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In 2025, Craig Counsell had one of the better starting rotations in the big leagues, based on results. Several of the successes won by the 2025 version of this club emanated from the bump. Yet, the team ran out of starter steam in the postseason, so they made a significant addition to their mix this week. Let's review where the rotation stands, as the beginning of spring training comes into view on the horizon. Cade Horton Featuring an outstanding array of pitches and command that earned him second place in last season's NL Rookie of the Year voting, Horton is the ace of this staff. Entering last season, we knew his fastball, slider and curveball had a chance to be special. However, what he did with his changeup, a pitch that yielded just a .115 average from opposing batters last season, took him to a new level. Only his durability is in question. He missed the team's crucial final stretch heading into the postseason with a rib injury, and was denied his playoff debut after the Cubs were ousted from the tournament before he could recover. Matthew Boyd The 34-year-old veteran returns to the rotation after enjoying perhaps his best season in the big leagues. In his All-Star campaign, Boyd showed both command and composure. With an excellent walk rate and feel for several pitches, he gutted his way through a season in which his workload far exceeded what the team expected to need from him when they signed him to a two-year deal last winter. Depending on how quickly newcomer Edward Cabrera ascends through the rotation, Boyd's spot could slide, though he still stands as one of the vital pieces of this staff. Edward Cabrera The shiniest new toy at 1060 W. Addison (at least on the pitching side), Cabrera, 27, is a near-bottomless well of talent and upside. While he has certainly struggled with injuries, the strikeout-heavy righty features a dominant curveball with which he punched out 54 batters last season. His changeup borders on being a splinker, with the ability to push it past 95 MPH. Cabrera will also enjoy better offense and defense in support of his outings than he received in Miami. If he stays healthy, he'll be the bat-misser the rotation lacked in 2025. Jameson Taillon Pitching just shy of 130 innings last season, Taillon had a 1.06 WHIP in 2025. He, too, excelled at limiting walks, and kept the team in the game nearly every time he took the mound. In only five of his 23 starts did he hurt the team's win probability by more than 2.7%. Entering his 10th major-league season, Taillon is a steady presence in the clubhouse. You know what to expect from him every five days on the mound, and every day off of it. For a team with a stable of young starters, his veteran presence will augment the youth movement. Shota Imanaga In a 2024 season that ultimately ended in oppressive disappointment for the Cubs, no one endeared himself more to fans of North Side baseball in Chicago than Imanaga. He was cruising, legitimately flirting with a 20-win season, and warranted Cy Young talk until sputtering in the second half of the campaign. Sadly, in 2025, the charismatic starting pitcher more closely resembled what he was in the second half of his rookie season. A hamstring injury kept him out longer than anyone had hoped, and throughout the second half, he was plagued by home runs that often put the Cubs in an early hole. In what will likely be his final year in a Cubs uniform, Imanaga looks to bounce back with a return to his 2024 form. That will depend on whether or not he can execute his splitter better, especially throwing it below the zone for chases. Should he reclaim that command, the fan favorite could be a sneaky weapon—albeit an expensive one. Justin Steele An elbow injury early in 2025 wiped out nearly all of the southpaw's season. The setback led to Steele's second career Tommy John surgery. His injuries, in fact, created the impetus for the Cubs to seek and develop other viable starting pitchers, which led to the rotation's current composition. Not since his impressive 2023 16-5 season have we seen what Steele can really do. His cut-ride heater and slider form a solid combination. An intentional and gradual ramp-up will be the key to Steele's success in 2026. Luckily, the squad has some depth, with Colin Rea and Javier Assad. All told, his return will be a welcome one, but it needn't be hurried. The five probable starters in this forecasted rotation each bring something unique to the table. They're not a dominant group, but they've moved from perhaps average to a tier higher. Their depth should ensure that they stay in contention throughout 2026, and if they reach October, they'll be better-equipped to advance this time. View the full article

Dear readers, today we are going to take you back to 1982, when the Milwaukee Brewers reached the World Series for the first and only time in franchise history. It seems like only yesterday that this 22-year-old sat intently before the television, watching every minute of every game of that exciting Series. This multi-part series talks about how the Brewers got there and offers a chronological timeline of the 1982 campaign, including player profiles, game recaps, and other events that affected the season. The 1981 Brewers Season, Complete With a Work Stoppage In 1981, the Milwaukee Brewers reached the postseason for the first time in franchise history, albeit during a strike-shortened campaign. The stoppage began on June 12 and lasted until the players and management reached an agreement on July 31. An All-Star game was played on August 9, and the regular season resumed the next day. The season was split into two halves, with first-half winners playing second-half winners in both leagues for the right to advance to the League Championship and the World Series. The Brewers finished three games behind the New York Yankees in the first half, and it looked like the second half was going to be more of the same, with Milwaukee trailing the Detroit Tigers by three games with only 17 games to go in mid-September. But the Brewers got hot and won 11 of those games and edged both Detroit and Boston by 1 ½ games to win the second-half title in the American League East. Sadly for Milwaukee, the Yankees took three of five games to end the Brewers' season. After the final game, Brewers manager Bob Rodgers said, “We came a long way. This was Step One. Step Two will be in spring training” (Wisconsin State Journal, October 12, 1981). Reliever Rollie Fingers was rewarded for his major league-leading 28 saves, 333 ERA+, and 0.87 WHIP season by winning both the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award in the American League, one of only 11 hurlers to claim both honors in the same season. The Brewers Offseason and the Beginning of Spring Training 1982 The Brewers made few moves in the off-season. Their biggest deal was when they traded pitcher Rickey Keeton to the Houston Astros for reliever Pete Ladd. (The pitcher nicknamed ‘Bigfoot’ spent most of 1982 at Triple-A Vancouver but was promoted to Milwaukee in mid-July when pitcher Jamie Easterly went on the disabled list.) Also, just before Thanksgiving, Lorn Brown stepped down from the Brewers radio team when flagship station WISN announced that Bob Uecker’s workload would be increased to six innings, while Brown would be the play-by-play broadcaster for only three innings (Wisconsin State Journal, November 20, 1981). In December, Paul Molitor—who played only 46 games in the outfield and 16 at designated hitter due to ankle surgery—and Brewers management discussed a potential move to third base for the 1982 season (Capital Times, December 4, 1981). The Baseball Hall of Fame called Hank Aaron in January, along with outfielder Frank Robinson. The former Milwaukee Brave and Brewer was named on 406 of the 415 ballots cast. Wonder why nine people left him off their lists… In more broadcast news, it was announced in early February that former Brewer Mike Hegan would join Steve Shannon to do broadcasts for WVTV. The Milwaukee station planned on airing 60 games during the regular season (Wisconsin State Journal, February 4, 1982). Outfielder/designated hitter Larry Hisle, who had played in only 44 games the previous two years, was making his third attempt at a comeback for the Brewers (The Capital Times, February 22, 1982). Unfortunately for Hisle, he would last only nine games during the regular season before going on the DL once again after rotator cuff and other surgeries on his right shoulder. He would announce his retirement after the season. Remember Bob Rodgers, the prophetic Brewers manager? In early March, he told reporters that “If we don’t win, I’m gone. It’s as simple as that” (The Capital Times, March 4, 1982). How did he do? Find out in Part 2. View the full article

Edward Cabrera brings frontline stuff and cost-controlled youth to the Chicago Cubs' rotation, but is the 27-year-old's injury history too blinding to ignore? View the full article

Alex Bregman will be the straw that stirs the drink for the Cubs over the balance of this decade. He joins the team as a dynamic offensive force designed to make up for the team's otherwise left-leaning core pieces, and as a forceful personality who fits perfectly into their clubhouse. Craig Counsell's daily duty of filling out the lineup card just got a lot easier. Let's project a few ways the team's batting order could take shape each day, based on matchups and the talent they've collected over the last handful of years. First, when they face a right-handed starter, things seem likely to shake out in pretty straightforward fashion: Michael Busch - 1b Alex Bregman - 3b Ian Happ - lf Seiya Suzuki - rf Moisés Ballesteros - dh Nico Hoerner - 2b Pete Crow-Armstrong - cf Miguel Amaya - c Dansby Swanson - ss This (effectively) has the Cubs alternating left- and right-handed batters all the way down to the bottom of the order, where righties Miguel Amaya and Dansby Swanson double up. It gives them four extremely well-established on-base standouts at the top of the order, each with 20-homer power, and it leaves lots of upside clustered into the remaining spots. Bregman's arrival takes considerable pressure off Moisés Ballesteros, pushing him down to fifth in this configuration of the lineup. Speaking of which, against lefties, Ballesteros might not need to start at all. Here's one way the team could set up against southpaw starters. Nico Hoerner - 2b Ian Happ - lf Alex Bregman - 3b Seiya Suzuki - dh Tyler Austin - 1b Dansby Swanson - ss Carson Kelly - c Kevin Alcántara - rf Pete Crow-Armstrong - cf Swapping out Michael Busch and Ballesteros for Tyler Austin and Kevin Alcántara makes the team very stout against lefties. Bregman's .280/.372/.489 career line against lefties comes with more walks (196) than strikeouts (181); he's the lefty-masher the lineup needed in its upper half. Subbing Busch in for Austin as soon as the opponent goes to a righty would still leave him protected by righty sluggers Suzuki and Swanson, so the opposing manager would be in a tough spot if they sought to bring in another lefty to face Busch the next time around. One notable name doesn't appear in either of the formulations above. Thus, let's consider a third setup, most likely to be deployed against lefties but designed to maximize different strengths, and perhaps platoon-neutral. Nico Hoerner - 2b Alex Bregman - dh Ian Happ - lf Seiya Suzuki - rf Michael Busch - 1b Dansby Swanson - ss Pete Crow-Armstrong - cf Miguel Amaya - c Matt Shaw - 3b Bregman is a good enough hitter to add value even when he doesn't play the field. Sliding him to the DH spot occasionally makes room in the lineup for Matt Shaw, whose opportunities will otherwise be limited for a team now loaded with infield options. Shaw had an uneven rookie season, but he's developed into a plus defender at the hot corner, and when going well, he can be a boost at the bottom of the batting order, too. This is probably the best defensive alignment the team can muster, though to truly maximize that, they could swap Alcántara in for Suzuki in right field. Without Bregman, lots of these potential setups left Ballesteros or Austin batting cleanup, or Busch in a key lineup spot against lefties. They were likely to be reliant on getting the good things they've seen from Pete Crow-Armstrong, Miguel Amaya and Shaw over the last two years, without the bad. That's a lot to hope for, and they no longer need to pray on those dice rolls with the same fervor. Bregman ties the lineup together, and even if the group lacks an elite power hitter, they've achieved depth they had lacked ever since they traded away the core of their championship team. View the full article

