DiamondCentric

The Boston Red Sox, despite a couple of savvy trades for starting pitchers, are one of just two teams in MLB this offseason not to sign a major-league free agent. What's going on?View the full article

Well, someone finally woke A.J. Preller up. Mere hours after securing the services of Michael King in free agency, the San Diego Padres have agreed to sign Korean infielder Sung-mon Song. It appears to be a three-year deal for $15 million, meaning the Padres' will owe Song and King roughly $30 million combined in 2026. The starting third baseman for the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization, it's unclear if the Padres foresee a position change for Song (first base?) or if there are internal plans to shift Manny Machado elsewhere (which seems unlikely). Either way, adding Song's bat should be a huge boon for the Padres' offense, as he's coming off a season in which he posted a .917 OPS in 144 games. He also hit career highs in home runs (26) and stolen bases (25). Song has played first and second base as well at points of his career, and the 29-year-old offers enough versatility and power and speed to fill any number of roles as a starter or off Craig Stammen's bench. He's looking to join former teammates Ha-Seong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee, and Hyeseong Kim in America as successful KBO to MLB converts. More to come... View the full article

Not only did the Twins finally reveal their minority partners this week, they also announced that Tom Pohlad would assume the role of the ownership group’s Executive Chair, previously held by his younger brother, Joe. Beyond the Succession-esque family drama, this led many observers to ask two questions: There’s a Tom Pohlad? Just how many Pohlad brothers and sons are there? In the interest of public service and because it’s not like they’re going to give us a new free-agent signing to write about, Twins Daily did some shoe-leather reporting to suss out just how many Pohlads are out there. Here’s what we know, as of Friday, December 19th, 2025. CONFIRMED POHLADS Joe: Former Executive Chair, accidentally gave honest answer to Jason DeRusha. Tom: Current Executive Chair, has yet to give accidentally honest answer to Jason DeRusha. Bill: Hollywood producer and director. If your annoying hipster friend has a cult band or troubled musical genius they won’t shut up about, Bill has directed that biopic. Kind of looks like William H. Macy. Jim: Little is known about him. Feels like, with his wealth, he should go by either James (classy, elegant) or Jimmy (renegade bad boy, spends office hours at a bar that only takes cash). LIKELY POHLADS Bob: Wikipedia says he’s one of the three brothers who inherited the team from Carl and Eloise Pohlad. He’s listed on the Twins website. But no one can confirm with 100% certainty that he’s real. Percival Edgar: Sent to boarding school in London in 1968 and just never left. Fancies himself a real English dandy, given to wearing a pocketwatch and riding one of those tall bikes everywhere. Faints a lot. Tubercular. UNCONFIRMED POHLADS Li'l Mike: The hip-hop Pohlad. From the mean streets of Deephaven, Li'l Mike is allegedly releasing his debut single “Commercial Real Estate (Over-leveraged)” in February 2026. Has an MBA from Cornell. Tony: Quit Stanford in his junior year to get into improv comedy. Is not currently in will. Theo: Vampire with a kind heart. Connor: Aspiring Tik-Tok/Reels influencer. His most popular clip, “How to Know If Your Butler is Defiant,” has over 500 views. We will continue our exhaustive investigation, and update this post accordingly. But, you know, billionaires. If any of the unconfirmed Pohlads disappear from the list, assume they are very real and that we've been threatened with legal action. View the full article

Jack and Spencer break down the Angel Zerpa trade and updates from the Winter Meetings. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

The Cubs were interested in Michael King at the outset of this offseason. After they got a sense of his initial asking price (approaching $100 million on a four-year deal, according to one source), they backed away, but once it was clear that King wouldn't net quite that rich a contract, they circled back to him. Ultimately, King re-signed with the Padres Thursday night, on a remarkably player-friendly deal that guarantees him up to $75 million over three years and gives him the right to opt out after either of the first two. A source familiar with the team's thinking said they were open to signing King on a short-term deal, but were unwilling to offer him both that high an annual average value and the pair of opt-outs that enticed him to return to San Diego. That's a sensible stance. King is coming off a season disrupted by injury, and his health history is