He needs to improve his control, too, but even at the best that his control is ever likely to be, he can't have a meaningful impact at that number. He lowered his arm slot last season, and his size, that angle and the nastiness of his breaking ball give him real upside. To realize it, though, he has to get the juice back in his arm, and right now, that seems like a long shot. The Cubs scooped Rolison off the waiver wire, as much because he can be optioned and stashed as because he's a potential weapon in any kind of high-leverage situation. He has the relative cut the Cubs like on a four-seam fastball, and throws it from a high three-quarters slot, so his stuff bears a sufficient resemblance to that of Thielbar to make him a fallback plan if the aging high-slot spin master gets hurt. It's nice to have multiple guys who offer a particular look to opposing batters, as long as one can be kept in the minors while the other is getting outs in the majors. Martin has a little bit of the same thing going on. He doesn't have any big-league time yet, so we can't precisely measure his arm angle, but it's similar to Rolison's. So is his arsenal, with a four-seamer and two breaking balls that work vertically, more than horizontally. The Cubs have a lot of eggs in the Milner basket right now, when it comes to getting out hitters who struggle with low-slot lefties and/or horizontal movement. That's why Little has significant potential value, if he shows up in Mesa looking revived. Failing that, though, the team would be wise to add one more lefty whose stuff is at least roughly akin to Milner's. That could be on a minor-league deal, but it should be someone optionable, if at all possible. Still, this is a much more settled battle than is the one on the right side. Milner and Thielbar are a competent, veteran pair of lefties who are terrific in the clubhouse, as well as being reliable on the mound. The four other southpaws with a chance to pitch out of Craig Counsell's pen are all on the 40-man roster, and can all be kept in the minors. The roles are easy to divine, and the redundancies are equally clear. If the season began today, the Cubs wouldn't be sweating about their left-handed relief corps. They have other boxes to check before Opening Day; this group could stay quite stable. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox have made it clear that they are content with their high-leverage set up in the bullpen. They signed Aroldis Chapman to a team-friendly extension in September and have his set-up man, Garrett Whitlock, locked down through the end of this season with club options for both 2027 and 2028. The latter has been incredibly valuable to the organization since he was taken in the 2020 Rule 5 draft; although he’s bounced from the bullpen to the rotation, he’s become an anchor at the end of games the team knows it can depend on. What those club options likely signal is that Whitlock is waiting in the wings to take over the closer role should Chapman falter or get injured during this season, and more likely once he’s gone in 2027. I’ve long championed for Whitlock to be the closer of the Red Sox but after seeing a handful of All-Star caliber closers sign during the winter, it’s not a far reach to wonder if the Red Sox should have been more involved in that market to help shore up the role through, potentially, the end of the decade. There’s an injury risk with Whitlock that seems to rear its ugly head on an almost-yearly basis. In 2019, he underwent his first Tommy John surgery that kept him out through the shortened 2020 season. He was healthy in 2021, injured his hip requiring surgery in 2022, was limited by right elbow ulnar neuritis and right elbow inflammation in 2023, strained his oblique in April of 2024, then tore his UCL in May of the same year, requiring an internal bracing procedure. He was then placed permanently in the bullpen for 2025 and he thrived in the role again. It did come out after the season that Whitlock was pitching through a calf injury for most of the second half, but it was never bad enough to require time on the injured list and could be managed with his regular workload. His injury risk should be mitigated as he works out of the bullpen, but it’s something to keep in mind as he’s trusted with more high-leverage spots as the team prepares for a post-Chapman world. More importantly, the injury history is about the only negative mark you could give Whitlock. As a reliever, he’s been absolutely dominant on the mound. He proved that there was never a game or situation too big for him when he made his debut with the Red Sox in 2021 and stuck on the big league club for the entire season. Even after his hip surgery in '22, he was rewarded with an extension to keep him around for four more years. If we look at his numbers from 2025, we can see a pitcher who has finally come into his own and feels comfortable in his late-inning role. He threw 72 innings over 62 games with a 31.1% strikeout percentage, an 8.2% walk rate, a 2.25 ERA, 2.18 FIP, and a 2.2 fWAR. Taking the injury-shortened seasons out, he posted the lowest hard-hit rate of his career at 36.4% and his ERA is the lowest it has been since 2021’s mark of 1.96. On top of all of that, his Baseball Savant page is on fire. Whitlock has proven to be a steady hand as a set-up man and will likely show the same confidence and poise when he transitions to the closer role. Could the Red Sox have benefitted from signing Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, or even Ryan Helsley? Absolutely. You can never have too many big time arms at the back of your bullpen. But signing any of them could have hamstrung the finances in a way that may have prevented the trades for Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras or blocked the path to signing free agent Ranger Suarez. Sometimes, you have to trust the arms you have. This is a situation that bears monitoring going forward, especially if the Red Sox find themselves in a lot of tight games and don't want to burn out Chapman in his age-38 season. A trade deadline blockbuster can't be ruled off the table. But, insofar as he's healthy, Garrett Whitlock has been preparing to take over the closer role since last offseason and will reward the team’s patience with him whenever his number is called. View the full article