In case you missed it, the Cubs made a move to acquire right-handed starter Edward Cabrera from the Marlins. In exchange, they sent over three prospects: Owen Caissie (No. 47 prospect overall), middle infielder Cristian Hernandez (No.11 CHC prospect), and corner infielder Edgardo De Leon. It’s a big move for the Cubs’ rotation for several reasons, but here at Brewer Fanatic, we only care about how it affects us on the north side of I-94. We’ve already established that Milwaukee’s front office doesn’t let the moves of even its closest rivals drive the pace at which they operate their offseason, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t been paying attention. They weren’t looking to acquire Cabrera, nor did they care about any of Chicago’s prospects sent to Miami,but his price could dictate what other teams may be willing to pay for Freddy Peralta. Let’s start by getting a high-level overview of how these two starting pitchers stack up against each other in 2025: Freddy Peralta Edward Cabrera IP 176.2 137.2 ERA 2.70 3.53 ERA- 65 83 FIP 3.64 3.83 FIP- 88 93 fWAR 3.6 2.0 K% 28.2% 25.8% BB% 9.1% 8.3% On paper, it seems like Freddy was clearly the better pitcher. He had better results in every major statistical category other than walk rate over a larger sample size. If you want to get into the weeds about what Cabrera did better, you can point out his slightly higher chase rate or his greater run value efficiency with breaking pitches, but ultimately, he didn’t do as much for the Marlins as Peralta did for the Brewers. However, performance over a single season or even over several past seasons is far from the only thing that front offices look at when assessing trades. Another important factor is the player's future value. Team control and future upside are both key decision-making components as well. 2026 will be Peralta’s final season under team control, which is exactly the reason Milwaukee is tempted to trade him. Making a competitive offer to retain him in free agency simply doesn’t fit with their organization’s modus operandi, and like Devin Williams, Corbin Burnes, and Josh Hader, selling high on pitching talent is more their speed. For the acquiring team, the incentive to acquire him would be to serve as a one-year boon to a rotation that’s ambitious about making the playoffs but may not have the pieces to do so right now. This could be because of waiting on younger talent to debut and/or develop, injuries, or a mix of several factors. The Cubs’ acquisition of Kyle Tucker last offseason fell into this camp, giving them a much-needed boost to make the postseason for the first time since 2020. Of course, this comes under the assumption that the player will be as productive as usual in that one year and not face injuries or steep regression over a short-lived tenure. On the other hand, Cabrera is much more of a long-term investment. He won’t hit free agency until 2029, and up to that point, he’ll come at an affordable price. He made just $1.95 million in 2025 and agreed to a $4.45 million contract with the Cubs shortly after being traded. Cabrera is also younger by almost two years and, according to our good friends at North Side Baseball, has a lot of potential just waiting to be unlocked by Chicago’s pitching development staff. Before we assess how Peralta’s market value compares to that of Cabrera’s, it’s also important to touch on the state of other starting pitching offerings, specifically free agents. It’s a fairly skewed set of offerings this winter with Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez likely exceeding the financial restrictions of most MLB organizations while also being significantly more enticing than the rest of the offerings. This makes someone like Peralta, who is great but not quite elite, an appealing middle-of-the-road option, especially given his team-friendly $8 million salary for this upcoming season. In turn, this gives the Brewers’ negotiating leverage as they have no obligation to let him go but would be more than willing to move him for the right price. In exchange for a player with two more years of team control, respectable promise, and recent numbers that are a step below what Peralta posted in 2025, the Marlins were able to get three prospects, including one that was in the MLB Top 100. Should Peralta expect to get something similar? To me, the answer is complex. Because of his cheap contract, it’s not the end of the world if Milwaukee doesn’t get anything out of him by way of prospects this year. In fact, earlier in the offseason, Matt Arnold said it wasn’t something he was thinking about, but that could be yet another front office psyop. But if it is true, it leads to a situation where he’d only be traded if the return was significant. A recent move that serves as an apt comparison is the deal that sent Burnes to Baltimore. Similarly, he had a single year of team control remaining, and Milwaukee turned him into Joey Ortiz (No. 99 overall prospect in 2023), DL Hall (No. 97 overall prospect in 2023), and a compensatory draft pick. A fairly good haul, especially considering that draft pick was used to select Blake Burke in 2024. There was more urgency to trade Burnes, but he was also considered more of an ace that could be slotted at the top of nearly any rotation in MLB at the time, which leads me to believe Peralta could absolutely net a similar prospect package. With all of this in mind, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see Peralta bring Milwaukee a compelling set of prospects. He has a more established body of work and, along with his contributions on the mound, can also bring leadership and other veteran qualities to any clubhouse. The Brewers won’t let him go for just anyone, but the Edward Cabrera trade established a baseline of what teams should expect to pay if they want him for 2026. View the full article