spotty. He passed a physical to finalize his deal with the Padres, but the risk the team is assuming on that deal is a bit unwieldy, from the Cubs' perspective. This is the luxury the team has afforded itself, with the holidays looming and big names coming off the board but some desirable options left. By signing relievers Phil Maton, Caleb Thielbar and Hoby Milner and right-handed slugger Tyler Austin on low-cost deals, Jed Hoyer has set a floor that allows him to eschew further additions to the bullpen or the bench until he resolves more pressing business. He has roughly $40 million in 2026 salary available to him, if the right opportunities are there, but he's bought the ability to be patient and take a strong negotiating position. Before he signed with the Phillies for $22 million over two years, Brad Keller came to the Cubs and expressed a willingness to sign for less, according to two sources with knowledge of the conversation. The Cubs passed. They were not serious suitors for Luke Weaver, either, as he signed a similar deal with the Mets. Though they would still welcome improvements to their relief corps, the club now has its sights set on upgrading the lineup and the front half of the starting rotation, and they believe their current depth allows them to keep their focus there until they get resolution of situations just like the one that transpired with King. Among players still on the market, Zac Gallen and Tatsuya Imai are highest on the Cubs' radar as starters; they prefer those players (at their expected prices) to Ranger Suárez or Framber Valdez. They're also staying in the mix for four position players of note, sources said. It's down to the last three days of Munetaka Murakami's posting period, and the offers the left-handed slugger hoped would materialize are not forthcoming. Initially looking for $200 million or more on a long-term deal, Murakami is increasingly open to shorter-term deals that could include opt-outs and/or club options to convert an initial contract worth under $100 million into something more lucrative. The Cubs have been in contact with Murakami's agent, Casey Close, about the possibility of such a deal. They're also keeping tabs on the market for fellow impending Japanese import Kazuma Okamoto, whose market has developed slowly but who is expected to get a robust offer once Murakami signs and the picture crystallizes for teams still seeking a right-handed bat. The other two players the team has shown interest in, according to a league source, are extremely familiar names to Cubs fans: Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger. Agent Scott Boras has been dissatisfied with the offers for both hitters thus far, though Bellinger is expected to wait out the market and sign sometime in January, anyway. The arguments for and against signing either player are well-documented, by now, but the Cubs are taking an opportunistic stance on each—as well as on Gallen, Imai, Murakami and Okamoto. In all likelihood, the team will only sign one of those six players. They would be stretching their budget near its breaking point to land more than one, and they generally prefer to keep some powder dry into mid-January. No matter which of their targets they sign, though, they should be left with some surplus talent on their roster, and Hoyer could then try to land a second difference-making player via trade. Signing Bregman, Murakami or Okamoto could beget a trade sending Matt Shaw elsewhere for pitching help. Signing Bellinger could free up Owen Caissie or Moisés Ballesteros to be dealt. One way or another, the Cubs will land a big fish, and they're likely to do it soon. They've passed on some opportunities already, believing a better one is waiting for them and that their small, early moves this winter have given them the leverage to hold out. That's a bit of a tightrope act, but by now (for better or worse), Hoyer is comfortable on that wire. View the full article

In the mold of our friends over at Twins Daily, I wanted to figure out who the 25 most valuable player assets were in the Kansas City Royals organization going into 2026. This is especially important amid rumors of possible Royals trades. If Kansas City does want to acquire a player, who are the candidates with enough asset value to help put a deal over the top? There are various tools to do this. Baseball Trade Values is an incredible resource, as is their Trade Simulator. However, player value can go beyond their "trade value" on the market. Yes, a player's age, contract, controllability, and upside all matter. Additionally, other factors matter, especially those related to the Royals' context and their current standing as a franchise. And where are they now? They are on the rise, looking to return to the postseason after an 82-80 season in 2025. Under GM JJ Picollo