Each winter brings a fresh round of prospect rankings, clarifying where Minnesota’s system stands at the top. Using the four major national lists from ESPN, Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and The Athletic, the Twins placed six prospects on at least one Top 100 list entering the 2026 season. Three of these appeared on all four rankings, while others continue to spark debate about role projection and long-term health. Here is how the Twins' prospects stack up through a national lens. 5. Connor Prielipp, LHP Prielipp remains one of the more polarizing arms in the Twins system. ESPN was the most bullish, ranking him 54th overall, while Baseball America squeezed him in at number 94. MLB Pipeline and The Athletic both left him off their lists entirely. The split is understandable. Prielipp’s health history continues to cloud his future as a full-time starter, and national outlets often hesitate to rank pitchers who may ultimately land in the bullpen. Still, ESPN sees the upside, calling him “a potential No. 2 starter” if he can stay healthy. Moving forward, Prielipp finished the 2025 season with Triple-A St. Paul and could make his major-league debut in 2026, even if it comes in a relief role. If he finds consistency on the mound, he will not stay on the fringe of these lists for long. 4. Eduardo Tait, C Tait made one of the biggest year-over-year jumps among Twins prospects. ESPN ranked him 38th overall, the highest placement he received from any outlet. MLB.com slotted him in at number 65, a significant rise after opening 2025 ranked 93rd. Tait also cracked The Athletic’s list at 93rd after being left off entirely last winter. Baseball America was the lone publication to exclude him from its Top 100, highlighting just how varied the industry still is on young catchers. Following his acquisition in the Jhoan Duran trade last July, Tait has quickly established himself as one of the better catching prospects in the organization, as well as a key piece of Minnesota’s future. Though he finished last year as a teenager at High-A Cedar Rapids, he has a long way to go before reaching Target Field. 3. Kaelen Culpepper, SS Culpepper is one of three Twins prospects to appear on all four national lists, and his steady rise reflects how quickly he has moved since being selected in the first round of the 2024 draft. Culpepper finished 2025 slashing .289/.375/.469, with a 138 wRC+ between Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita. ESPN ranked him 79th; MLB Pipeline placed him at 52nd; Baseball America had him 74th; and The Athletic came in at 82nd. At 23 years old, Culpepper continues to prove that his bat and defensive ability can handle aggressive assignments. If that trend continues, his national ranking could climb even higher by next winter, when he should be on the cusp of providing big-league value. 2. Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF Rodriguez remains one of the most fascinating evaluations in the Twins system because of his unique player profile. He hits for power (.409 SLG), draws a ton of walks (20.6 BB%), and strikes out a lot (31.8 K%). ESPN ranked him 93rd, while MLB Pipeline placed him 74th. Baseball America and The Athletic both landed on 57th. Rodriguez’s ranking with MLB Pipeline has been especially volatile in recent years. He climbed from 88th before 2023 to 42nd before 2024 and then 37th before 2025. Injuries over the last two seasons have slowed that momentum, leading to his current slide. When healthy, Rodriguez has shown impact offensive tools. He should debut for the Twins in 2026. Like Culpepper, he is one of three Minnesota prospects to show up on all four national lists. 1. Walker Jenkins, OF Jenkins remains the crown jewel of the Twins system, even as his exact standing has shifted this winter. Baseball America ranked him fifth overall, his highest placement entering the 2026 cycle. ESPN also kept him inside the top 10, at number nine. MLB Pipeline dropped Jenkins out of the top 10, after he opened the 2025 season ranked third in all of baseball. Despite that slide, Jenkins continued to move through the system, finishing the year at Triple-A St. Paul. In his first 23 games at the level, he posted a .719 OPS with two home runs and eight RBIs, following a dominant stretch at Wichita wherein he recorded a .912 OPS in 52 games. Jenkins will open the season with St. Paul, but could make his major-league debut at just 21 years old. Keith Law of The Athletic dropped Jenkins from fourth in his 2025 rankings to 11th to begin 2026, citing durability more than performance. “I’m worried about his trouble staying healthy, but not worried about the offensive profile, even with the hiccup in St. Paul to end the year,” Law wrote. “He’s got a fantastic swing that will allow him to barrel the ball very consistently, and there’s 25-plus homer power in there as he refines his approach.” Overall, the Twins may not have the deepest collection of Top-100 prospects in baseball, but the talent at the top is undeniable. Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Culpepper provide three legitimate building blocks, while Tait and Prielipp offer upside that could reshape future lists if things break right. As spring training approaches, development and health will play a major role in how this group is viewed nationally a year from now. Which Twins prospect do you think is most likely to outperform their current national ranking in 2026? 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As the calendar nears February, just a couple weeks away from the beginning of spring training, the San Diego Padres' roster feels incomplete. Another starting pitcher and a player on the right side of the infield, whether at second base or first, would make Friars fans more comfortable as the Padres attempt to dethrone the Los Angeles Dodgers not only in the NL West, but as two-time defending World Series champions. What could be the holdup? Certainly not the curiosity of A.J. Preller, the Padres' president of baseball operations. Preller crawls under rocks to find players to bring to San Diego and goes out and gets them. While the overall tenor of this offseason has been slow, with more movement in January than in the month of December and the Winter Meetings, the Padres have clearly been limited for financial reasons. If they wanted to add a premier arm via free agency, that would cost anywhere from $20 million to $30 million. A hitter, especially with those remaining on the market, would be less than that. Not a problem, right? Petco Park is sold out basically every night, which means lots of food, drink and memorabilia sold at every home game. Except for one thing. The Padres' payroll sits at about $226 million per Spotrac and $217 million per Cot's. Those are Opening Day salary numbers and not competitive-balance tax numbers, which are the ones that owners truly care about regarding paying potential penalties for various thresholds. Those jump up to $269 million and $263 million, respectively. The level at which teams started paying a CBT penalty in 2025 was $241 million. The Padres' CBT payroll in 2025 was $270 million, on which they paid a 32% penalty on the amount above $241 million. That means a roughly $9.3 million tax from last year. The penalties increase each consecutive year a team is a payor. (For clarity, it is a 20% flat charge for a first-year violation on anything over the first threshold with a $12% addition for being $20 million-$40 million above that number. That gets you to 32%.) That $241 million modestly increases to $244 million in 2026, per the current collective bargaining agreement. Taking the lower of the $269 million (Spotrac) and $263 million (Cot's) projected CBT payrolls, which includes benefits payments and contributions for the one-to-three-year player-pool bonuses, that puts the Friars at $19 million above the initial CBT threshold. As a second-year payor, that hikes the Padres' tax rate to a 30%, Going above $264 million, which is a certainty as the roster is currently constructed, adds the 12% penalty for being $20 million-$40 million above the initial threshold. That makes the total tax at this point 42%. At the lowest end of that, the Friars face an $8.4 million penalty. That is without spending another dollar above $264 million. A $10 million signing or acquisition, barring any subtractions in a trade, would put that number at $274 million and a $12.6 million tax. Adding another $20 million in payroll this season would put the Padres at $284 million, which is $40 million above the initial threshold and jumps the 12% surcharge to 42.5%. That would make the penalty 72.5% for anything above $244 million and take the financial hit to $29 million. For a team that has reportedly had past financial issues and is currently being shopped around for sale, that would seem to be a steep price. Unless, of course, a sale is further down the road than we are aware of and the new, deep-pocketed owner has given their approval. Which, as you know, is unlikely, and would still be a hard sell given the copious amounts of onerous, long-term contracts the Friars have on the books. In 2023, the Padres had the highest payroll in franchise history at $291.2 million. This season is rapidly approaching besting last year's $270 million, the No. 2 figure. Pending changes to the CBA next offseason, the Friars are facing a third straight year of being a payor in 2027. Under the current system, that would hike the base tax rate from 30% to 50%. The question remains: Are the Padres willing to spend more to compete or roll the dice with what they have? View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have been steadily stacking their farm system for a while now, and these three prospects are primed for a leap in 2026. Kaelen Culpepper has one of the highest floors of any prospect in baseball at the moment, and one of his weakest supposed tools (power) has jolted awake. Emmanuel Rodriguez registered an on-base percentage north of .400 in the upper levels of MiLB last year, but he needs to get and stay healthy. Connor Prielipp has a sharp three-pitch mix and has been averaging north of 11 strikeouts per nine innings. Learn all about these three up-and-coming talents in this Twins Daily video! View the full article

While Chicago was just a game away from getting back to the NLCS for the first time since 2017, there's still plenty of margin to catch up to the Dodgers and Phillies of the world, never mind the Brewers in their own division. Dansby Swanson can make a few offensive adjustments that we cover; Justin Steele's situation fits the health-is-wealth saying more than ever (especially with some pitchers on contract years); and Colin Rea may be the most important plug-and-play piece of all. We cover all of it right here on North Side Baseball. View the full article