Zebby Matthews did not deliver the season many had hoped for in 2025, especially after his breakout minor league season. The surface numbers were rough, the contact quality was worse than expected, and the results often failed to live up to the promise that followed him up the minor league ladder. Still, writing him off after one uneven year would miss the bigger picture. When you look beyond the ERA and dig into how Matthews actually pitched, there are plenty of reasons to believe his 2026 season could look very different. The run prevention was ugly. Matthews finished his rookie campaign with a 5.56 ERA across just under 80 innings, and the batted ball profile worked against him. Too many balls were hit hard (38.8 Hard-Hit%), and too many were lifted into the air, leaving little margin for error. Even the expected numbers did not entirely bail him out, reinforcing that hitters were squaring him up more often than a pitcher with his stuff should allow. That said, the Twins have every incentive to keep giving Matthews opportunities. He currently projects to be one of the team’s options for the back of the rotation, but there are plenty of arms to consider, including David Festa, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, and Simeon Woods Richardson. The rotation could also look very different by midseason. With trade speculation swirling around established arms, Matthews is positioned to climb the depth chart simply by staying healthy and available. Opportunity alone matters, and Matthews is likely to get it. What makes that opportunity intriguing is how strong his underlying performance actually was. Matthews posted a 3.79 FIP and paired it with an 18.1 K-BB% that sat well above league average. Those numbers paint the picture of a pitcher who was doing many things right, even as the results lagged behind. For a young starter, that combination is usually a sign of future growth rather than a dead end. There was also tangible progress in his raw stuff. Matthews added velocity to his fastball, pushing it from 95.2 mph to 96.3 mph without sacrificing movement or shape. The issue was not quality but approach. Matthews lived in the heart of the strike zone far too often, and big league hitters rarely miss those mistakes. A more selective fastball plan, especially later in counts, could go a long way toward cutting down the damage. His slider remains the calling card. Thrown harder (88 mph) with tighter action, it became a legitimate bat-missing weapon against right-handed hitters (39.6 Whiff%). Matthews consistently buried it on the outer edge, generating chases and whiffs while limiting quality contact (0.260 xwOBACON). When the slider stayed down, hitters had little chance. When it drifted back into the zone, especially against left-handed bats, it became vulnerable. That is a command refinement issue, not a stuff problem. His splits against lefties are where the puzzle gets interesting. Matthews' K-BB% barely changed by handedness, yet the run prevention gap was massive. He held righties to a 2.73 FIP and lefties to a 4.97 FIP. That points almost entirely to home run susceptibility rather than to an inability to compete. Against left-handed hitters, most of his pitches were punished when they caught too much of the plate. The exception was his changeup. Quietly, it was his best answer to lefties. Matthews located it well on the outer third and avoided the heart of the zone, keeping contact relatively soft. However, he rarely threw the pitch with two strikes and only had one strikeout using arguably his best offspeed pitch for lefties. The result was a pitch that looked useful but never had the chance to impact outcomes. This could be a confidence issue for a player getting accustomed to big-league hitters. Pitch usage is one of the easiest adjustments a pitcher can make, and Matthews feels like a prime candidate. Reducing reliance on fastballs, especially in finishing counts, would better leverage his deep arsenal. Trusting the changeup against lefties, particularly when ahead, could directly address his biggest weakness from a year ago. These are not mechanical overhauls or health gambles. They are strategic tweaks. When you zoom out, Matthews still checks every box teams look for in a mid-rotation starter. He has size, velocity, multiple usable pitches, and command that already grade above average. The foundation is there. The challenge is aligning his approach with his strengths. That is why 2026 feels less like a crossroads and more like an opportunity. If Matthews makes even modest adjustments to how he sequences and deploys his arsenal, the gap between his peripherals and his results should narrow quickly. His 2025 season may have been disappointing, but the 2026 season has all the ingredients for a breakout. Do you believe Matthews can break out in 2026? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The Royals have brought on some key free agents this offseason, with dominant setup man Matt Strahm from the Phillies alongside some additional veteran depth pieces in Kevin Newman and Abraham Toro, who will look to compete for a starting role in spring training. However, with the addition of Strahm has come the losses of Angel Zerpa and Hunter Harvey to the Cubs, Taylor Clarke, and Jonathan Bowlan to the Phillies. The losses of Zerpa, Bowlan, and Clarke combined for 164 1/3 innings with a combined 3.76 ERA and a 7-5 record. Reuniting With Scott Barlow Brings Leadership & Consistency The 32-year-old veteran righty signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with a club option for 2027. Barlow started his career in Kansas City, logging 302 innings with a 133 ERA+ and 440 games. His best seasons came in 2021 and 2022, when he logged 148 innings with a 188 ERA+, a 12-7 record, 40 saves, 46 RAR, and 2.30 ERA. He was a nightmare for hitters in this two-year span, generating a 33.6 hard hit rate, 21.7 line drive percentage, and 2.2 HR%. After struggling in 2023, the Royals sent him to the Padres for prospects Jesus Rios and Henry Williams at the deadline. After appearing in 63 games with the Royals with a 5.35 ERA, RA9 of 6.05, and -4 RAA. He dominated, finishing with his third-best ERA of 3.07 in 25 games and cutting his RA9 in half to 3.99. After one year with the Guardians in 2024,he ranked in the top 94th percentile in whiff rate (33.6), 84th percentile in K% (28.2), 82nd percentile in barrel% (5.8), and 92nd percentile in hard-hit% (32.6). Last season, the Reds brought him in on a one-year deal, where he ranked in the top 1% in hard hit percentage at 30.5 and top 4% in average exit velocity at 86.2. In 68 1/3 innings with the Reds, he finished with a WPA of 1.7 and a career-best 0.86 clutch. He made his first postseason appearance after the Reds made a miraculous NLDS appearance, where they were dominated by the Dodgers. One of the few bright spots for the Reds in this appearance was Barlow’s 1 2/3 innings pitched against the powerhouse Dodgers offense. With the Reds down 5-0 in game two, Barlow entered the game in the bottom of the fourth looking to limit damage. Not only did he do that, but the Dodgers couldn’t find an answer to his sweeper and curveball. He finished the fourth inning, striking out the side, putting away backup catcher Ben Rortvedt on five pitches, Ohtani on seven pitches with a swing and a miss on a low sweeper, and finishing off the inning with a dominant four-pitch strikeout on back-to-back whiffs with the sweeper on Betts. He’d face two batters in the fifth with a lineout by Freeman before another strikeout with his Sweeper against Max Muncy on five pitches. Why is his appearance important, you may ask? After being pulled for Connor Phillips with two outs, the Dodgers would extend their lead with a home run from Teoscar Hernandez. Before Phillips would be tagged with two more runs the next inning with a two-run homer by Ohtani. Barlow will bring a five pitch repertoire led by his +5 run value in his sweeper that generated a whiff rate of 39.4, K% of 33.3, and hard hit% of 19.1, following close behind is his 92 MPH fastball at +2, with a .235 xBA, .476 xSLG, and 21.3 usage right, his curveball is an even zero rating with a 47.6 K%, .149 xBA, and 22% putaway percentage, his worst pitch was his slider at -2 giving up four home runs and allowing a .255 average when used. Finally, his sinker was primarily used against right-handers, coming at a +1 run value, generating a xWOBA of .351. He’d be fairly cheap coming back to a team where he had the best seasons of his career and recent postseason success at a projected two-year, $2.6 million salary. View the full article

This week's Edward Cabrera trade was simple from the Chicago Cubs' perspective. Coming off a wild-card berth in 2025, they believe he can make their starting rotation even stronger. Cabrera is coming off a career year and under club control through 2028. The right-hander's long list of past injury issues cannot be ignored, but by accepting that risk, the Cubs were able to get him without depleting their farm system. In exchange, the Miami Marlins received outfielder Owen Caissie and infielders Cristian Hernández and Edgardo De Leon. Here's what Marlins fans should know about each of them. Owen Caissie Caissie, 23, is the main piece of the return. This is a player who the Marlins have had their eye on for a while now, dating back to last offseason when they were in discussions with the Cubs about a potential Jesús Luzardo trade. These teams held Cabrera talks leading up to the July 2025 trade deadline and Caissie was made available back then, sources tell Fish On First. In Triple-A this past season, Caissie slashed .286/.386/.551/.937 with 22 home runs, 55 RBI and a 139 wRC+. The Cubs called him up towards the end of the season, and in 12 games, he slashed .192/.222/.346/.568 with one home run, four RBI and a 56 wRC+. He will very likely be on the Marlins Opening Day roster, slotting in right field, a source says. Caissie's swing decisions were a lot better compared to 2024, when he also played at AAA. He chased less outside the zone, going from 29.7% to 25.7%. He also made contact 52.0% of the time after only making contact 47.5% of the time the previous year. In Triple-A, Caissie had a barrel rate above 15%, hard-hit rate above 53%, average exit velocity above 92 mph, an xwOBA above .380, and a whiff rate under 28%. The only three MLB players to check all of those boxes last season were Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, and Ben Rice. QndvdmxfWGw0TUFRPT1fQXdaUkFsZFFWMU1BQUFjR1hnQUhBZzVYQUZrQkJsWUFVRndCVVZFRUF3cGRDUXBV (1).mp4 In his first taste of major league pitching, Caissie struck out 40.7% of the time against a 3.7% walk rate. Both of those marks will obviously need to improve for him to be successful. Pitches up and in to the left-handed hitter have given him problems, as shown by the graphic below. That is something the Marlins organization was able to address with Kyle Stowers last season. Slight mechanical adjustments turned him into an All-Star. YkI5OXdfWGw0TUFRPT1fQkZWUlUxVlNYZ0lBRFZ0V1ZBQUhWVk1EQUFNR1ZWUUFDMUJUVWdFRUFBQlNBQVpU.mp4 His power potential is elite, but expect Caissie to have growing pains in the majors. In a best-case scenario, his first full season of production could look similar to what James Wood provided for the 2025 Washington Nationals, consistently blasting extra-base hits to left-center field at loanDepot park. Cristian Hernández Hernández, 22, was a highly touted international prospect who signed with the Cubs out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. Unlike Caissie, he has not been showing much game power in the minors, with only 24 home runs through five professional seasons. This past season, in 115 games at the High-A level, he slashed .252/.329/.365/.694 with seven homers, 53 RBI, 54 stolen bases and a 99 wRC+. He was left unprotected for the Rule 5 draft and did not get selected. One positive is that Hernández has been putting more balls in play as the years go by. After posting a 30.3% strikeout rate in 2022, he has improved every year, dropping down to a 20.7 K% in 2025. "De Leon’s profile questions surround his bat-to-ball skills, as he ran a 34% whiff rate in 2025," notes Geoff Pontes of Baseball America. A lot of refinement is needed. De Leon has played both corner infield and both corner outfield positions in the past. He should be assigned to Low-A Jupiter. View the full article

As someone who covers the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox for a living — and considers themselves a fan of both teams, though the Cubs will always be my childhood favorite — there is a really complicated mixture of emotions to work through re: the news that Alex Bregman is signing in the Windy City. We'll have a lot more on this signing and what it means for the immediate future of the Red Sox, but for now, I'll just put the spotlight squarely on the man who deserves it: Craig Breslow. The front office chief in Beantown (and former employee of the Cubs), Breslow has done some great work taking the foundation that Chaim Bloom built and bringing it up to the status of a playoff contender. Trading for Garrett Crochet was a brilliant move, and all of the extensions signed by the young core under Breslow's watch should keep Boston in the October picture for the foreseeable future. Plus, despite not making any major-league free-agent signings to this point in the offseason, the Red Sox have augmented their lineup (Willson Contreras) and starting rotation (Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo) via three distinct trades. Each player brings something to the table that the team was previously missing, be it right-handed power (Contreras), an established track record as a frontline starter (Gray), or a big-bodied, right-handed pitcher with elite raw stuff (Oviedo). In a vacuum, those moves make a team that won 89 games in 2025 even better in 2026. But baseball doesn't exist in a vacuum. And the Red Sox still haven't signed a major-league free agent. You can discuss the long-term efficacy of handing a soon-to-be 32-year-old Bregman $35 million per year for the next half-decade, but the Red Sox just got demonstrably worse for the first time since they were eliminated from the playoffs. And you can't really blame Bregman for taking a huge payday with another big-market contender. Breslow has made some foolish decisions in his time running the club. I maintain my belief that trading Rafael Devers — who was dealt mainly to accommodate Bregman at the hot corner — was one of them. It's too early to say if losing the star third baseman will fall into that category, but there is now a real need for urgency in the front office. Bo Bichette remains a reasonable and high-upside replacement option, but at a $300 million asking price, I'm not really sure how that's a better value than what Bregman just got. Maybe now is the time to trade one of the starting outfielders for an infielder, but that feels like a bad use of resources when the incumbent option was available for just money. Again, the Red Sox have insulated themselves from a disastrous offseason by completing their aforementioned trades. Plus, there's always the chance that they sign Bichette, or trade for Ketel Marte or Brendan Donovan. Losing Alex Bregman doesn't have to be the end of the world. In the immediate aftermath of watching him dart for Chicago, though, it sure feels like Breslow and company just let their golden goose get away. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs and third baseman Alex Bregman have agreed to a five year, $175-million deal, sources confirmed to North Side Baseball. Bregman, who will turn 32 in March, gets the largest AAV in Cubs history, at $35 million. The deal spares the team from having to spread money out into Bregman's late 30s and early 40s, though it almost guarantees that they will surpass the competitive-balance tax threshold for 2026—and perhaps years to come. In exchange for that, the Cubs get a player who fits their offensive philosophy perfectly. Bregman makes exceptionally good swing decisions and has run superb contact rates almost throughout his career. He lacks high-end bat speed, but creates power by excelling at pulling the ball in the air. He also plays a sturdy third base, and his arrival carries interesting implications for Matt Shaw and Nico Hoerner. Things were very different for Bregman this year, untethered from the qualifying offer but one year older and with a platform season in which he hit brilliantly early, got hurt, then struggled at times in the second half. Instead of being open to flexible structures and locking in on deals that offered him quick paths back to free agency, Bregman and agent Scott Boras sought a lucrative long-term deal. The Red Sox, who wooed Bregman with a deferral structure and multiple opt-outs last winter, were willing to go longer than the Cubs in terms of years, but refused to pay the high AAV the Cubs offered. More to come. View the full article