and owner John Sherman, the Royals are looking to be a perennial small-market winner, like the Brewers, Rays, and Guardians. That said, they also seem willing to make the right trades to get the right players and assets to compete for not just a Central Division crown and postseason berth, but an AL Pennant and World Series title as well. Thus, there is a balance of young and veteran players on this Top 25 list, reflecting the Royals' current situation. This list will definitely change over time, but as we finish 2025 and head into 2026, this group of 25 Royals players is the most important in the organization, based on all the factors I have mentioned above. Let's begin by looking at this group of Kansas City assets, starting with the 25th through 21st players in this post. 25. Michael Massey, 2B/LF Age: 27 Controlled Through: 2028 Massey is coming off a rough season, posting a 57 wRC+ while only accumulating 277 plate appearances due to various injuries. That said, he posted a 104 wRC+ and 1.5 fWAR in 2024 and was a leadoff hitter for the Royals in the postseason that year. He has a bit of a free-swinging approach (career 0.23 BB/K ratio), but there is some power there (.190 ISO in 2024) for a second baseman, which gives him value. Another positive aspect of Massey's profile is that he's solid defensively and can play second base and left field seamlessly. He's accumulated an OAA of +3 and FRV of +6 at second base over his career and a FRV of +1 in the outfield. That versatility is a big reason the Royals tendered him a contract this offseason and why he could be attractive to other teams in a possible trade, especially if he were moved to a more hitter-friendly park. 24. James McArthur, RHP Age: 29 Controlled Through: 2029 McArthur didn't throw a pitch for the Royals last year due to recovery from elbow surgery. However, he has sneaky value as a pitching asset, especially given his low salary ($800,000 in 2026) and years of team control (he will not be a free agent until 2030). Though he is nearly 30, his arm should be fresh after sitting out all of 2025. In 2024, his ERA was high at 4.92, and even though he saved 18 games in 57 appearances, he blew seven games. That inconsistency in the ninth led to him losing the closer's job to Lucas Erceg, who was acquired at the 2024 Trade Deadline. A deeper look into McArthur's metrics shows a rosier picture for 2026, especially if he's healthy. Two seasons ago, he posted a 30.7% and 31.4% CSW, as well as a groundball rate of 53.3%. As a result, his FIP was a lot better at 4.17, as was his 3.62 xFIP. He could thrive in a middle-innings or seventh-inning setup man role in 2026 and beyond. He also could benefit from another year of tutelage from not just Brian Sweeney, but new assistant pitching coach Mike McFerran, who replaced Zach Bove, who left for the pitching coach job with the White Sox. 23. Ben Kudrna, RHP Age: 22 Controlled Through: 2031+ The Royals added Kudrna to the 40-man roster this year, despite an uneven season in the Minors last season. In 24 appearances (22 starts) and 102.1 IP between Double-A and Triple-A, he posted a 5.30 ERA, 4.22 FIP, 1.44 WHIP, and 2.12 K/BB ratio. However, he was particularly disastrous in 11.1 IP with the Storm Chasers. In Triple-A, Kudrna posted a 14.29 ERA, 9.94 FIP, 2.74 WHIP, and 0.59 K/BB ratio. Kansas City still added Kudrna to the 40-man roster despite the rough Omaha debut because the Overland Park native has shown the ability to adjust at each Minor League level. After putting up a sub-20% K rate in High-A in 2023, he improved his K rate to 24.2% overall between High-A and Double-A in 2024 and 22.9% overall last year. He is also only 22 years old and should benefit from some coaching changes (there will be a new manager) that could help Kudrna in a full season in Omaha. Kudrna may not be an "ace" at the Major League level, but he has No. 4-to-5 starter potential with No. 3 upside, which gives him pretty good value as a player asset in this Royals organization (though his stuff is more good than "elite"). 22. Ryan Bergert, RHP Age: 25 Controlled Through: 2031 Bergert came over in the Freddy Fermin trade with San Diego and initially got off to a great start in Royals blue. In August, he posted a 2.54 ERA and 3.13 K/BB ratio in 28.1 IP with the Royals. In September? He posted an 8.76 ERA and 1.56 K/BB ratio in 12.1 IP before being shut down for the remainder of the injury due to shoulder impingement. In 40.2 IP with the Royals overall last year, he put up a 4.43 ERA, 3.75 FIP, 1.33 WHIP, and 2.29 K/BB ratio. He definitely has strikeout ability (22.4% K rate with the Royals), and he limited his hard-hit rate from 37.5% earlier in the year with San Diego to 35.6% with Kansas City after the Trade Deadline. He does allow a lot of fly balls, however, with a 47.6% flyball rate overall last season. Bergert has a chance to climb this list if he returns healthy and can iron out his command a bit in an end-of-the-rotation or hybrid role in 2026. If he can regain the form he had in that first month in Kansas City, he could be a Top-15 player asset by the conclusion of next season. 