With last week's trade of right-handed starter Freddy Peralta, the message from the Milwaukee Brewers was clear: No one is safe from being traded. Peralta was dealt to the New York Mets as he entered his final season of team control. It happened to right-handed closer Devin Williams last offseason, and with right-handed starter and 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes two offseasons ago. Memorably, they also dealt closer Josh Hader at the 2022 trade deadline. Only shortstop Willy Adames was not moved before his final season with the Crew, in 2024. (Brandon Woodruff's injury took him out of this equation and offered the team a different dilemma about him between 2023 and 2024, instead.) Who is next in the spotlight? There are three candidates for the same treatment next winter: catcher William Contreras, right-handed closer Trevor Megill and first baseman Andrew Vaughn. All will be entering their final season of arbitration eligibility, with free agency looming after 2027. Thus, trade speculation on all three can commence. Contreras and Megill have the most value, with Vaughn probably still needing a productive full season with the Brewers to boost his stock. Let's take a look at all three, what their value is, and why they would be traded. WILLIAM CONTRERAS Contreras is the Crew's second-best player, after outfielder Jackson Chourio. When the Brewers swooped in to acquire Contreras from Atlanta in a three-team trade that included the Oakland A's, Contreras was an offense-first catcher who wasn't that good defensively. My, how times have changed. Thanks to the Brewers' ability to develop catchers, mainly under the tutelage of Charlie Greene, Contreras is still a good hitter but is now a pretty decent defender, too. That's made him one of the top overall catchers in the majors, a position that traditionally lacks consistent offensive production. In his three seasons in Milwaukee, Contreras has been a middle-of-the-order bat. While there has felt like there was more power available, Contreras has hit 17, 23 and 17 homers in the three seasons since the trade. He hit 20 homers in 97 games in his final season in Atlanta, when he mainly was the designated hitter, but he was also much of an all-or-nothing slugger back then. Contreras has become a more disciplined hitter, increasing his walk rate from 10.3% to 11.5% to 12.7% with the Crew, while his strikeout rate dropped from 20.5% in 2024 to 18.2% in 2025. Due to a broken middle finger on his catching hand that affected him the entire 2025 season, Contreras's slash line was down from his first two seasons in Milwaukee. After posting slash lines of .289/.367/.457 in 2023 and .281/.365/.466 in 2024, he dropped down to .260/.355/.399 last year. That dropped his fWAR from 5.8 to 5.5 to 3.6. Contreras had a procedure following the season to address the injury, which occurred during the 2024 season, so he should be at full strength entering 2026. That will allow Contreras to author what is likely his final chapter in a Brewers uniform. At a minimum, he will see his salary rise to $8.55 million, the figure the Brewers submitted for an arbitration hearing and the current record for a second-year arbitration-eligible catcher. Contreras is seeking $9.9 million. Whether the two sides will settle, as they did last year, is up for debate. Even another chunky raise next offseason makes him an affordable trade target to other teams, as the Brewers churn their roster without continual long-term investments. Providing he puts up similar offensive numbers to his first two years with the Crew, the return for Contreras should rival what the Brewers got for Peralta. If the right suitor emerges, they might even top it. TREVOR MEGILL Megill is a different animal. While Contreras was a well-known prospect, Megill has been a player who was waived, signed a minor-league contract, and was dealt for a player to be named later. However, he has found a home with the Crew. Following a 5.62 FIP and 8.37 ERA in 28 games with the Chicago Cubs in 2021 and a 3.29 FIP and 4.80 ERA in 39 appearances with the Minnesota Twins in 2022, the Brewers acquired him on Apr. 30, 2023. After a good first season in which he had a 2.13 FIP and 3.63 ERA in 2023, Megill grew into a late-inning role and took over as closer when Williams got hurt. He converted 21 of 24 save opportunities in 2024 and was the easy choice as closer entering 2025, when he had 30 saves in 36 tries. He increased his ERA+ from 119 in 2023 to 153 in 2024 and 168 last year. Megill's value has been built on his consistency as a back-end reliever. He did have an elbow injury late in the 2025 season that cost him a month, but he was back for the postseason—although right-hander Abner Uribe handled the closing duties. The Brewers are unlikely to move on from Megill, who will make $4.7 million in 2026, while in contention during the season, but with Uribe primed to be the next closer, the writing is on the wall. Megill doesn't have the credentials that Williams and Hader established during their Milwaukee careers, but his steadiness and the sturdy demand for a reliable right-handed reliever will bring back at least one good prospect, should he be traded. ANDREW VAUGHN We all saw what a change of scenery did for Vaughn. His July was electric. Following a June trade with the Chicago White Sox for right-hander Aaron Civale and a couple weeks at Triple-A Nashville, Vaughn hit the ground running with a homer in his first plate appearance and put up a .365/.426/.731 slash line in 16 July games, with five homers and 21 RBIs. Conversely, Vaughn logged a .189/.218/.314 slash line with five homers and 19 RBIs in 48 games with the White Sox before the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 draft was sent to Triple-A Charlotte. He cooled off a bit, but still finished the regular season with a .308/.375/.493 slash line for the Crew, with nine homers and 46 RBIs in 64 games and a 99 wRC+. Vaughn has a career slash line of .253/.310/.414, with his best season before 2025 being 2022, when he had a slash line of .271/.321/.429 with 17 homers and 76 RBIs. Another season like that would restore Vaughn's luster, but it would also likely price Vaughn out of any sort of future with the Brewers. He's making $7.65 million and would probably bump up to around $11 million in 2027. Only outfielder Christian Yelich ($24 million and change) and right-handed starter Brandon Woodruff ($22.025 million) make more than $10 million on this year's roster. The question will be whether Vaughn can replicate the final three months of 2025, or whether there will be regression. Any prolonged slump could see Vaughn off the Crew's roster in one form or the other. But a successful season will make him a commodity that the Brewers can cash in next offseason—unless, by then, they've locked him up on an under-market medium-term deal. If Vaughn does come back to Earth (even to the aforementioned 2022 level) in 2026, he'll be a non-tender candidate next winter. To avoid that risk and secure generational wealth now, might he consider a three- or four-year deal that offers the Brewers a club option or two and some cost certainty? We'll see. The team isn't averse to extensions, but they need leverage to get the terms that make such deals make sense for them. With Contreras and Megill, that leverage is lacking. With Vaughn, it's there. All three of these players are trade candidates next winter, unless and until something major happens to change that. 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The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and we're looking to expand our video coverage. Have you ever considered being on-camera and talking about the Royals? If yes, we'd love to talk to you about it. Our videos are typically in a wide variety of styles: breaking news, analysis, and historical study. We're open to any and all ideas as long as they're centered around the Kansas City Royals. We're looking for serious baseball talk, so leave the hot takes at home. If you'd like to learn more about this cool little side gig, please email Brock Beauchamp at brock.beauchamp@royalskeep.com. Here is an example of a recent Royals video from us: View the full article

The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and we're looking to expand our video coverage. Have you ever considered being on-camera and talking about the Brewers? If yes, we'd love to talk to you about it. Our videos are typically in a wide variety of styles: breaking news, analysis, and historical study. We're open to any and all ideas as long as they're centered around the Milwaukee Brewers. We're looking for serious baseball talk, so leave the hot takes at home. If you'd like to learn more about this cool little side gig, please email Brock Beauchamp at brock.beauchamp@brewerfanatic.com. Here is an example of a recent Brewers video from us: View the full article

Over the weekend, MLB Network announced their annual list of the Top 100 players in Major League Baseball. The Chicago Cubs were well-represented on the list, with their four names — Alex Bregman, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Michael Busch, and Seiya Suzuki — tied for the fourth-most on a given roster. Of course, the more notable aspect of the release of the list is the player that was not included: Nico Hoerner. It's not just the fact that Hoerner finished being only Crow-Armstrong as the Cubs' most valuable player by fWAR in 2025 (4.8). Nor is it that said fWAR finished 20th among all position players last year. Either one likely should have qualified him for inclusion, especially when one considers Hoerner's offensive skill set that featured a blend of a 99th percentile strikeout rate (7.6 percent) and whiff rate (11.2 percent), while he finished in the 98th percentile on the other side of the ball in Outs Above Average (14). It's not even that his omission disrespects his value within the broader scope of the sport. It's that it entirely disregards Hoerner's standing within his own position. MLB Networks' list featured just four players at the keystone: Ketel Marte (No. 19), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (No. 61), Brice Turang (No. 62), and Jose Altuve (No. 81). If not elite, Marte certainly lives in the second tier of positional performers. Chisholm finished with an even split of 31 home runs and 31 steals. Turang had an offensive breakout in his third year in the league, hitting more homers (18) than he did in his first two years combined while adding 24 swipes and playing exemplary defense. Jose Altuve continued to do the things he's always done. If you were to list the top five second basemen in the sport at present, it'd be a tough sell to exclude any of them. There's a reason Hoerner sat atop the WAR leaderboard for the position, though. He, quite obviously, lacks the power upside of the other four. His .097 isolated power was his lowest in a full season even by his modest standards. That shouldn't understate his value elsewhere, though. Hoerner's contact rate (89.9 percent) was more than seven percent better than Altuve's. His strikeout rate was more than seven percent better than Marte's. His comprehensive baserunning metric (BsR) checked in at 4.5, with Turang's 2.9 checking in second at the position.. And that doesn't include the defensive component. Hoerner's OAA (14) at second was miles ahead of each of the names included in the Top 100. Chisholm Jr is the next name on the list of this group at No. 4 (8 OAA). Marte (1) follows at No. 20, with Altuve (0) and Turang (0) bringing their precisely average figures to the table. It's also worth noting that Altuve spent nearly 400 innings in left field while Chisholm Jr was at third base for 238 frames. Not that splitting time at another position should be disqualifying in any way, but if there was any semblance of a positional spread on this list, then it becomes even more perplexing with that fact in mind. Regardless, when measuring Hoerner against his keystone counterparts, it starts to become clear what this particular list values. Those values do not, apparently, lie in contact, baserunning, or defense, but more likely power. From a positional standpoint, MLB Network wanted louder names on the list than a steady, reliable, contact-oriented hitter with an elite glove. Not that we're suggesting that compiling this list is easy. At a given time, there are 780 active players in Major League Baseball. Roughly 12 percent of the league is featured as a result, or roughly three players from every roster if it was evenly spread. Having to include a balance of position players and pitchers makes it all the more cumbersome. Even when you start to reduce some of the percentages as to how many players, on average, might be selected or the overall percentage of names on the list, it's wildly difficult to make a case against Hoerner's inclusion. And we've only discussed it within the context of his position. The good news is that a list such of this can be read as arbitrary enough, given the names and selection factors that may have been involved, to ultimately not matter. It's nice to have the loud skill sets on your roster, and the Cubs have some of that scattered throughout this group of players. Ideally, though, a list such as this doesn't lead to an under-appreciation of the stability offered by a player like Nico Hoerner, who is as worthy as any of those who were fortunate enough to be recognized. View the full article