On Monday, the Miami Marlins signed Jesús Tinoco to a minor league deal. The 30-year-old right-hander spent 2025 with the Marlins, but he was squeezed off their 40-man roster after the season and elected free agency when the club outrighted him to the minors. Overall, Tinoco has spent parts of three seasons with Miami (2020, 2024-25). Across 51 total innings pitched (44 G/0 GS), he has posted a 2.98 FIP (3.00 ERA) with a 22.3 K% and 8.3 BB%. He set a career-high with four saves last year. A trade deadline day waiver claim in 2024, Tinoco was arguably the best arm in the Marlins bullpen down the stretch of that 100-loss season. He never looked quite right in 2025, though. On June 6, the Marlins placed him on the injured list with a right forearm strain. In early September, he underwent a hybrid UCL reconstruction and flexor tendon surgery. If Tinoco's rehab progresses normally, he should be cleared to begin a throwing program at some point during spring training. However, it's unlikely that he'll make any MLB appearances in 2026. Former teammate Declan Cronin, who had his own elbow surgery in September, signed a two-year minor league deal with the Texas Rangers in anticipation of being full-go for 2027. Tinoco's contract is probably structured similarly. View the full article

Marlins fans have been treated to a whirlwind of activity over the last several weeks. The most accomplished player that they've acquired is Pete Fairbanks, the former Tampa Bay Rays closer who signed a one-year, $13M free agent deal. Fairbanks is capable of being the reliable ninth-inning solution that the Marlins lacked last season. He has had 75 saves in total since 2023, which is 12th-most in baseball over that time span. Although Fairbanks has an impressive résumé, there are mixed signals regarding his future. Fairbanks has experienced a fastball velocity dip in the past two years. The right-hander who once averaged 99 mph on his heater is down to 97 mph. In a related trend, Fairbanks' strikeout rate peaked in 2022 at 43.7% and remained strong at 37% in 2023, but he's been at 24% since then. bGJlUlZfWGw0TUFRPT1fVndVREJWd0JBMUFBQUZBQVVRQUhVQVZUQUZoV1Yxa0FCRjBEQWd0V0NRcFdVUW9D.mp4 Under the hood, his fastball still performs well. In 2025, the pitch put up a .286 wOBA, .247 xBA, and 21.9% whiff rate—all of those numbers improved from 2024. Fairbanks has had to improve his command to compensate for the velocity dip. The FanGraphs Location+ model graded the pitch with a 105 last season. He was in the zone with his fastball a career-high 53% of the time, which led to a major increase in zone contact from hitters (78.1%), although the damage remained relatively low. The main reason why Fairbanks' fastball has been able to outperform its expected outcomes (FanGraphs Stuff+ of 99) is because of the combination of his arm angle, vertical approach angle (VAA) and induced vertical break (IVB) on the pitch. He had the third-highest arm angle of all qualified MLB right-handed hitters in 2025 at 59°. His -5.6° VAA was one of the lowest averages for a fastball. His IVB of 16.5" ranked in the 71st percentile. The pitch also had less horizontal break (0.3") then batters anticipated. Despite the decline in strikeout ability, Fairbanks has remained an above-average, borderline All-Star-caliber closer. He showed more durability last season by pitching a career-high 60 ⅓ innings last season. The decrease in velo may be a net positive for Fairbanks, limiting the wear and tear of his high-effort delivery. Fairbanks changed his slider in 2025, in prior seasons the pitch was far more "droopy" or curveball-like. The 2025 version was tighter. The pitch had a decrease in hard-hit rate compared to 2024, yet an increase in average exit velo and home-run-to-fly-ball ratio. He also generated more whiffs. Fairbanks' slider will be imperative to his success in 2026. YkI5bzlfWGw0TUFRPT1fVWdVSFZ3VURCQVlBWEFZTFZRQUhCMVJYQUFBRUFnUUFVVlpYVmxFQ0NBcFJVZ0JX.mp4 Moving away from Steinbrenner Field could help Fairbanks, who clearly did not feel comfortable pitching to left-handed hitters at home. His walk rate against them was more than twice as high in Tampa compared to road appearances. His strikeout rate also decreased at home vs. lefties. UHZnUDNfWGw0TUFRPT1fQXdSWFZ3QUZBZ29BQ1ZOVFVBQUhDRlJRQUZnRldsZ0FCd0ZRVkZVREFRTlFBRk5Y.mp4 Fairbanks added a cutter in September and it has the potential to be a deadly pitch. In a sample of 42 cutters thrown, it had an .158 xwOBA, 0% barrel rate, 55% ground ball rate, and a 26.2% swinging strike rate. The Marlins covet pitchers with deep arsenals, so the cutter's usage could rise going forward. V0EyUllfWGw0TUFRPT1fVWdkWkFWUlNVRkVBRDFRREFnQUhBRklDQUFCVFVsZ0FVUVlIVTFVRENGQlVWZ29I.mp4 Even the most generous 2026 projection for Pete Fairbanks as displayed on his FanGraphs player page has the 32-year-old merely matching his 2025 production with 1.0 fWAR. He would need to surpass that for the Marlins to extract fair value for the $13M they're spending on him. That being said, if Fairbanks consistently comes up clutch in close games, his positive impact on the team would go beyond that context-neutral output. The Marlins hope that propels them into postseason contention so that Fairbanks actually spends the entire season in Miami rather than turning into a piece to sell at the trade deadline. View the full article

On the day before the team’s much celebrated Fenway Fest, Craig Breslow remained busy as he brought in more depth to the organization through a minor-league contract. Per SoxProspect’s Andrew Parker, the team has signed right-handed pitcher Seth Martinez. The deal also includes a non-roster invite to spring training. The 31-year-old provides Boston with another experienced arm as insurance for the bullpen that will most likely be kept in Worcester to begin the season. Martinez, who was drafted in 2016 by the then-Oakland Athletics, has spent parts of five seasons in the majors. The bulk of his time came from 2021 through the 2024 seasons as he appeared in 111 games out of the bullpen for the Houston Astros, tossing 137 1/3 innings. 2025 was a rough year for Martinez, as he bounced around on waivers going from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Miami Marlins to the Seattle Mariners and then back to the Marlins all before the start of the season. Martinez spent most of the year in Triple-A pitching for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp before getting added to the roster on August 27. In total, he made six appearances and tossed 6 2/3 innings. Miami would go on to designate him for assignment on September 11 and Martinez became a free agent on September 13. View the full article

With Joe Musgrove demanding much of the attention as a key member of the San Diego Padres returning from major surgery early in 2026, it's easy to forget that he isn't the only one on the team's pitching staff set to do so. Jhony Brito underwent internal brace surgery for his UCL back in May, indicating that he could be back within the first couple of months of the upcoming year. For a pitching-starved team like San Diego, it's hard to imagine he won't carve out a role quickly upon his return. The role itself, however, is up in the air. Brito was one of the four players that A.J. Preller acquired when he sent Juan Soto to the Bronx, along with Michael King, Drew Thorpe, and Kyle Higashioka. Thorpe wasn't long for the roster as he was flipped for now-former Padre Dylan Cease, while Higashioka left in free agency at the end of that year. With King now back under contract in San Diego, he and Brito represent the only chance for the team to make good on that deal. There was not a point at which we saw Brito throw a pitch for the 2025 Padres, even before the surgery. His last action came back in 2024, when he logged nearly 44 innings at the big-league level and another 14 in Triple-A. His work at the top level came exclusively in relief, with 26 appearances to a 4.12 ERA and 3.72 FIP. His fastball, averaging 96.3 MPH, sat in the 84th percentile. Most of Brito's appearances that year were of the multi-inning variety. And that's an important part in determining what his role could be. Brito had plenty of work as a starter prior to the 2024 season. He made 20 starts between the minor and major leagues in 2023 and 23 starts in 2022. The results were generally fine, but fell off quite a bit when serving as a starter. His career ERA in 52 2/3 innings as a starter in Major League Baseball sits at 6.32; he's at a 2.88 ERA in 81 1/3 innings in relief. While he's never posted gaudy strikeout numbers, his combination of velocity, command (5.2 BB% in 2024), and groundball contact (48.3 GB%) each make him an enticing option in relief for this particular Padres team. The team, in its current form, has some options in long relief. Kyle Hart could serve such a role. So, too, could any combination of winter signing Ty Adcock or Triston McKenzie, the latter of whom is on a minor-league deal. None of that trio, however, offers the upside we've seen Brito flash in his brief time serving such a role. Hart was knocked around and shuttled between the top two levels in 2025, Adcock presents some command issues, and McKenzie is coming off a multi-year struggle that included a velocity dip wrought by health issues. Brito's skill set would help to contribute to an effective bridge between starting pitchers and a elite group of late-inning relievers. Given that, it's hard to imagine Brito serving any role outside of exactly the one in which we've already seen him. To say nothing of his health in all of this. Even if the team wanted Brito and his remaining years of team control to transition back onto the starting side — something that would only be a consideration given the relative shallowness of the entire starting operation in the short term — they wouldn't immediately transition him into such a position. Assuming a return at the early end of a recovery timeline (May), he'd likely be inserted into exactly the type of role in which we should expect to see him. As such, that multi-inning relief role in which we last saw Jhony Brito is also going to be his best path toward contributing to the 2026 Padres. The aforementioned lack of depth on the starting side will make the multi-inning gig an essential one for this roster, even when assuming more additions to the rotation are on the way. Brito has the skill set to succeed there above all other options, and it's hard to imagine the team would be inclined to let him ply his trade in any role but that upon his return. View the full article