21. Stephen Kolek, RHP Age: 28 Controlled Through: 2031+ Kolek, who also came to the Royals in the Fermin trade, is a tad older than Bergert, but he was more successful overall in 2025. In 19 starts and 112.2 IP with the Padres and Royals last year, he posted a 3.51 ERA, 3.82 FIP, and 1.7 fWAR. Kolek was especially successful with the Royals, as he posted a 1.91 ERA, 2.71 FIP, and 0.9 fWAR in five starts and 33 IP. Kolek's profile is very different from Bergert's. Bergert generated more strikeouts, as Kolek only sported a 16.8% K rate and 24.8% CSW last year. However, the former Texas A&M pitcher was much better at generating groundballs (51.4%) and commanding the strike zone (2.48 K/BB ratio). The lack of swing-and-miss for Kolek could make him susceptible to some regression in 2026, but it seems like the Royals have succeeded with pitchers of his profile, with Seth Lugo and Noah Cameron being prime examples. His ability to limit walks and eat innings makes Kolek a valuable asset, especially since he's still in the pre-arbitration process. That said, his age (28) deflates his value a bit, especially since he'll be 30 in 2028 and 2025 was his first real exposure as a starter at the Major League level (he pitched 42 innings in 2024 but only as a reliever). Look out soon for part 2 by Philip Ruo, which looks at the 20th through 16th player assets in the Royals system! View the full article

One message from the Twins front office came through clearly at the Winter Meetings. Minnesota wants to hold on to its three stars (Byron Buxton, Pablo Lopez, and Joe Ryan) with an opportunity to trade established talent in return for productive big-leaguers who fit their needs better. The Twins have done this in recent years, when trading for Lopez or when trading away Jorge Polanco. That shift aligns with what is happening in Baltimore. The Orioles surprised much of the league by signing Pete Alonso to a five-year contract. Before the deal, they already had multiple in-house corner infield options, including Coby Mayo. The Alonso signing pushes Mayo further off his defensive home, and Baltimore’s loaded infield creates an opportunity for clubs looking to upgrade at first base. Few teams match up better with Baltimore’s needs than the Twins, who have starting pitchers and young arms they may be willing to move, and who still need help at offense-first positions even after signing Josh Bell. Mayo remains an intriguing target, despite a challenging 2025 season. Right-handed power has long been his calling card. Scouts and analysts loved the explosiveness in his bat and the potential for middle-of-the-order production. Last season, he posted a 103 wRC+ in Triple A, but was limited to a 95 wRC+ in his big-league time. He remains just 24 years old, with the kind of offensive ceiling that doesn't come around often. A team willing to bet on upside could still dream on a future where Mayo anchors a lineup for several seasons. Let's consider three realistic trade concepts that could spark a conversation between Minnesota and Baltimore. Trade Option 1 Twins Receive: 1B Coby Mayo Orioles Receive: RHP Bailey Ober Both Ober and Mayo are coming off rough 2025 seasons. Ober ran into uncharacteristic command issues while fighting a hip issue, leading to more hard contact than he had allowed in previous years. However, his track record from 2022 through 2024 still carries weight with clubs. Over that span, he recorded a 115 ERA+ and a 3.74 FIP while showing reliability and strong strike-throwing. With two years of team control remaining, he matches what the Orioles need as they continue to search for durable mid-rotation pitching. For Minnesota, this deal represents a swap that fits their stated direction. Trade Option 2 Twins Receive: 1B Coby Mayo Orioles Receive: RHP Mick Abel Minnesota acquired Abel at last year’s trade deadline in the Jhoan Duran deal, and they have shown optimism about helping him refine his delivery and command. That makes it complicated for the Twins to move him this quickly, but circumstances have shifted for both teams. Mayo and Abel are remarkably similar assets. Both are pre-arbitration players with prospect pedigrees who have taken early lumps in the big leagues. Sometimes a reset is beneficial. This kind of challenge trade allows each organization to take a new developmental approach with a talented young player. Trade Option 3 Twins Receive: 1B Coby Mayo Orioles Receive: RHP David Festa, RHP Andrew Morris This offer gives Baltimore two pitchers who can cover