The Kansas City Royals bullpen put together a strong season in 2025, seeing Carlos Estévez lead Major League Baseball in saves, Lucas Erceg lead all Royal receivers with a FIP of 3.49, and John Schreiber appeared in the 10th most games amongst all relievers, totalling 64 innings. The off-season has seen the Royals go out and acquire Matt Strahm from the Philadelphia Phillies and Nick Mears from the Milwaukee Brewers, to help bolster a Royals bullpen that recorded the seventh-lowest earned run average and eighth-least home runs in MLB. Héctor Neris was picked up on a minor league deal, Luinder Avila flashed potential in September, and Daniel Lynch IV found success in the left-hander’s first full season as a reliever. With under one month until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, here is a look at Luke Jackson, Justin Wilson, and Scott Barlow, as relievers the Royals could look to add prior to camp opening. Luke Jackson Jackson appeared in 52 games in 2025, totalling 51 innings across three teams. The 34-year-old pitched for the Texas Rangers and Detroit Tigers before closing out the season with the Seattle Mariners. Jackson totalled a record of 2-5 with a 4.06 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. The numbers don’t jump off the screen at you, but it was Jackson’s third stop of 2025 with the Mariners that gave reason to believe that Jackson still has the ability to be elite. The Mariners have a history of helping pitchers reach a new level, and that is what pitching coach Pete Woodworth may have helped Jackson do. In 10 games after being acquired by the Mariners, Jackson posted an ERA of 2.38, FIP of 2.69, WHIP of 0.88, and held opposing batters to an average of .162 in those 11 ⅓ innings. The strikeout numbers also jumped, sitting down 10 batters via a punch out across those appearances. Justin Wilson Wilson has pitched with seven franchises over his 13-year career, most recently spending 2025 with the Boston Red Sox. In 61 games, Wilson posted a record of 4-1, an ERA of 3.35, and a WHIP of 1.41. This was the second straight season that the left-hander pitched in at least 60 games, and the seventh time overall. Wilson totalled a FIP of 2.95 in 2025 and struck out 57 batters in 48 ⅓ innings. Wilson held left-handed batters to an average of .212 and would give Royals manager Matt Quataro another trusted arm alongside the current lefties, Strahm and Lynch IV. In Wilson’s career, the 36-year-old has made the postseason seven times, recording a career ERA of 1.29, while limiting opposing batters to an average of .129. Wilson pitched in one playoff game in 2025 for the Red Sox, going 1 ⅔ innings against the New York Yankees, allowing no hits. The veteran presence could help give a young Royals team someone to turn to as the development of arms continues in 2026. Scott Barlow A potential reunion of the former Royals closer, Barlow, who spent the 2025 season with the Cincinnati Reds. In 75 games, Barlow posted a record of 6-3, totalling 4.21 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. In 68 ⅓ innings, Barlow struck out 75 batters. Barlow is a pitcher who takes the ball when his name is called. In the past five seasons, Barlow has appeared in 71, 69, 63, 63, and 75 games. As many fans know, injuries can mount at any time, and having a durable arm that can routinely take the ball can help save bullpens from being overworked. Barlow’s FIP totalled in at 4.70 in 2025, the highest of the right-hander’s career, but the strikeouts were still there. Barlow retired 75 batters via the strikeout, up from 2024 when Barlow struck out 68. Opposing batters were only able to hit .200 off Barlow, the second-lowest average against of the 33-year-old’s career. View the full article

After they traded a majority of their bullpen at the trade deadline last year, the Twins had a bunch of bullpen innings to cover in the final two months. Many of those went to marginal veteran placeholders like Thomas Hatch, Michael Tonkin, Erasmo Ramirez and Genesis Cabrera. More intriguing to follow were internally-developed arms Travis Adams and Pierson Ohl, who ranked 6th and 7th in pitching appearances for the Twins after July 31st. While hardly top prospects or household names, Adams and Ohl seemed like credible contenders to carve out a role in Minnesota's reconstructed relief corps. As unremarkable minor-league starters whose stuff and results showed potential to jump in shorter stints, both looked similar enough to many of the pitchers who previously broke through in the Twins bullpen — including the remaining ringleader Cole Sands. Ohl was recently designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster, and on Wednesday he was traded alongside Edouard Julien to the Rockies. Adams remains on the 40-man, for now, and he's one of only six pitchers with any real experience as major-league relievers. That doesn't guarantee Adams will stick around through the spring, but the front office has continually shown an auspicious level of faith in the right-hander. I find myself wondering why. Let's compare Adams with the now-departed Ohl to try and figure out what's driving the team's confidence. Similar Track Records in the Twins System Adams and Ohl are both 26 years old. Both were drafted out of college in 2021 — Adams in the sixth round, Ohl in the 14th. In the minor leagues they posted similar numbers, although Ohl was a little better across the board in terms of performance. Here are their totals in five minor-league seasons: Adams: 407.1 IP, 4.44 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.27 WHIP Ohl: 394 IP, 3.61 ERA, 8.6 K/9, 1.3 BB/9, 1.13 WHIP Neither really ever emerged on the top prospect radar, although they'd occasionally pop up on longer lists and in sleeper conversations. Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic had Ohl ranked 25th on his 2024 preseason list, with Adams unranked, and then in 2025 had Adams ranked in the same spot with Ohl falling out of the top 40. This flip-flop points to an upward trend for Adams in the 2024 season (3.90 ERA in 127 IP at AA/AAA) and a downward one from Ohl (4.68 ERA in 102 IP at AA). It was enough to get Adams added to the 40-man roster afterward while Ohl went undrafted in the Rule 5. This also meant Adams was first in line for a major-league shot, debuting in early July of 2025 while Ohl had to wait until the end of the month. During their limited time in the majors last year, much like during the balance of their minor-league careers ... Ohl sure looked like the better pitcher. Ohl Outperforms Adams During MLB Bullpen Audition Let's be clear: neither of these guys was good in 2025. Ohl posted a 5.10 ERA in his 30 innings of work, although it came along with a 27-to-7 K/BB ratio and respectable 4.20 FIP. Meanwhile, Adams put up a brutal 7.49 ERA in 33 ⅔ innings, sprinkling in repeated blow-up spots. He averaged nearly a strikeout per inning but also walked 10.8% of opposing hitters, roughly double the rate of Ohl. What's really interesting is the way the usage of these two pitchers evolved in tandem. Early on they were used in extended, inning-eating roles, even making occasional spot starts. When the calendar flipped to September, and the Twins seemingly got a little more serious about trying to evaluate what they had, both were used almost exclusively in shorter, higher-effort, one-inning stints. Between July and August, Adams and Ohl threw 40-plus pitches in 13 of their 15 appearances. In September, they made 17 combined appearances and only one of those included more than 40 pitches thrown. It was Ohl's first outing of the month, in which he gave up four earned runs. From then on, his numbers: 8 IP, 0 ER, 9 K, 1 BB, 5 H. Among Twins relievers he ranked second only to Kody Funderburk in September WPA. On the surface, it was everything you'd want to see from a guy making his case to contend for a job in the 2026 bullpen. Adams didn't fare so well in the shorter September stints. His numbers: 10.1 IP, 9 ER, 10 K, 5 BB, 9 H. He couldn't be trusted to come in and pitch through an inning, much less do so cleanly. So Why Did the Twins Prefer Adams? I realize we are working with very small samples in the analysis above. I'm not trying to overblow the significance. But Adams has been outperformed by Ohl over the breadth of their careers so far, and especially in last September's mini-audition. Nonetheless, Ohl was first out the door. When you look at the repertoires it is a little easier to see why. Ohl's approach is built around excellent control and a standout changeup that he threw a ton (37%), but he doesn't have much in terms of a third or fourth pitch. His 91-MPH fastball is in the 15th percentile for velo and got blasted for a .370 batting average. It's tough to succeed in relief without at least a decent fastball as your base, especially without an assortment of secondaries you can credibly mix in. Adams' heater is nothing special but he throws it in the mid-90s and it held its own (.351 xwOBA vs. 432 for Ohl). He's got five different pitches he threw at least 10% of the time with the Twins, including a slider that shows real promise. You squint at him and you can see the raw profile that eventually turned into Sands, or even Griffin Jax. Regardless, Adams hasn't ever performed all that well in the minors and he got bashed in the majors. Despite an evident stuff advantage over Ohl, he was worse by almost any metric, including chase rate and strikeout rate. You might be saying, "Nick, I can't believe you've spent all this time weighing the merits of two borderline MLB arms like these," and you'd have a fair point. But it's been that kind of offseason, and as a result, there's a lot of pressure to get these decisions right. Even if the Twins add another veteran reliever or two, pitchers like Adams are going to get opportunities, and dark horses will need to emerge. For now, the Twins are committed to sticking with Adams in that mix, while Ohl moves on to see how his signature changeup plays in the Colorado altitude. While I'd like to believe they made the right choice, their history with keeping the right fringy relief pitchers is hardly infallible. View the full article