The Brewers added an experienced voice to their front office this week, hiring former Twins general manager Thad Levine as a special adviser to baseball operations. Levine has spent nearly three decades working in Major League Baseball front offices. That includes 11 years with the Texas Rangers as assistant general manager, a stretch that saw the organization make the postseason five times and reach the World Series twice, plus eight seasons with the Minnesota Twins as general manager under chief baseball officer Derek Falvey. During Levine’s tenure, the Twins reached the postseason four times and snapped their long-running playoff losing streak. Levine left the Twins following the 2024 season, which ended with a late collapse that cost Minnesota a postseason berth. The Twins insisted his departure was not tied to that slump, noting that Levine had already planned to step away before the season’s final months. By that point, Levine’s role in Minnesota had evolved. Brought in alongside Falvey in 2016, he played a central role in building out a modern front-office structure and helped develop a deep group of assistants GMs. As that work matured and his responsibilities narrowed, Levine began looking for a new challenge. That mindset came through during a July appearance on the podcast Gleeman and The Geek, when Levine discussed how he believes organizations should operate. “It is very easy to assess and critique deals that are made,” he said. “It is less easy to assess deals that aren’t made. So inactivity is a lot more challenging to judge than activity.” Levine has also cautioned against organizations drifting into comfort. “One thing as a fan I would be attentive to,” he said, “is this notion of: is your team acting in a way that they just want to survive, or that they want to thrive?” Earlier this offseason, Levine was rumored to be a candidate for the Rockies’ general manager opening and has remained active through his Rosters to Rings podcast, which he co-hosts with former NBA general manager Ryan McDonough. When asked about his new role, Levine said the opportunity in Milwaukee aligned with what he was seeking next. “I am energized that the role with the Brewers will give me an opportunity to learn, contribute, and work with extremely dynamic people,” he said. “I am ecstatic to return to the game and work for the Milwaukee Brewers.” That aligns with his values expressed both on the podcast but also when he was leaving the Twins. "What resonates with me is working with exceptional people who are open to me elevating them to a level maybe they never thought they could achieve," he replied when asked what he was looking for in a new position. "And similarly, being willing to invest in me to help me achieve things I never thought were possible." Levine’s exact responsibilities will likely evolve, but the Brewers have added an experienced, team-focused, non-complacent front office veteran who has driven considerable success for his last two teams. That's a good start to wherever he ends up in the organization. View the full article

Context matters with prospects, and Eduardo Tait might be one of the best examples in the Twins system. An 18-year-old holding his own in High-A is not supposed to look clean or finished. It is supposed to look incomplete, with positive signs of what the player can be in the future. That is precisely what Tait showed in 2025, and those clues point directly toward what needs to happen next. At High-A, Tait was not overwhelmed. He was productive. Across 486 plate appearances, he posted league-average offense while being one of the youngest players in the Midwest League. That alone put him on the radar in a more serious way. The Phillies and Twins challenged him aggressively, and he responded by proving the bat belonged. The underlying offensive profile was particularly encouraging. Tait finished with a .174 isolated power and a 103 wRC+, a tick above league average. He had 14 home runs and 32 doubles that tell the story of a hitter already generating real damage even before filling out his frame. The swing path worked. The ball came off his bat with intent. There was obvious room for more. That is where the first significant improvement area for 2026 lives. Tait does plenty of damage, but too much of it still shows up as doubles. With a pull rate north of 47% and nearly 40% of his balls in the air, the ingredients for more home run conversion are already present. Strength gains alone should help, but there is also room for refinement in how he attacks pitches he can lift. Turning a handful of those doubles into home runs would significantly raise the offensive ceiling, especially for a player without defensive questions. The contact foundation gives optimism that this growth will not come at the expense of excessive swing and miss. Tait’s swinging strike rate sat under 13%, and his strikeout rate hovered around 20%. For a teenager facing older pitching, that is more than acceptable. In fact, he faced older pitchers in 100% of his plate appearances. The bat-to-ball skills are fundamental, which makes the next step about selectivity rather than survival. That leads directly to the second area of focus, the walk rate. Around 7% is not disastrous, but it does leave value on the table. Tait showed he could use the whole field, posting a 30% opposite-field rate, suggesting he is not purely a sellout pull hitter. Tightening zone control and learning which pitches he can truly drive should push his on-base percentage forward as he climbs the ladder. For a bat-first catcher, that is not optional. It is required. Of course, none of this exists in a vacuum, because Tait’s future still hinges on where he plays defensively. The bat looks like it can carry a profile, but it carries far more weight if he stays behind the plate. If he can’t catch, he is not one of baseball’s top-100 prospects. Defensive consistency, receiving, and overall polish as a catcher remain the biggest questions in the evaluation. Improvement there would change how the entire industry views him. Even modest defensive progress could solidify his status as a legitimate everyday catching prospect rather than a corner bat with a complicated path. The encouraging part is that none of these issues are red flags. They are checkpoints. Tait is young, left-handed, and already showing power against advanced pitching. He does not need to reinvent himself. He needs incremental growth. Better plate discipline. A bit more home run efficiency. Defensive gains that keep him at catcher. If those boxes start getting checked in 2026, Tait’s profile shifts quickly, and he likely enters next season as a top-50 prospect. The Twins already know the bat is interesting. The next season will determine just how valuable it can become. Can Tait improve in the areas mentioned above? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

In 1972, the Dodgers were the first team to employ a dedicated, intentional five-man rotation. A novel approach at the time -- despite recent experiments leading up to its inception -- it soon became the standard across MLB, despite constant grumblings about its potential efficacy. From the origins of the five-man rotation to today, criticisms have responsibly evolved — to the extent that calling a five-man rotation a 'failure' back in 2002 isn't altogether preposterous. Fast-forward to today. Baseball is in the midst of another rotation transformation. This renaissance is bumpier, has more variables, and an undetermined conclusion, but the transition continues nonetheless. While I don't yet think we've reached the inflection point of transitioning from a five- to a six-man rotation across the league (especially for the Cubs in 2026), the current landscape of strict pitch counts, third-time-through-the-order fears, and the relatively common use of 'Openers' portends more and more experimentation and change in how rotations are constructed. And while six-man rotations are currently an unknown commodity, their usage in the league -- at least in exploratory form -- feels inevitable. What is clear, however, is that a traditional five-man no longer remains an outright expectation. Arm injuries accumulate at an increasingly alarming rate, especially with pitchers throwing harder than ever with more spin than ever before. Starters returning from injury are monitored closely. Hurlers from Japan, a highly-sought after MLB pipeline, are accustomed to five days of rest. Young starters are handled with extreme caution out of long-term health concerns. All of this leads to the need for quality depth. A depth that not only covers for injury, but preemptively helps push back or skip starts to keep pitchers better rested and less likely to breakdown over the course of a grueling 162-game schedule. The Cubs' trade for Edward Cabrera offers immediate upside, to be sure, and also creates the space for that quality depth to shine. With a robust injury history of his own, the cost-controlled, ace-caliber Cabrera will have his innings and pitch count monitored closely. But he's hardly the only starter the Cubs will be keeping tabs on. They have several arms expected to make double-digit starts in 2026, each with their own concerns: Edward Cabrera (significant injury history) Justin Steele (return date TBD; will definitely be monitored closely upon return) Cade Horton (future ace/workhorse potential, entering first full season after ending last season with a minor rib injury) Shota Imanaga (accustomed to five days rest, significant questions with durability over a full season) Matthew Boyd (mid-30's, injury history, career year in 2025 that eroded down the stretch) Jameson Taillon (typically healthy, typically an innings eater, probably the lowest health concern, floor of a #4/5) Colin Rea and Javier Assad (swing arms, will get play in rotation and long-relief in 2026) Jaxson Wiggins (will likely get his debut in 2026 at some point) Call it the 5.5-man rotation if you must — the clear path forward for the 2026 Cubs will ostensibly feature the framework of a five-man setup, but that perception will not be adhered to by reality. Counsell -- who is no stranger to unique rotation usage -- will figure out ways to best utilize all of this depth. A combination of swingmen starting on occasion to allow for a fifth day of rest for starters, calling up an optionable arm from Iowa, and retooling the 'pen with a presumed Iowa-Chicago pipeline should successfully create flexibility, extra rest, and opportunity for the several arms the Cubs have available. And it would be far from shocking to see Counsell roll out an opener whenever he feels it advantageous to do so, no matter how many starters the Cubs have available at any given moment. Our @Andrew Wright recently explored the Cubs' likely roster come Opening Day — and, of course, he did so just before the trade for Cabrera surfaced. Adding Cabrera to that projected 2026 rotation gives the Cubs six starters right now, to say nothing of Steele's eventual return and Wiggins' expected debut. We won't have a concrete answer on the Cubs' plans for the rotation to open the season until spring training has neared its conclusion. What we do know is that while the Cubs won't employ an intentional six-man rotation, they will certainly be creative with operating a traditional five-man setup. Expect several permutations of the rotation as the season unfolds. And should the Cubs make the expected playoff push the baseball world predicts, it's anyone's guess as to who the four arms will be that start playoff games come October. View the full article