innings in the near future. Festa has flashed a fastball with carry and strikeout ability (32.0% strikeout rate at Triple-A St. Paul last season), and he is big league-ready, so he could slot into their rotation almost immediately. Morris is a step behind, but earned a 40-man spot this winter because of his strong command profile and the likelihood that he can contribute in the next few seasons. Last season, he posted a 4.14 FIP and a 22.4% strikeout rate for the Saints. For a team looking to build long-term pitching depth, this package may be more appealing than a single arm with risk. Each scenario highlights a different angle for balancing value between the clubs. Baltimore must decide whether it prefers established innings, developmental upside, or a mix of both. The Twins, meanwhile, have to decide whether Mayo is the right risk, as they look for ways to shake up their core and bolster their offense. Which deal gets the job done from Baltimore’s perspective? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

I'm a pretty big believer in the depth of the Milwaukee Brewers' starting rotation, heading into 2026. They currently have Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester, Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick penciled into the five slots in that rotation, but crucially, they also have Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Aaron Ashby, DL Hall and Coleman Crow as candidates for starting roles in the event of injuries or trades. That's not counting Ángel Zerpa, in whom I don't believe there's much ceiling as a starter but whom the team has been open to considering for that role. If you're looking for the soft underbelly of the midwestern dragon that is the Brewers, though, the second and third tiers of that group of prospective starters are the first places to poke and prod. The lineup is, if anything, even deeper, and the team's farm system is richer on the position-player side than in arms. The bullpen is bulletproof, not only chock-full of talent but boasting an extraordinary number of interchangeable and optionable arms. It's in the ability of Priester to build on his breakout; the ability of Woodruff to stay healthy; the abilities of Misiorowski, Patrick, Ashby, Henderson or Gasser to make the one key adjustment needed to establish themselves more firmly as starter-capable big-leaguers; and the ability of the Brewers to hold onto Peralta while building a World Series contender on a budget that uncertainty lurks for this team. Thus, an infusion of talent and stability at the back end of the prospective rotation would make sense. The Brewers have been smart and opportunistic with such moves the past few winters, including late pickups of Jakob Junis for 2024 and José Quintana for 2025. This time, though, they should aim incrementally higher and nab free-agent starter Zack Littell. You can ask some hard questions about the fit between Littell and the Brewers, and you might not even get positive answers. For instance, the Brewers tend to like pitchers who do well by Baseball Prospectus's model-driven DRA, but Littell had a 107 DRA- in 2025, where 100 is average and lower is better. He hasn't been better than average since 2023, and that was in just 90 innings. He's been an improbable workhorse starter the last two seasons, totaling over 340 total innings, but that comes after a career that began as a strictly fastball-slider reliever. He threw his slider nearly half the time until four years ago, and it's not even a plus pitch. Littell learned a splitter in 2022 and has made it a staple of a much-expanded arsenal, but his two fastballs are both underwhelming. He doesn't utilize a bifurcated approach, where he focuses on two or three pitches against each handedness of batter; he throws the kitchen sink at everyone. He's survived by absolutely hammering the strike zone over the last two years, with an ERA under 3.75 across 61 starts, but he doesn't miss many bats and the advanced metrics tell us that he's doomed to run into more trouble as he ages. Why, then, does Littell suit the Brewers well? Firstly, he should come cheap, for such a sturdy starting pitcher. The brevity of his track record and the lack of a single pitch or trait that lights up most teams' valuation models will probably prevent him from earning an eight-figure salary on a multiyear deal, as Adrian Houser just did with the Giants. Littell offers a strange but real flavor of durability at a cost that is unlikely to reflect that reliability. He's also a great pitcher to put in front of Milwaukee's stellar defense. A young and athletic team, the Brewers catch the ball and convert batted balls into outs as well as anyone in baseball most years, and Littell (who has walked fewer than 4.5% of opposing batters since moving to the rotation in mid-2023) will