Pitchers and catchers report for spring training in Dunedin, Florida, on February 11. The rest of the team reports on the 16, and games begin five days later. The Toronto Blue Jays may be done adding to their offense, as all the big-dollar free agents have signed elsewhere. They did add Kazuma Okamoto, who comes over from Japan on a four-year, $60 million contract. With him added, let's take a look at how the batting order may come together versus right and left-handed pitchers. Predicting the Blue Jays' Batting Order Against RHP George Springer, DH - R Addison Barger, RF - L Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B - R Anthony Santander, LF - S Kazuma Okamoto, 3B - R Daulton Varsho, CF - L Alejandro Kirk, C - R Ernie Clement, 2B - R Andrés Giménez, SS - L Springer will deservedly return to the leadoff spot, where he's had 4,787 career plate appearances. Batting first, he has a career .270/.354/.481 slash line, 221 home runs, 761 runs, and 80 stolen bases. Even though he's 36, there's no one on the roster who should be considered to replace Springer atop the batting order if he stays productive. Nathan Lukes was often seen in the second spot down the stretch last season, but with everyone healthy and Okamoto pushing Barger to the outfield, Lukes will find himself a bench player at the start of the season. Last year was full of ups and downs for Barger, but he will look to bring his 115 wRC+ against righties into the upcoming season. It'll be his third year in the big leagues, but he will find himself in a platoon at the beginning of the season, as he struggled against lefties in 2025 (69 wRC+). There's no question who will bat third. Guerrero is by far the best hitter on the Blue Jays and one of the best in MLB. After him is where the debate will begin. The fourth through seventh hitters can be interchangeable depending on production. If Santander can return to his 2024 form, that of a player who had 44 home runs and 102 RBIs for the Baltimore Orioles, then he'll stay slotted into the cleanup spot all season since he's a switch-hitter. But let's be honest, Blue Jay fans will take anything better than Santander's production in his debut season in Toronto. Spring training will be Okamoto's first chance to show the Blue Jays he can bring his power bat from Japan to America. If he adjusts to MLB pitchers, then this signing will be a home run. He hit 15 homers last season, but an elbow injury caused him to miss over three months. Okamoto had a career-high 41 home runs in 2023, so he could be a great protection bat behind Santander. If Santander struggles again, Varsho should move to the four-hole as a left-handed power hitter. However, to start the season, Varsho should slot into the sixth spot to break up the righties at the end of the lineup. He started last season on the injured list, recovering from a 2024 shoulder surgery, and missed two months halfway through the season with a hamstring injury. If Varsho can stay healthy, we could witness his best season yet. Despite the missed time, Varsho was on pace for a career season in 2025. He had 20 home runs over 271 plate appearances, which was short of the 27 he hit in 2022, but he had 321 more plate appearances that year. The center fielder did complete the season with a career high 123 wRC+. Kirk could bat fifth and move Okamoto to the seventh spot in the batting order. The drastic power discrepancy is why I put Okamoto fifth, though. The Blue Jays' catcher has never been a power hitter, but last season he set career highs in home runs (15) and RBIs (76). What Kirk does well is put the ball in play, backed by a .292 BABIP and only an 11.7 strikeout percentage in 2025. He'd be a great contact bat to help knock in whatever runs the powerful three through six hole batters leave on the basepaths. Clement can bat eighth after an outstanding 2025 postseason. He slashed .411/.416/.398, scored 13 runs, and posted an incredible 171 wRC+ over 77 plate appearances. His 30 hits set an MLB record in a single postseason. If he keeps making contact at such a high level, he could find himself slotted in the two hole if Barger starts slow. Giménez will bat ninth as he's a defensive specialist. He started hot last season, hitting three home runs in 22 March plate appearances; however, he only hit four more in his remaining 347 trips to the plate. His .598 OPS was a career-worst over his six MLB seasons. Predicting the Blue Jays' Batting Order Against LHP George Springer, DH - R Ernie Clement, 2B - R Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B - R Anthony Santander, RF - S Kazuma Okamoto, 3B - R Alejandro Kirk, C - R Davis Schneider, LF - R Myles Straw, CF - R Andrés Giménez, SS - L Against left-handed pitchers, the batting order only has a few changes, mainly replacing some of the left-handed hitters. I'd move Clement to the second spot because of the contact skills he possesses. I replaced Varsho with Straw to get a right-handed bat in the lineup. The Blue Jays limited Varsho's reps against lefties last season, as well; he only has 56 plate appearances against southpaws, compared to 215 appearances against right-handers. Straw won't provide substantial offensive production, but last season he had some success on balls in play (.308 BABIP), leading to his best wRC+ (91) since 2021. The final change is replacing Barger with Schneider. Schneider surprisingly struggled against southpaws last season with a .215 batting average, though he had a .708 OPS and a 106 wRC+ against them. I acknowledged Barger's struggles versus lefties earlier, which makes Schneider an obvious replacement. Though exactly how Schneidet fits in this lineup is a little head-scratching. The Blue Jays will also have Tyler Heineman (switch-hitter) and Lukes (left-handed bat) that they can utilize in games. However, if I were the manager, this is the batting order I'd roll out. The Blue Jays have the pleasure of having massive power potential this year. It could be an electric season as fans hope to witness another World Series run, but with a different final outcome. View the full article

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Barring rainouts that are made up late in the season, the Chicago Cubs will play 113 regular-season games before the 2026 MLB trade deadline, which the league officially set this week for August 3. In a recent collective bargaining agreement, the league and the players union changed the rules around the deadline, allowing the commissioner's office to set the date of the deadline each year. Until the early 2000s, the deadline had been fixed at 11:59 PM on July 31. Then, for a while, it was still glued to that date, but the time moved up, so that deadline deals happened during drivetime and prime time. Now, it can be moved around by the commissioner, to avoid having it land on weekends or dates when many teams are playing night games that might be disrupted by last-minute roster changes. In this case, since July 31 is a Friday, the league has moved the deadline back to the following Monday. Half the league plays that day, but Rob Manfred and his staff are gambling that clubs will conduct the bulk of their business after the games of Sunday, Aug. 2 and on the morning of Aug. 3. It seems like a small change, but in truth, this is the latest in a series of steps pushing the trade deadline later and later in the season. That began with one huge change, but it's been followed by several small ones going in the same direction. Cubs fans of a certain age remember the famous Rick Sutcliffe trade, which so galvanized the 1984 team. It happened on June 15, because until the mid-1980s, that was the date of the trade deadline. This is why, for baseball traditionalists, Memorial Day is such an important landmark for teams in terms of self-evaluation. Once that holiday passed, clubs only had roughty another fortnight to set and pursue their direction. After the deadline moved back to July 31, it stayed there for decades—but Opening Day didn't stand still. It began creeping earlier in April around the time of the switch to the date of the deadline, and then in 2018, it jumped forward another week. For almost a decade, the league has been playing the first full series of most seasons in March. Here's the result—the number of games the Cubs had played by the time the trade deadline arrived in selected seasons, chosen for regular intervals and recency: 1984: 61 1994: 103 2004: 104 2014: 107 2024: 109 2025: 108 2026: 113* It almost looks like one big change, then stasis, but the creep is real. The nominal deadline has steadily moved deeper into the season calendar, making for less value delivered by players acquired at the deadline. On the other hand, it's important to note a force moving the 'real' deadline the opposite direction: the evolution of the waiver trade period. For decades, the deadline was fixed on June 15, but in practice, teams could and did make trades until the end of August. These tended to be smaller deals, but by an unspoken (or at least, spoken of only on backchannels, lest they get into trouble) agreement, teams wouldn't claim a player being waived by another club for the purpose of trading them. That allowed players to be dealt after the deadline. In the 1980s and early 1990s, though, some teams began to attempt greater brinksmanship with that strategy, trying to deal for very important players on the other side of the deadline. The trend came to a head in 1993, when Atlanta claimed Dennis Martinez on waivers to prevent the Giants from getting ahold of him as the two sides raced to the finish line in the NL West. Norms shifted quickly, and for the next 15 years, the waiver trade period existed—but it was curtailed. Teams could only trade players to the team who claimed them on revocable waivers, and only players with big contracts or some noteworthy warts would clear the waiver wire and become freely movable. Finally, ahead of the 2019 season, the league got rid of the waiver trade period altogether. In essence, then, the trade deadline spent a long time floating in the wide space between mid-June and the end of August; then got compressed into a sloshy space from the end of July to the end of August; then became, effectively, the end of July. Now, it's the end of July, period—except when the league decides it can slosh a few days into August, after all. Meanwhile, with Opening Day sliding around and the structure of the schedule (with regard to off days, scheduled doubleheaders and so on) changing often, the number of games played before the deadline (or "deadline," or deadlines, or whatever) hit has changed meaningfully over the years. It's fair to say, though, that we're now headed for the most restrictive deadline in baseball history. It's a hard stop on trades, and it comes with roughly 50 games left on the schedule for each team. That doesn't give anyone much incentive to trade top prospects for a player, unless it be someone under team control beyond this year. It does allow a fistful of extra games for a team or two to fall out of contention and decide to sell, but because prices are likely to be low, some clubs might simply hold onto their guys. Deadlines spur action, especially in high-information, competitive marketplaces. Teams know their own players and everyone else's too well to make a reckless trade because they happen to love a given player, and often, only the time pressure of the deadline can move two clubs off their intransigent positions in a negotiation. We should expect to see fewer and less exciting trades because of this change to the deadline's math. On the other hand, this is extra incentive to teams to be active before the season begins. Teams with guys who become free agents in the fall have to know that their trade values will tank by the end of July, when an acquiring team also won't be able to extend the player a qualifying offer. In the handful of weeks before the season begins, expect to see a few members of the prospective 2026-27 free-agent class dealt, because now is the time for those trades, especially given the way the schedule is working out this year. The Cubs still aren't likely to trade Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki. They could, however, be more likely to sign someone like Zac Gallen, who would give them unwieldy but excellent pitching depth. Rather than be a desperate team trying to pry loose a starter in mid-July when their club would rather wait for Aug. 2, teams can still sign free agents like Gallen, Framber Valdez or Chris Bassitt, so they don't end up needing to do much at what looks to be a quiet deadline. If you're likely to get two fewer starts from a pitcher now than you would have when trading for them at the deadline 15 years ago, you might as well sign someone in February, instead. The financial price of doing so will be lower than the prospect price you pay in late July, once you account for all the extra work you'll get from the player. There's something a bit boring and ickily corporate about the deadline becoming a floating thing. It feels like Manfred and his office choose the deadline out of no consideration but convenience each year, and baseball really isn't supposed to cater to the convenience of executives or players. It's also moving too deep into the season, where the impact of the summer trading period dwindles toward zero. That's bad for baseball, which has always gotten lots of juice out of sports-talk radio, taxi driver banter, and family arguments at the 4th of July over what the local nine needs to do to get better. Moving the deadline earlier would make more sense, but the league prefers to cater to convenience—and to the rationalistic economic minds of modern front offices. That's a shame, but it's only a small thing. More than anything else, it's a curiosity. View the full article