In 1972, the Dodgers were the first team to employ a dedicated, intentional five-man rotation. A novel approach at the time -- despite recent experiments leading up to its inception -- it soon became the standard across MLB, despite constant grumblings about its potential efficacy. From the origins of the five-man rotation to today, criticisms have responsibly evolved — to the extent that calling a five-man rotation a 'failure' back in 2002 isn't altogether preposterous. Fast-forward to today. Baseball is in the midst of another rotation transformation. This renaissance is bumpier, has more variables, and an undetermined conclusion, but the transition continues nonetheless. While I don't yet think we've reached the inflection point of transitioning from a five- to a six-man rotation across the league (especially for the Cubs in 2026), the current landscape of strict pitch counts, third-time-through-the-order fears, and the relatively common use of 'Openers' portends more and more experimentation and change in how rotations are constructed. And while six-man rotations are currently an unknown commodity, their usage in the league -- at least in exploratory form -- feels inevitable. What is clear, however, is that a traditional five-man no longer remains an outright expectation. Arm injuries accumulate at an increasingly alarming rate, especially with pitchers throwing harder than ever with more spin than ever before. Starters returning from injury are monitored closely. Hurlers from Japan, a highly-sought after MLB pipeline, are accustomed to five days of rest. Young starters are handled with extreme caution out of long-term health concerns. All of this leads to the need for quality depth. A depth that not only covers for injury, but preemptively helps push back or skip starts to keep pitchers better rested and less likely to breakdown over the course of a grueling 162-game schedule. The Cubs' trade for Edward Cabrera offers immediate upside, to be sure, and also creates the space for that quality depth to shine. With a robust injury history of his own, the cost-controlled, ace-caliber Cabrera will have his innings and pitch count monitored closely. But he's hardly the only starter the Cubs will be keeping tabs on. They have several arms expected to make double-digit starts in 2026, each with their own concerns: Edward Cabrera (significant injury history) Justin Steele (return date TBD; will definitely be monitored closely upon return) Cade Horton (future ace/workhorse potential, entering first full season after ending last season with a minor rib injury) Shota Imanaga (accustomed to five days rest, significant questions with durability over a full season) Matthew Boyd (mid-30's, injury history, career year in 2025 that eroded down the stretch) Jameson Taillon (typically healthy, typically an innings eater, probably the lowest health concern, floor of a #4/5) Colin Rea and Javier Assad (swing arms, will get play in rotation and long-relief in 2026) Jaxson Wiggins (will likely get his debut in 2026 at some point) Call it the 5.5-man rotation if you must — the clear path forward for the 2026 Cubs will ostensibly feature the framework of a five-man setup, but that perception will not be adhered to by reality. Counsell -- who is no stranger to unique rotation usage -- will figure out ways to best utilize all of this depth. A combination of swingmen starting on occasion to allow for a fifth day of rest for starters, calling up an optionable arm from Iowa, and retooling the 'pen with a presumed Iowa-Chicago pipeline should successfully create flexibility, extra rest, and opportunity for the several arms the Cubs have available. And it would be far from shocking to see Counsell roll out an opener whenever he feels it advantageous to do so, no matter how many starters the Cubs have available at any given moment. Our @Andrew Wright recently explored the Cubs' likely roster come Opening Day — and, of course, he did so just before the trade for Cabrera surfaced. Adding Cabrera to that projected 2026 rotation gives the Cubs six starters right now, to say nothing of Steele's eventual return and Wiggins' expected debut. We won't have a concrete answer on the Cubs' plans for the rotation to open the season until spring training has neared its conclusion. What we do know is that while the Cubs won't employ an intentional six-man rotation, they will certainly be creative with operating a traditional five-man setup. Expect several permutations of the rotation as the season unfolds. And should the Cubs make the expected playoff push the baseball world predicts, it's anyone's guess as to who the four arms will be that start playoff games come October. View the full article

Jesus Made has some of the most freakish athleticism in baseball at just 19 years old. He stole 47 bases in 59 attempts last year. He was regularly sitting at 74 mph in bat speed as at May 2025 (MLB average 71.9 mph) per Brenton del Chiaro's interview on the Just Baseball Podcast. He also displayed extremely polished swing decisions, sitting at league average in zone swing rates in High-A Wisconsin and better than league average chase rates, all mightily impressive from someone who was 18 to start the 2025 season. Combining that with a highly regarded hit tool, using fantastic hands to manoeuvre the barrel to the ball, as Aram Leighton noted. Even when he was beaten on a pitch, his hand control was sublime to square up the baseball. Combine that with a surging development at shortstop in 2025, and you have almost all of the traditional tools covered. The only thing I haven't talked about is the power production, and that's what currently distinguishes Made from the likes of Konnor Griffin. While Made has the present bat speed and a frame that teases even further upside with natural growth, at present, that power isn't being tapped into. Made slashed .285/.379/.413 in 2025, showcasing those impressive plate discipline and hitting tools, but the actual home run and extra base power wasn't quite where one would expect from a top prospect in the game. Contrast that to Konnor Griffin, who, while a year older than Made, traversed the same levels of the minor leagues and stole 65 bases, slugged 21 home runs, and also produced excellent defense at both shortstop and in center field, and Griffin certainly gets the nod for now. Made's age is part of this, and we should expect some rawness in the tools, but that doesn't mean we can't investigate how the Brewers will cut this diamond to produce the best possible results. The Front Leg Jesús Made's issue isn't that he struggles to make quality contact, nor that he doesn't hit the ball hard. It all comes down to elevating the ball. Aram Leighton was talking about Made recently and mentioned that his average launch angle on hard-hit balls was just 5°, meaning his barreled balls weren't leaving his bat at angles that could clear the fence and instead were more predisposed towards doubles power and hard-hit singles. His best quality contact was averaging a low line drive, limiting his offensive ceiling. Again, Made is just 19 years old and has plenty of time to work on this, but something Del Chiaro has noted in the past is how Made's weight at the point of contact, especially from the left-hand side, is very much on his front foot. Here's a freeze frame from a ball Made almost took out to the opposite field (impressive in its own right, given his age), but I thought it best to highlight the mechanics on one of his better swings. If you look at his right leg, his entire weight is balanced on it just before contact. He tries to lean back after in an effort to gain more natural loft, but the sheer weight on that foot (he could almost stand on one leg here) reduces the tilt he can get from the left side, and it prevents him from accessing more loft in his batted ball profile. From there, Made continues to see his weight moving forward over that leg, with his head in front of his hips as he gets too much momentum forward, creating what is a very flat bat path. Yes, he manages to barrel the ball and almost slices it under it enough to take it out of the park, but it's not a consistent way to gain that launch angle. The most remarkable thing about this contact is that he sliced under the ball, using a steep-ish bat path to backspin underneath the ball. How he blasted this ball as far as he did, I have absolutely no idea. It's absurd and speaks to the raw tools the Brewers are working with in this instance. The second video below is from a side angle and presents a different view of the issue. You can see Made doesn't get quite so on top of his lead leg, but his weight is moving forward too far and preventing him from getting that natural loft. Even as he's finishing his swing, the head and the body weight are continuing to move forward through the swing, actually diluting some of the rotational power he's generating and keeping that plane of his swing on a very flat arc. Let's contrast this with someone Jesús Made has oft been compared to, Ketel Marte. A fellow switch hitter with lightning fast hands and covering the middle infield, it feels an apt comparison, and the Brewers would love to see Made find the same level of home run threat out of his physical capabilities. You can see below how Marte's swing looks more balanced at impact, using his lead leg to push his hip and weight back, sling-shotting his bat through the strike zone while also creating a more upward plane for the bat path as he leans back at the point of contact: We mentioned hard-hit launch angles earlier, and these are going to be key for Made's development. For a player who hits the ball as hard as he does, you want to see those barreled balls going for extra bases and home runs, not singles through the infield (a profile Brewers fans will be acutely aware of with Christian Yelich). In 2017, Marte hit six home runs in 70 games, not dissimilar to Made, A couple of seasons later, he instituted changes to his leg kick allowing him to stay more on his back leg, leading to an average launch angle going from 5.2° in 2018 to 11.7° in 2019, all while increasing his average exit velocities and creating even more consistently hard contact. His 2025 hard hit launch angle was 12°, almost 7° above Made's, but his transition in 2019 shows that, with a more optimized loading pattern and weight transfer in his legs, Made can achieve that relatively quickly if all goes according to plan. Looking at the freeze frames of the follow-through, you can see how the weight had shifted through and after the point of contact. Where Made's weight continues to move forward, leaving his head actually ahead of his hips, Marte's has kicked backward, creating a more upward path to the baseball and allowing him to do a lot more damage. As previously mentioned, Made is still just 19. He will be until May this year, and he's likely to be playing at Double-A Biloxi. He's a top prospect for a reason, and it's because people can dream on the tools and freakish athleticism he possesses. If he can find a way to get into his back leg more, particularly from the left side (where he should see more plate appearances), Made will go from being a consistent, strong performer and potential All-Star at shortstop to a perennial MVP candidate. His recent Instagram stories suggest this hasn't been a point of emphasis yet this offseason, still putting a lot of weight on his lead leg, but it's something Brenton Del Chiaro is acutely aware of as the minor league hitting co-ordinator. The Brewers' organisational philosophy is not to step in unless the player approaches them, but with Made now in the upper minors, I would expect to see this emphasized during 2026 spring training and in-season work. It's certainly something to keep an eye on, especially in games. It's not a monumental change, in fact, it's relatively subtle, but the difference it could make to Made's offensive profile is startling. View the full article