lean nicely into that team strength. He's liable to give up too many home runs, but letting the defense work and racking up innings to shield the bullpen from overuse has significant value, in itself. That assumes that Littell doesn't materially change how he goes about things. In reality, the Brewers would probably make some significant changes. They'd be likely to tweak his slider to behave more like a cutter, but also have him use it less and lean harder on his sweeper. They would almost certainly also move him across the pitching rubber. Littell moved from the middle of the rubber to the extreme first-base edge of it when he moved to the rotation in 2023; the Brewers would almost surely move him to the third-base side. That would fix some issues with the interaction between his fastballs and his slider and splitter, and might even change the way those heaters play. The Rays are good at pitching development, and turning Littell from a waiver-claim reliever to a mid-rotation starter counts as a win for them. However, the Brewers can take him to a level above what the Rays achieved, by realigning him and getting his stuff to play up. It would be a bit of an experiment, but the Crew should explore signing Littell, because he would solve some of their lingering problems with starting pitching depth. View the full article

Jordan Hicks certainly didn't do a great job of endearing himself to the Boston Red Sox faithful after arriving as 25% of the trade return for Rafael Devers. However, with Kyle Harrison looking crowded out of the rotation and James Tibbs III plying his trade in Los Angeles, the flamethrowing right-hander may be the Sox's best chance of recouping an iota of value from that ill-advised blockbuster. Once a superlative high-leverage relief arm for the St. Louis Cardinals, Hicks' career went wayward after signing a four-year contract with the San Francisco Giants that came with the stipulation that he'd attempt a move to the rotation. In 42 appearances (29 starts) in the Bay Area, the right-hander logged a 4.83 ERA and 4.15 FIP, watching his strikeout rate plummet while proving unable to reel in his unwieldy habit for issuing free passes. The Red Sox acquired Hicks and transferred him right back to the 'pen, but things only got worse. Opposing hitters posted a .949 OPS against him as he recorded an 8.20 ERA and 6.19 FIP. His 15.5% strikeout rate was pitiful; his 12.4% walk rate was just plain ugly. The stuff was just no longer playing up in a short-stint capacity, and Hicks was placed on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder injury in early September, prematurely ending his season. Now on the fringes of the roster, the former closer is likely only safe by virtue of being owed $25 million over the next two years; no team will pay him that much for his recent production, and the Red Sox are unlikely to waive him while soaking up such a large dead cap hit. As such, expect Hicks to be on the Opening Day roster in 2026, barring a bad-contract for bad-contract swap at some point this winter. Instead of just lamenting his presence, though, let's try to see if Andrew Bailey and the pitching lab can do anything to help Hicks return to his former glory. His best season was probably in 2023 when he posted a 3.29 ERA (3.30 xERA, 3.22 FIP) between the Cardinals and Blue Jays while rocking a career-best strikeout rate of 28.4%. Between that year and this past season, look at all the places Hicks has declined (2024 is included for reference): *Chart courtesy of Baseball Savant The average exit velocity he allows has jumped by more than three miles per hour, and his hard-hit rate has jumped by nearly ten percent. His average fastball velocity has wilted by 2.5 mph, which is directly related to the five-percent drop in whiff rate. And, because of his recurring shoulder issues, his arm angle has declined by about five degrees since 2023, which factors into the next part of our discussion. Hicks remains excellent at generating ground balls thanks to his sinker-heavy approach. As someone who utilizes perceived rise well, his vertical movement profile generally remains the same as it was a few years ago (each of his pitches generally functions with anywhere from zero to five inches of perceived rise) However, we've talked about the importance in having movement variance along at least one of the planes — it's a necessary factor in being an effective pitch tunneler. But look at Hicks' horizontal movement over the years: At his best (2023), Hicks has kept things incredibly tight on the x-axis. However, as he's lowered his arm angle over the past few seasons, his range of horizontal movement has shifted dramatically. Which, in turn, has made him an easier pitcher to read and react to; large changes in run or sweep are far easier to pick up on in the