With the San Diego Padres still looking to bolster their starting rotation, the team has been connected with a pitcher they have seen a lot in recent years. That would be right-hander Zac Gallen, a free agent after pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks since 2019. According to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman, the Friars have "checked in" on Gallen. But Heyman also immediately threw water on the idea by grouping the Padres with the Los Angeles Angels and saying those two teams aren't "big spenders." Instead, Heyman points to a return to the Diamondbacks as a possibility due to Gallen having a qualifying offer, while the Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles would be the other top contenders. Gallen had a bumpy 2025, with a 4.50 FIP and 4.83 ERA in 33 starts, although he was much better down the stretch, with a 3.32 ERA after Aug. 1. View the full article

The Brewers add a veteran to their catching depth, signing former Blue Jay and Red Sox Reese McGuire to a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training and Major League camp, according to Adam McCalvy. This comes after the Brewers have announced 15 non-roster invitees to spring training. Amongst those names are Ramon Rodriguez, Matt Wood, and Darrien Miller, who all play the catcher position. The former 14th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft has had stints with the Blue Jays, White Sox, and Red Sox before signing a minor league deal last season with the Cubs. McGuire played 44 games last season with a .226/.245/.444 line with nine home runs and 24 RBI. Both of which are career highs across his eight seasons in the league. With only 38 men on the 40-man roster, and only two catchers occupying spots, McGuire has the opportunity to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster as the backup for two-time all-star and silver slugger winner, William Contreras. The only person who stands in his way is catcher prospect Jeferson Quero. McGuire has played more of a platoon role with his previous teams, with the likes of Carson Kelly last season, Connor Wong, and even former Brewers catcher Danny Jansen. He has more success against a right-handed pitcher, so he would likely be used in those situations. He would provide a solid competition for Quero, who has had a history of injuries that have stunted his growth to the major league roster and has even been removed from MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects. If McGuire earns a spot, they can still option Quero back down to Nashville. While it may use his third minor league option, Quero does qualify for a fourth option should they go with McGuire. View the full article

It is widely known that the Philadelphia Phillies don’t want to continue their professional relationship with Nick Castellanos in 2026. They are actively trying to move him, as the club's president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, has confirmed publicly multiple times. The Miami Marlins actually showed serious interest in Castellanos when he was a free agent four years ago, but the Phillies outbid them with a five-year, $100M deal. A National League All-Star and Silver Slugger at the time, he has declined since then. Last season, Castellanos slashed .250/.294/.400/.694 with 17 home runs, 72 RBIs, and a 90 wRC+. His playing time was reduced as the year went on and his strained relationship with manager Rob Thomson became a storyline. His postseason performance was also unimpressive—he went 2-for-15 at the plate with a .400 OPS in a four-game NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. On the January 22 episode of Fair Territory, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic mentioned the Marlins as a potential Castellanos destination, given the lack of veteran bats on their roster and his background as a Hialeah native and Archbishop McCarthy alum. Rosenthal adds that the Phillies would be taking responsibility for most of the $20M still owed to the right-handed hitter to facilitate any deal. However, Castellanos doesn’t have a place in Miami where he’d receive regular playing time. A full-time outfielder since 2018, Castellanos’ minus-82 defensive runs saved is the worst in MLB during that span, per Fielding Bible. The next-closest player, Jorge Soler, is 30 runs better at minus-52. With the inconsistency of his bat at this stage of his career—wRC+ below 100 in two of the last four seasons—there's no guarantee of him even performing above replacement level moving forward. It's hard to imagine Castellanos taking playing time away from fellow outfielders Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie, Griffin Conine or Heriberto Hernández. Even Esteury Ruiz might be ahead of him on the depth chart considering his great Triple-A production in 2025 and elite speed. Castellanos is showing a willingness to make the move to first base and videos have surfaced of him getting work there. He has solid height for the position at 6'3", but due to his inexperience, who knows what that will look like. The Marlins already signed Christopher Morel to a one-year deal and identified him as a candidate to learn first base. Conine is also experimenting at first entering this spring and Liam Hicks recently told the Marlins Radio Network that he is still working at the position after making 23 starts last season. While the Marlins should be open-minded to finding another 1B option, Castellanos does not represent a clear upgrade. The likelihood of Castellanos bouncing back to being an impactful run producer is too low for the Marlins to make room for him. View the full article

As Opening Day is about 50 days away, we offer the third version of the 2026 Brewers Opening Day roster projection. The construction of the roster could (and probably will) change between now and then, but here is our best guess for what your Milwaukee Brewers roster will look like on March 26 against the Chicago White Sox. Just over a month ago, we published V 2.0. Here is the newest iteration. PITCHERS Starting Rotation (5) Brandon Woodruff Quinn Priester Jacob Misiorowski Chad Patrick Logan Henderson Big changes have taken place over the last month, as pitchers Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers were traded to the New York Mets for pitcher Brandon Sproat and infielder/outfielder Jett Williams. Sproat is on the 40-man roster, and will be given every opportunity to make the 26-man roster to start the season. Sproat and Henderson will most likely battle for the final spot in the starting rotation, although Robert Gasser and Coleman Crow will press for inclusion, too. If one or more of these five falters, the Brewers have some depth in the minors to buttress the rotation, in addition to Gasser or Crow. Carlos Rodriguez had a cup of coffee in Milwaukee in each of the last two seasons and shows potential—although perhaps as a long reliever, rather than a true starter. Left-handers Tate Kuehner and Drew Rom and righty Gerson Garabito will be non-roster invites, but it would take a major disaster for any of those three to make the Opening Day roster this year. V 3.0 changes: Peralta out, Henderson in. Bullpen (8) Grant Anderson Aaron Ashby (L) DL Hall (L) Jared Koenig (L) Trevor Megill Abner Uribe Rob Zastryzny (L) Ángel Zerpa (L) We had the optionable Myers down as likely to be optioned, anyway, so this group remains intact from the last projection. It's the most likely to see a change, as bullpens always are, but that change might not be an especially significant one. V 3.0 changes: NONE. CATCHERS (2) William Contreras Jeferson Quero No surprises here. The team could still spring one by adding an experienced backup to give Quero more playing time in the minors, but based on what they have, there's no alternative to this plan. V 3.0 changes: NONE. INFIELDERS (6) Andrew Vaughn (1B) Brice Turang (2B) Caleb Durbin (3B) Joey Ortiz (SS) Jake Bauers (1B-OF) Andruw Monasterio (INF) Williams is the flashy new wild card in this mix, unless you count him as part of the outfield mix, instead. Either way, he's unlikely to make the major-league roster, and no one important has come or gone from the group above since the last time we did this. V 3.0 changes: NONE. OUTFIELDERS (5) Sal Frelick Jackson Chourio Christian Yelich Blake Perkins Garrett Mitchell Brandon Lockridge, Steward Berroa, and free-agent signee Akil Baddoo are all on the 40-man, but this quintet has the inside track. Our Jack Stern wonders if center field might be the spot for Chourio. Yelich can play left in a pinch, but his best defensive days are behind him. Perkins and Mitchell will battle for the ‘8’ spot on the diamond. By midseason, Williams could be in that rotation, too. V 3.0 changes: NONE. A lot can happen over the next month, as the Brewers could add or subtract more players through free agency or trade. This version of the projected Opening Day roster could very well change. Or it may not. The Peralta deal certainly made things more interesting, though, in each department of the roster. What do you think about this 26-man? Am I missing anybody? Who is on your 26-man? Feel free to start the conversation in the comments section. View the full article