It is evident that the New York Yankees desperately need starting pitching for the upcoming 2026 season. Unfortunately, the opportunity to get a "big time" starter seems to be dwindling for the Yankees this offseason. First, Dylan Cease signed a massive free-agent deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, which took a possible target off the market early in the offseason. Furthermore, Edward Cabrera was recently traded from the Miami Marlins to the Chicago Cubs. Thus, there aren't a lot of suitors remaining, though it does appear that the Yankees may make a push for Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta (although they won't be the lone suitors). That said, if the Yankees can't acquire Peralta or another big-name pitcher via a trade, then Kansas City could make sense for them as a trade partner. The Royals are flush with starting pitching, and the Yankees have some bats that could round out and boost the Kansas City lineup in both the short and long term. Hence, let's take a look at three trade proposals that could make sense for both sides. Note: I used Baseball Trade Values' Trade Simulator to determine values for possible trades between both teams, and TJ Stats for stuff metrics and summary graphics. Noah Cameron and John Rave for Jasson Dominguez and Camilo Doval I don't think the Royals will trade Cameron because he has tons of years of control (six) and he's a local product who hails from St. Joseph, Missouri. I think Royals fans would have a tremendous outcry if they traded a local kid who earned Royals Pitcher of the Year honors and posted a 2.99 ERA in 138.1 IP last year. However, if the Royals were to trade Cameron, it would need to be a deal where it "felt" like the Yankees overpaid for the St. Joe product. This suggested deal does just that. The 22-year-old outfielder seemed untouchable a season ago, but he may be more on the block this season, especially if the Yankees are able to bring back Cody Bellinger. Dominguez had an underwhelming season last year, posting a 106 wRC+ and 0.9 fWAR, with his defense lagging significantly behind his bat (-10 OAA). However, the former New York top prospect hits the ball hard, and with the right tweaks, he could provide the punch they may need in left field or designated hitter. A smaller-market environment could do wonders for Dominguez, as he could turn things around with the Royals, much like Melky Cabrera did when he came over to Kansas City in 2011 after spending most of his career in New York previously. In addition to Dominguez, the Royals would also acquire Doval, who used to close out games for the San Francisco Giants. The 28-year-old righty posted a 3.58 ERA and 3.47 FIP in 65.1 IP last year, which aren't exactly "eye-popping" numbers. That said, he posted an overall TJ Stuff+ of 105, a 29.8% chase rate, and a 28.4% whiff rate. Those are the kind of numbers the Royals are looking for from possible relief targets. The Royals would simply need Doval to be a middle-innings, medium-leverage reliever, not a setup man or closer (or at least not right away). Doval's presence should add even more depth to an already strong bullpen that already got stronger this offseason with the additions of Alex Lange, Matt Strahm, and Nick Mears. Getting a high-upside outfielder and a solid reliever would help lessen the blow of losing Cameron. As for Rave, he would help round out the deal, giving the Yankees a depth outfielder whose left-handed swing could profile decently in the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium. Kris Bubic for Spencer Jones BTV seems to believe that a Bubic-Jones swap would be equal value, which intrigues me about this possibility. On one hand, I get why this could never happen, especially since Jones is three years younger and has many more years of team control than Bubic, who will be a free agent after this offseason. That said, what if Bubic and the Yankees were willing to commit to a contract extension after he was traded to New York? Tyler Glasnow did this when he was traded from Tampa Bay to the Dodgers. That scenario might make the Yankees more willing to part ways with Jones in a deal. The Royals certainly would get a high-upside bat in Jones, much like they would with Dominguez. However, Jones had no MLB experience (unlike Dominguez), and the 25-year-old outfielder is a polarizing prospect due to his wonky Statcast profile from Triple-A, as illustrated in the TJ Stats summary below. Jones thrives in average EV (100th percentile), barrel rate (99th percentile), hard-hit rate (98th percentile), and LA Sweet-Spot% (94th percentile). Conversely, he's extremely poor when it comes to contact and plate discipline. He ranks in the 6th percentile in O-Swing%, and 1st percentile in Z-Contact%, whiff%, and K%. Jones could be a 30+ HR at the MLB level. That said, he also could be a hitter who barely hits over the Mendoza line (i.e., a .200 batting average) in his career as well. With another free-swinging power outfielder on the roster in Jac Caglianone, would the Royals want a guy like Jones, who may not have a set spot in this 2026 lineup? That may be hard to believe, especially since the organization is focused on acquiring hitters with strong plate discipline profiles (which Jones DOES NOT have). Still, Jones is an intriguing, high-upside prospect who may be worth the risk for the Royals, especially if it only costs Bubic, who has struggled to stay healthy in Kansas City and is likely gone after 2026. Stephen Kolek for Oswaldo Cabrera and Paul Blackburn Kolek had a really good Royals debut after he came over from San Diego at the Trade Deadline. In five starts, he posted a 1.91 ERA and 2.71 FIP in 33.1 IP. That performance helped him earn Royals Pitcher of the Month honors in September. However, with the Royals' rotation loaded as is, it's possible that Kolek may not make the Opening Day roster. Meanwhile, Ryan Yarbrough is projected to be the Yankees' No. 5 starter on Opening Day, according to Roster Resource. Safe to say, not only does Kolek provide more value immediately than Yarbrough, but the 28-year-old righty also holds more long-term value and club control (four years). A trade that could make sense for the Royals to acquire utility player Cabrera and reliever Blackburn in exchange for Kolek. Cabrera isn't a high-profile player, as he has a career 82 wRC+ and has accumulated 1.5 fWAR in 302 career games with the Yankees. However, he can play multiple positions in the field, giving him the utility value that manager Matt Quatraro likes to utilize off the bench. Cabrera also demonstrates a pretty solid contact and discipline profile at the plate, even if there isn't a lot of pop (as illustrated in his TJ Stats Summary below). Cabrera could make sense if the Royals part ways with Michael Massey this offseason, who could be traded for a much-needed left-handed reliever (I suggested Tampa Bay's Garrett Cleavinger as an option in my last post). He would essentially fit into that Massey role, with even more positional versatility. He's also a native Venezuelan who likely would mesh with fellow countrymen Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia. As for Blackburn, his numbers at the surface level don't look good. In 39 IP with the Mets and Yankees last year, he posted a 6.23 ERA and 1.50 FIP. However, his FIP was much better at 4.39, and he limited free passes on the basepaths with a 6.9% BB% and 12.6% K-BB%. He also showed a strong ability to induce chase last year, as well as minimize productive contact, which can be seen in his TJ Stats Summary below. The stuff overall is meh with a 98 TJ Stuff+. That said, he seems to have a great cutter (105 TJ Stuff+) as well as an above-average sweeper (103) and curveball (102). Blackburn seems like the kind of pitcher who could thrive under pitching coach Brian Sweeney and find a place as a sneaky effective middle-innings reliever in the mold of Taylor Clarke a season ago. Cabrera and Blackburn aren't as sexy a trade package as the other two in terms of return. However, they address some immediate needs and provide a good floor, even though the ceilings aren't as high as those in Dominguez's or Jones's. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox currently have a bullpen problem, at least when it comes to the lack of left-hand options available for manager Alex Cora. Currently on the 40-man roster, there are ten left-handed pitchers and, of those arms, eight are viewed as either being in the rotation or depth for the rotation in the event of an injury. Another is closer Aroldis Chapman. The lone player who doesn't fit either description may soon be a secret weapon for Cora as the season draws nearer. Jovani Morán was acquired from the Minnesota Twins on Christmas eve in 2024 for Mickey Gasper, a move at the time seemed to be rather small and inconsequential. Morán had missed the entire 2024 season after having Tommy John surgery in November of 2023 and there were no sure bets he would rebound and be more like his 2022 self (2.21 ERA, 54 strikeouts in 40 2/3 innings) compared to his 2023 self (5.31 ERA, 48 strikeouts in 42 1/3 innings). It was a risk worth taking, as Gasper was getting moved off the roster regardless. Morán ended up missing the first two months of the 2025 season while still recovering from surgery before finally beginning his rehab in June. His numbers were about what you would expect, making six appearances between the Red Sox Complex team and High-A Greenville and tossing 7 2/3 innings while allowing four earned runs. Upon being activated from the injured list, Morán was sent to Worcester, where he began to look like a potential weapon out of the bullpen. In his first 12 appearances there, he tossed 18 1/3 innings while allowing just seven earned runs and striking out 26 batters. That included a stretch of 7 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball. With the Red Sox needing an arm, they selected his contract and added him to the active roster. His stint with Boston didn’t last long, though, as he appeared in just two games where he tossed four innings before spending the rest of the season with Worcester. However, Morán remained on the 40-man roster through the end of the season and while other left-handed options such as Chris Murphy and Brennan Bernardino have been moved in trades that brought back minor-league talent, Morán has remained. The left-hander, who relies on a four-pitch mix of a fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball, is out of options and will have to break camp with the Red Sox. While there is no guarantee that the team won't bring in another left-handed reliever, Morán looks likely to break camp as the middle-innings southpaw. For those doubting his upside, his recent stint in the Puerto Rican Winter League may be showing why the Red Sox kept him out of all their left-handed bullpen arms. Making 11 appearances out of the bullpen for Criollos de Caguas, Morán has gone 1-1 with an ERA of 0.82 across 11 innings. His fastball, which saw a drop in velocity while recovering from Tommy John surgery, is back to its pre-surgery velocity of 93-95 mph. In 2025, it routinely sat 92-94 mph (and with Boston it averaged 92.3 mph) so the slight increase is a welcome addition for Morán. Across his 11 innings, he has allowed just four hits while striking out 15 batters, flashing the potential that he showcased at the start of his career. Should Morán fully return to his pre-injury self, the Red Sox could have a dangerous weapon out of the bullpen. In 2022, batters hit just .172 against him, their OPS being just .490 as he struck out nearly 33% of the hitters he faced. Plus, throughout his career, he has managed to limit hard contact against him, rocking a career 27.4% hard-hit rate while batters have only managed to barrel up his pitches 5.1% of the time. Even the average exit velocity he allows is low, sitting at 85.7 mph for his career, which, across a full season, would have placed him near the very top of the league. At his best in 2022 and 2023, had he qualified, Morán would have been near the top of the league for whiff rate. The 2022 campaign saw him get just under 39% of whiffs on the pitches he threw, while 2023 saw that number drop slightly to 37%. Along with that, he’s fared equally well against right-handed and left-handed batters, which could allow Cora to mix and match when and where he’s used in the game. Morán may not seem it, but he could very well provide Cora with a key arm that could help bridge the middle innings to the back end of the bullpen, especially if a starter is struggling to get past the fifth inning. However, there is no telling what is going on in Craig Breslow’s mind as he shapes the roster over the remainder of the offseason. There’s still a lot of time between now and the start of the season, so plans could change. But the fact that the Red Sox held onto Morán could signal that they view him as an important piece of their bullpen puzzle in 2026 — and perhaps as the heir apparent to Justin Wilson's soon-to-be-vacated role as the set-up southpaw to Chapman. View the full article