batter's box than minuscule ones. With declining velocity in conjunction to more distinguishable pitches, it's no wonder how hitters have become better at approaching Hicks. Again, this is a little backwards from how we traditionally think about improving a pitcher's arsenal. Normally, we want more variance in movement, not less (it forces hitters to sell out to one side of the plate, rather than being able to target a specific part of the zone). But Hicks has made a living on the margins, using upper-echelon velocity to punish batters into ground outs and pop-outs, rather than generating reams of strikeouts. Adding a few more ticks back to his arm, if at all possible, would be the easiest fix here; getting him to tighten his splitter back up would also suffice. The talent is there, even if his unique profile requires everything to click at the same time to be effective. There's a good chance that Jordan Hicks' best MLB days are behind him. But, so long as the Red Sox feel obligated to roster him, there's no use in treating him like a lost cause when there are some apparent tweaks in plain sight. View the full article

If you were looking for an unsung hero behind the Blue Jays' run to Game 7 of the World Series, you wouldn’t have to go far before Eric Lauer's name came up. He made his season debut at the end of April, and after a run of quality pitching out of the bullpen, he joined the rotation full-time on June 11, remaining there until the end of August, after which he transitioned back into the bullpen. On the season, Lauer posted a 3.18 ERA with 2.2 bWAR over 104.2 innings, adding another 8.2 frames during the postseason, including an incredible outing in Game 3 of the World Series that held the Dodgers scoreless over 4.2 innings. For as sensational as Lauer was in 2025, the day he became a Blue Jay was uneventful; it didn't make many headlines when he signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays in December of 2024. Now, it's quite rare that a minor league signing has as much impact on a team as Lauer did. With all due apologies to Matt Whatley, Kevin Gowdy, and Amir Garrett, that's the rub when it comes to minor league contracts; if these players were all expected to be good, then they wouldn’t be in this category. At some point, it becomes a matter of throwing darts and hoping one lands on the bullseye. With that being said, the Blue Jays have already signed a few players to some minor league deals. Let’s learn more about them to see if any of them could have a Lauer-sized impact in 2026. Michael Plassmeyer, LHP 2025 Stats (in AAA with TEX): 105.2 IP, 4.43 ERA, 34 BB, 99 K Plassmeyer, now 29 years old, was drafted in 2018 by the Mariners and has bounced between six different teams in his seven minor league seasons. He was first traded after the 2018 season in a deal that also sent Mike Zunino and Guillermo Heredia from the Mariners to the Rays, with Jake Fraley and Mallex Smith going the other way. Plassmeyer has 11 innings of big league experience under his belt, with the Phillies in 2022 and ‘23. He’s a three-pitch pitcher (fastball, changeup, slider) that averages just under 89 mph on his heater. He’s a strike thrower, and if the Blue Jays can find a way to have him miss more barrels, then he could carve out a Lauer-ish role in ‘26 as a swingman who can move between the bullpen and the rotation. Rodolfo Castro, 2B/SS 2025 stats (in AAA with PHI): 133 G, .234/.324/.421, 19 HR, 18 SB, 22.7 K%, 10.3 BB% If the name Rodolfo Castro stands out, you might remember him from a play in 2022 when his cellphone famously flew out of his back pocket during a headfirst slide into third base. The incident earned him a one-game suspension under MLB’s electronic device policy. The now 26-year-old does have 194 MLB games under his belt, and although he hasn’t hit well (career 83 wRC+), Castro does still have a nice combination of power and speed. While he has played all over the infield, third base appears to be his best defensive fit. Castro had been a switch-hitter his whole career, but gave it up to hit strictly right-handed in 2025. The Blue Jays may think there is more to come as he gets more repetitions from the right side. He could see some big league time in 2026 if the bat holds up. Tanner Andrews, RHP 2025 Stats (in AA with MIN): 16.2 IP, 3.78 ERA, 18 K, 3 BB Andrews, now 30, was selected by the Marlins in the 10th round of the 2018 draft. He reached as high as Triple A with the Giants in 2023 and ‘24 but has yet to make his major league debut. Andrews is a three-pitch pitcher (fastball, splitter, and slider) and has battled bouts of wildness in his career, carrying a 9.0% career walk rate in the minor leagues. However, he did trim that number down to just 4.0% in a small 2025 sample, and paired that with a FIP that dipped below 3.00 for the