The Twins traded right-handed pitcher Pierson Ohl and infielder Edouard Julien to the Colorado Rockies Wednesday, a source confirmed to Twins Daily. They'll receive minor-league righthander Jace Kaminska in return. Dan Hayes of The Athletic first reported the deal. Kaminska, 24, was a 10th-round pick out of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2023, and he had an encouraging first season in the minors. He made 17 appearances and posted a 2.78 ERA for Low-A Fresno in 2024, striking out 104 and walking just 12 of the 353 batters he faced. However, he ended that season on the injured list with elbow trouble, and wound up having Tommy John surgery late last March. After missing the entire 2025 campaign, he will also get a slow start to 2026, after which he'll be eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. However, he should be safely stashable, and there's a modicum of upside here. Solidly built, Kaminska has been up to 96 mph with his fastball in the past, and he adds a two-plane breaking ball that has flashed average. His changeup lags behind those offerings, but given his rocky professional road so far, it might not matter much. His best and quickest path to the majors is as a reliever, and while the Twins are likely to keep him stretched out as he builds back up post-surgery, it wouldn't be surprised if he finishes 2026 as a fast-rising short reliever who can run his heater into the upper 90s. Minnesota found Julien in the 18th round of the 2019 Draft, out of Auburn University. His combination of plate discipline and power got him to the majors with a bit of prospect steam, and his tremendous rookie season in 2023 (a .381 OBP in 408 plate appearances) raised fans’ expectations. He’s been unable to meet them since then, however, with a .208/.299/.324 line in 158 big-league games since the start of 2024. His vulnerability to whiffs caught up to him, and he was unable to recalibrate and correct the passivity of his approach. A poor second baseman, he’s been increasingly pushed toward first base, where his bat doesn’t meet the standard of acceptability for any would-be contender. Ohl, 26, was another late find and player-development win for the team, rising from being a 14th-round pick in the 2021 Draft to pitch 14 times for the Twins in 2025. His changeup is a plus pitch, and has a chance to work even in the thin air of Coors Field. However, his results were ugly in his brief stay in the majors. His 5.10 ERA was a bit unlucky, but it also traced back to too few strikeouts and susceptibility to home runs. Julien has four years of team control remaining, but can’t be optioned to the minors, so he’ll have to stick on the Opening Day roster to stay in the Rockies organization past spring training. Ohl is under control through at least 2031, and can still be sent to the minors if needed. The Twins designated Ohl for assignment when they made the signings of Taylor Rogers and Victor Caratini official Saturday, so only Julien comes off the 40-man roster with this move. Once a player is designated for assignment, almost any trade is worthwhile, because the alternative is to lose the player for the very modest waiver fee. In this case, with the Rockies first in the waiver order, the Twins might have known that the team would claim Ohl, and sought to get a deal done to extract any value they could. Julien was probably not long for the roster, anyway, after the offseason additions of Josh Bell and Victor Caratini (each of whom play at least some first base) and with Kody Clemens serving as a better version of Julien for much of 2025. This is a sad denouement for the French-Canadian Julien, who briefly looked like a piece of the club's long-term puzzle. As they try to finish their offseason strongly, though, the Twins clearly felt they were better off with some extra depth and a clear roster spot for their next move than by letting the decision on Julien wait and losing Ohl for a small amount of cash. Kaminska gives them organizational depth, and they can now focus on making their 40-man a more functional big-league amalgam. View the full article

Featuring their most complete roster since the end of the Theo Epstein/Joe Maddon era, the Chicago Cubs enter the 2026 campaign with aspirations of their first full-season division title since 2017. Standing in their way are the scrappy, overachieving, endlessly capable Milwaukee Brewers. Though Pat Murphy's club has given the nation a heart-warming underdog story for the past couple of seasons, Craig Counsell's crew is poised to retake the crown. Whether it be the dangerously frigid temperatures or the garden-variety anticipation of a new campaign, people are ready for baseball. The 2025 season earned the Chicago Cubs partial credit, as they made a satisfying return to the playoffs, but their steady climb to the top of the NL Central is not complete. As it has been for some time now, the NL Central figures to be a two-team race between the Cubs and Brewers. I can't stand preseason predictions. They're often too negative, overemphasize conceptual team alignments, and provide unnecessary bulletin board material for slighted squads. It's the fuel on which teams like Milwaukee thrive, as overzealous North Side fans look askance at their Wisconsin neighbors for dealing Freddy Peralta, their former ace, to the New York Mets. The Crew has emerged from similar deals unscathed and with a handsome haul of talent, as seen when they sent Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles, but it's a lot of needle-threading. The big question, this year, will be whether the Cubs can finally punish Milwaukee's long-term focus with some short-term pain. That will depend on their pitching staff. Despite the loss of Brad Keller to the Phillies, the Cubs' bullpen sports a diverse array of established relievers and former starters. They restocked with low-level moves in the relief corps, and took a risk by trading top prospects for starter Edward Cabrera. Chicago continues to undergo a series of changes in the outfield. While we know that Ian Happ and Pete Crow-Armstrong will keep patrol left and center field, right field will take on a different look without Owen Caissie or Kyle Tucker. In all likelihood, Seiya Suzuki, who made incremental improvements there, will get the lion's share of the time out there. Failing that, there are some intriguing fallback plans, as we've discussed here throughout the week. By enduring persistent shortcomings, missteps, and misfortunes, the Cubs have ontained one more weapon in their quest to seize the division championship in 2026: failure. In baseball, failure is the best teacher. In the past three campaigns alone, the North Siders missed the postseason by two agonizingly slim margins and limped into a postseason berth that left the faithful wanting more. But the muscle memory that pain created, paired with the unified talent this squad possesses, makes it fearsome. They're in a good enough spot to win the division this time around—so they'd better do so. View the full article