The Miami Marlins have signed outfielder Daniel Johnson to a minor league deal for the 2026 season, Johnson announced Friday on social media. It includes an invite to spring training. Drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2016, Johnson has spent time with six different MLB organizations, most recently the Baltimore Orioles, who outrighted him to the minors at the start of this offseason. The 30-year-old California native is a lifetime .196/.243/.322 hitter (53 wRC+) in 67 career games at the big league level. He's a plus runner who can contribute at all three outfield positions. Johnson just finished playing winter ball with Mexico's Naranjeros de Hermosillo. It is hard enough for NRIs to crack an Opening Day roster under normal conditions and Johnson faces a particularly steep uphill battle. Following this week's acquisition of Owen Caissie, the Marlins are loaded with left-handed-hitting outfielders. Expect him to begin the season with Triple-A Jacksonville. In addition to Johnson, the Marlins have also signed Jesús Bastidas, Evan McKendry, Brian Navarreto, Jack Ralston, Samuel Vásquez and Tyler Zuber to minor league deals this offseason. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays are about to enter the 2026 season with a roster built for contention, headlined by elite pitching acquisitions and the addition of Japanese slugger Kazuma Okamoto. However, despite these upgrades, one question persists: Do the Jays need one more offensive free agent signing, specifically a left-handed bat? Sure, what Jays fan wouldn’t want both Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker, but one of those players would put more of a fright into opposing teams than the other. The projected lineup, as it stands right now, skews to the right. It’s an issue the team has been dealing with over the past several years. Righty-heavy lineups tend to see more same-handed breaking balls, elevated fastballs, and pitch-to-contact sequences that exploit typical same-side vulnerabilities. Adding a high-impact lefty in the heart of the order would complicate these patterns and force opposing pitching staffs to distribute their best right-handed options more thinly. The Jays have often been right-handed dominant when it comes to hitting. Even in seasons in which they attempted to even out that distribution, with players like Brandon Belt and Kevin Kiermaier, the matchup concern persisted when injuries or role changes reduced the consistent presence of left-handed impact hitters in the lineup. If the season were to start tomorrow, only three true left-handed hitters (Daulton Varsho, Andrés Giménez and Addison Barger) and one switch-hitter (Anthony Santander) are projected as regulars. Based on their numbers last season, Giménez and Santander aren’t putting a scare into opponents. The issue of imbalance in the lineup, especially at the heart of the lineup, tends to play out over the course of a game when opposing teams start to consider bullpen matchups. Teams with right-heavy lineups are easier to neutralize by elite right-handed pitchers who dominate same-handed hitters. In postseason play, where rotations feature more aces, this vulnerability is magnified. A balanced lineup and roster force opposing managers into tougher decisions. Left-handed hitters generally fare better against right-handed pitching, which constitutes roughly 70% of MLB innings. Adding a strong left-handed bat maximizes offensive output against the most common pitching profile. Without another left-handed bat, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be pitched around in high-leverage spots. A left-handed power bat would force pitchers to attack rather than nibble. Out of the active roster, the Jays have eight right-handed batters, five left-handed batters and four switch hitters. Yet, if the season started tomorrow, the outfield would most likely include Santander in left, Varsho in centre and Barger in right. Two more lefty-batting outfielders could be on the bench: Nathan Lukes and Joey Loperfido. So, another left-handed bat for the outfield wouldn't necessarily help to balance things out. Of course, adding a hitter like Tucker wouldn't just be about balancing the lineup. It would be about impact. If it isn’t Tucker, then who else could it be? And where would they play? Cody Bellinger seems to be the backup option to Tucker for a bunch of teams. Bellinger is a slightly more versatile outfielder with less pop. One of the enticing things about Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan is his left-handed pop. He could be on the trade block this offseason, with lots of interest across baseball, but no team has been able to land him. It's likely the asking price has been higher than teams have been willing to go. The Jays do have some young controllable pitching and upside bats that could fit the bill of what the Cardinals are looking for in return for Donovan. However, it seems like the Mariners and Giants are the frontrunners in trade talks with St. Louis, with the Royals and Red Sox also in the mix. As for any other options? The key is having an impact left-handed bat in an available position, and free agents like Willi Castro, Adam Frazier, Rowdy Tellez, Nathaniel Lowe or Alex Verdugo don’t really fit that description. With an eventful offseason already, the Jays have made themselves better through additions and subtractions. Whether or not this new version of the Jays can gel and over-achieve like last season's group still needs to be seen. Expectations will be sky high, and managing that pressure will be one of the many new challenges ahead for this team. In the meantime, as one senior leader in the front office recently told me, the Jays are prioritizing players’ needs and thinking every day about how they can get better through finding small edges, whether in facilities, analytics, development or acquisitions. The distribution of left and right bats in a balanced lineup is an important component in the structure of a successful ballclub. Ideally, every batter hits .300 with an OPS closing in on 1.000, but that simply isn’t a reality. Instead, teams need to put out a lineup that requires opponents to constantly be adjusting and responding. If there are no further additions or subtractions for the 2026 edition of the Jays, the starting lineup will look something like this: George Springer, DH Addison Barger, RF Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B Anthony Santander, LF Alejandro Kirk, C Daulton Varsho, CF Kazuma Okamoto, 3B Ernie Clement, 2B Andrés Giménez, SS On the bench, the Jays will probably have Lukes, Tyler Heineman, Myles Straw and Davis Schneider. That is a lineup that can do some damage day in and day out. One more offensive weapon right in the heart of the lineup would ignite the potential even more. On the flip side, maybe Santander and Giménez find their groove and let their poor offensive outputs in 2025 slide off their backs. If they can return to their top form, or close to it, the lineup as it stands today has a chance to be stronger than it was last season. But wouldn’t one more impact lefty bat make things even better? View the full article

On Friday, the Washington Nationals claimed right-handed pitcher Paxton Schultz off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays. The 28-year-old will compete for their role in Washington's Opening Day bullpen. The Blue Jays designated Schultz for assignment last weekend to open a spot for Kazuma Okamoto on their 40-man roster. After four seasons in Toronto's minor league system, the righty made his MLB debut for the Jays in 2025. He threw 24.2 innings with a 4.38 ERA. If Schultz had passed through waivers unclaimed, the Blue Jays could have sent him outright to the minors, thereby keeping him in the organization as depth for 2026. Instead, he will now get a better chance to establish himself in the majors with a much less competitive club. Featured image courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images. View the full article

On Friday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced that former Twins and Phillies outfielder Max Kepler has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Epitrenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance. It is an item that violates MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Max Kepler will turn 33 years old in a little more than a month. He is currently a free agent looking for his next home. After signing with the Twins in 2009 out of Germany, he spent parts of the 2015-2024 seasons in a Twins uniform. Over those 10 seasons, he was worth 20.5 bWAR. In 1,072 games, he hit .237/.318/.429 (.746) with 205 doubles, 161 homers and 508 RBI. His best season came in 2019 when he hit .252/.336/.519 (.855) with 32 doubles and he led the Bomba Squad with 36 home runs. He was never able to replicate those numbers. He became a free agent for the first time last offseason. He signed a one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies. In 127 games, he hit .216/.300/.391 (.691) with 19 doubles and 18 home runs. Free agency just became more difficult for Kepler. Some team will sign him and not have to pay him for the first half of the season. He can come back for the final 82 games of the season, but because of the suspension, he will be unable to play in the playoffs should the team make it. Share your thoughts. View the full article