When the Twins signed catcher Victor Caratini to a two-year deal earlier this month, many wondered what would become of Ryan Jeffers, their incumbent backstop. Jeffers, 28, will be a free agent at the end of this season, and after the fire sale at last year's trade deadline, the possibility of a trade sending him elsewhere felt very real. Alternatively, of course, the team could keep both players, and deploy them in the same exceptionally even timeshare that Jeffers and Christian Vázquez effected over the last three seasons. The major downside to that plan wouldn't even be about performance, but about morale. Jeffers has been forthright about his desire to take on a truer starting role, catching 100 or more games a year, and in the last season before he reaches free agency, that desire has surely never been more urgent. Jeffers made an appearance on Inside Twins, the team's web show, last week, and sounded like a man confident he'll get the opportunity he's been waiting for, without changing teams. New manager Derek Shelton sang the same tune at Friday's Twins media luncheon. "Jeffers is going to be the [starter]," Shelton said. "We've talked to Victor about it. The thing we thought about there is we get a guy we think of as a frontline, as someone who is going to play behind Ryan, but he can also play first; he can also DH. Going into this offseason, I don't think anyone predicted that we would be the [team to sign him]. The fact we were able to add him to our group was extremely exciting." Shelton confirmed that he called and spoke to Jeffers directly, so the assurances Jeffers said he'd gotten appear to have come right from the man who will make out the lineup card. General manager Jeremy Zoll also alluded to Caratini's ability to play first base when discussing the team's interest in him, so ostensibly, the 81/81 split appears to be dead. Caratini can be penciled in for perhaps 60 starts behind the plate, if everyone stays healthy, and will find more at-bats at first base and DH. Jeffers can aim to qualify for the batting title for the first time, after taking 465 and 464 plate appearances in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Everyone can stop asking pointed questions, now. On the other hand: baseball teams lie. They lie to their players, all the time, although not usually as directly as by calling them up to tell them something false. More importantly, they lie to each other and to fans, usually indirectly, using misdirection and/or obfuscation. There are lots of little advantages to be found by being cagey, and no baseball executive (at least none of this generation; Dave Dombrowski is a good reminder that it used to be different) is so eager to be honest as to let any possible edge be dulled. In other words: the Twins still might end up playing Caratini half the time at catcher. It's even more likely, though, that they're going to trade Jeffers, even though they say they aren't. They talked to Caratini about being ok with a backup catching role and filling in elsewhere to round out his playing time, but they also bid $14 million on a two-year deal for (arguably) the second-best catcher who was on the market this winter, despite knowing they have a limited budget. That investment bespeaks a greater commitment than their words do. Caratini is also the second catcher they've proactively acquired this winter, and one way or another, his arrival means the exit of another backstop. The Twins (even more than most teams) can ill afford to carry three catchers, so one of Jeffers and Alex Jackson is a goner. It could certainly be Jackson, who cost very little to acquire and would be easy to dump for a similar return to some team who doesn't find a suitable backup catcher by the end of spring training. Jeffers's looming free agency is hard to ignore, though. The fact that Caratini will be paid more than Jeffers this season is notable, too. Jeffers would net the team a solid return, from any of several teams still looking to figure out that position in a season in which they expect to contend. I doubt that Jeffers, Shelton or even Zoll are consciously lying to reporters about what all involved expect to happen at catcher this year. However, that doesn't mean they're telling the whole truth—and more importantly, the truth is always changing. Jeffers is slated to be the 108-game guy behind the plate for the team in 2026. Within a week, he could well be preparing for the same role with a different team. Three months from now, he could well be muddling through a fourth straight season in a half-time role. Don't assume anything any of the key players in this miniature drama have said is a solid fact. Everyone involved is working with imperfect or fluid information, and that makes them untrustworthy, even if they have no reason to mislead you. View the full article

To say that outfielder Nick Castellanos will not be a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2026 isn't any kind of speculation. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski already indicated as much early this winter and has reiterated it within the last handful of days. Whether it's by a trade — wherein the team would have to eat a decent chunk of the $20 million owed to him in 2026 — or an outright release as a desperate measure, Castellanos will be playing his home games somewhere other than Philadelphia this season. Should it be San Diego that steps in as the next destination for the veteran hitter? After a pair of seasons where he combined for 52 home runs, Castellanos is coming off some of the worst work of his career in 2025. His slash line read just .250/.294/.400, with a 90 wRC+ and even worse defensive metrics (-12 Outs Above Average). The compounding of meager production at the plate and serving as a non-viable presence on the outfield grass led to a career-worst -0.6 fWAR. Now, a year ahead of free agency, Castellanos is presumed to be finding a change of scenery in the coming weeks. That comes as no surprise on the merits of the performance alone, but also the presence of numerous reports that Castellanos took umbrage with manager Rob Thomson's use of him in 2025. When one considers the myriad issues the Phillies have had with their players in recent months (remember the Bryce Harper "not elite" drama?), it becomes a bit more difficult to take Castellanos' struggles completely at face value. If we expand his body of work to his entire career, Castellanos is a .272 hitter with decent power (.193 ISO) who also doesn't walk much (6.2 BB%). His career wRC+ sits at 109. He's prone to bouts of streakiness, but compensates well enough in the high points to make up for the low points and lack of on-base percentage. He could also be exactly what the San Diego Padres seek at this stage of the winter. Isolating Castellanos' output to pitcher handedness, he's gone for a 127 wRC+ and .215 ISO against lefties. Against right-handed pitching, meanwhile, those numbers sit at 103 and .185, respectively. In short, the right-handed swinger holds up well against pitchers of the same handedness but finds his real value when he's matched up against the opposite. An opposite which the Padres just so happen to need in their lineup. San Diego ranked 17th in the league in wRC+ against southpaws in 2025 (96) while sitting closer to the back of the rankings on the power side (their .130 ISO ranked 23rd). While they didn't strike out against left-handed arms, they did make the lowest rate of quality contact against pitchers from that side, as well. For his money, Castellanos posted a hard-hit rate roughly 12 points higher in 2025 than the team's collective against left-handers. From a skill set standpoint, he certainly looks like the kind of player in which A.J. Preller should have interest. The issue lies in the logistics. At $20 million, it's difficult to see the Padres ponying up the cash to pay Castellanos given their current payroll constraints. While the expectation is that the Phillies will eat significant money, the unknown of how much money makes it difficult to project how realistic such a deal is. The return for a player that an organization is openly set on dealing isn't a concern so much as the finances. So in this case, the Padres' lack of depth on the farm isn't the issue. It's purely the money. Then, there's the roster fit. The Padres could have some combination of Gavin Sheets, Luis Campusano, and Sung Mun Song rotating as part of the bench, perhaps with Bryce Johnson filling out the foursome. Sheets can play first and outfield. Campusano can fill in behind the plate and at first. Song may get some outfield time beyond his utility infielder status. Johnson can competently play all three outfield spots. Considering the Padres already have a full starting outfield and the likes of Sheets and Campusano to rotate through first base and designated hitter, are they willing to deploy limited resources for a player that might end up representing something of a redundancy (even if said redundancy possesses the upside to be better than what is already present)? Even with the reasons to say "no," it's hard for the Padres to justify not at least exploring a deal to acquire Nick Castellanos. Especially if it reaches a point where the Phillies are eating a majority of the money or outright release him before the season starts. Their need for secondary offense and right-handed hitting is no secret. They're not in a position to turn away a good hitter, regardless of the contextual baggage with which they come. View the full article

While the Chicago Cubs have been fairly proactive in the offseason, trading for big-ticket arm Edward Cabrera and signing Alex Bregman, there's a major issue underneath the surface. The further you look down Chicago's pitching pipeline, the more concerned you should get about their depth. Here is a full breakdown of what type of arm talent the Cubs have waiting in the wings, starting with Jaxon Wiggins and working all the way down to Grant Kipp. View the full article

On Tuesday, the Minnesota Twins sent catcher Jhonny Pereda to the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations. Pereda was designated for assignment on Friday as the club managed a crowded catching situation from several offseason moves. Pereda joined the Twins as experienced depth and did exactly what the organization asked of him when injuries and roster needs created an opening last season. The Venezuelan-born catcher appeared in 28 games with Minnesota and the Athletics in 2025, slashing .246/.325/.333 (.658 ) with an 84 OPS+. Across his major league career, he has appeared in 48 games, compiling a .241 average in 118 plate appearances. While the offensive production at the major league level has been modest, Pereda has long been valued internally for his defensive reliability and work with pitching staffs. He owns a strong arm and a solid overall defensive reputation, traits that have helped him carve out a lengthy professional career. In the upper minors, he has been a consistently productive hitter, slashing .296/.392/.419 (.811) across nearly 1000 Triple-A plate appearances. The reality for the Twins is that the catching picture changed significantly this winter. The signing of Victor Caratini to a two-year deal gave the club a veteran complement to Ryan Jeffers. New manager Derek Shelton expects Jeffers to handle close to 100 games behind the plate this season. Caratini provides flexibility with the ability to contribute at first base or designated hitter, Earlier this winter, the Twins traded for Alex Jackson, another catcher, from the Orioles in exchange for minor league infielder Payton Eeles. Jackson doesn’t have any minor league options, so it might be a situation where the Twins carry three catchers. However, it's hard to imagine any team surrendering a valuable bench spot to a catcher who would be used sparingly. With Pereda, the numbers simply did not work on the 40-man roster. Moving him now allows another organization to benefit from his depth and experience while giving the Twins additional roster clarity heading toward spring training. Pereda’s career reflects perseverance. Signed internationally by the Cubs in 2013, he spent over a decade in the minors, passing through several organizations before reaching the majors in 2024. His journey has earned respect and trust in the clubhouse. As camp nears, the Twins will keep evaluating roster fit, especially behind the plate. Moving Pereda reflects a logjam from offseason additions, not his ability. More adjustments may come as Minnesota fine-tunes the roster for Opening Day. View the full article