first time (2.01). The Blue Jays likely buy into that progress, and if Andrews can continue that trend, then he’ll provide some big league relief depth or, at worst, become an intriguing relief option in Buffalo. Carlos Mendoza, UTIL 2025 Stats (in AA-AAA with DET): 97 G, .287/.394/.409, 7 HR, 12 SB, 11.1 K%, 13.0 BB% Mendoza, 26, is a left-handed-hitting utility player who has seen time at second base, third base, left field, and right field in the minors. At just 5-foot-7 and 165 lbs., he’s never likely to be much of a power hitter, but through two levels in the minors in 2025, he did have a .394 OBP, a good contact rate (83.9% in '25), and he walked more than he struck out. Versatile, good contact skills, and a wRC+ above 100 at almost every level at which he’s played. You can see why the Blue Jays would have interest here. He’s a candidate to make his big league debut this season if things break his way. ***** No one is expecting these players to be game changers in 2026, but no one expected Lauer to be one either. The most likely scenario is that these players will spend more time with the Bisons than the Blue Jays. Still, there is enough skill and upside here to find some reason for optimism, and it wouldn't be a surprise if one or two make an impact at the big league level this season. View the full article

We'll keep this short and sweet: The San Diego Padres have finally addressed the starting rotation, adding Michael King back on a three-year, $75 million deal. There's a lot to discuss here. Though injuries diminished his effectiveness in 2025, the 30-year-old successfully completed his transition from the bullpen to the rotation in 2024, pitching to a 2.95 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 173 2/3 innings while accruing 3.9 fWAR. This past season wasn't as great (3.44 ERA, 4.42 FIP), but King was hampered by various injuries; when healthy, he's proven capable of being a frontline starter. The Padres' rotation looks much better with King in tow, with he, Nick Pivetta, and Joe Musgrove forming a formidable triumvirate atop the pitching staff. Especially after losing Dylan Cease, keeping King around ensures that the Friars have enough pitching firepower to at least hang around in the Wild Card race. Other questions to ponder in the immediate aftermath of this move: What's the next move the team should make? The rotation still probably needs at least one more legitimate starter to compete with the National League's best — is there room in the budget for another marquee addition? Speaking of the budget, did the Padres make the right call by spending (what appears to be) all of their budget on King? There were other top-tier starter (Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez) available, as well as a few trade candidates with hefty salaries. Does this make a trade of Nick Pivetta (or one of the bullpen arms) more or less likely? We won't know the answer to any of those for some time, but with Christmas barreling toward us and the New Year on the horizon, securing their Opening Day starter's services again is a huge boon — and a reason to breath a sigh of relief. The Padres will at least be able to field a competitive starting pitching group next year, and now there's some legitimate upside to be excited by. For plenty more on the King re-signing, stay tuned to Padres Mission. View the full article

When a team notches four division titles in five years, you would expect that they have the key positions locked down by long-term options. The Brewers, though, have had different players as their primary starter in center field in each of the last five seasons. Jackie Bradley Jr., Tyrone Taylor, Joey Wiemer, Blake Perkins, and Jackson Chourio have each been primary starters at the position since Opening Day 2021. That’s a lot of turnover, but there’s been a lot of quality there. Bradley was the only flop, and the Brewers turned him into Hunter Renfroe, and Renfroe became some pitching help. Taylor and Wiemer also were dealt for new assets by the Crew. In each of the last three years, the eventual regular was not the one they planned for: Garrett Mitchell's injuries forced them to pivot. Could yet another player be the primary starter in 2026? In one sense, the Brewers hope so. Chourio starting the bulk of the games in center field was never the plan. While he's athletically sufficient for center, he fits a bit better as a left fielder, where he spent most of his time in 2024. The move this year was due to a rash of injuries (Mitchell, Perkins) and the limitations on what Christian Yelich can do after undergoing back surgery in 2024. The organization would like to see Mitchell handle the bulk of the starts in center. In his 141 total games, he’s racked up 3.6 WAR with a 112 OPS+, according to Baseball Reference. Mitchell has 30/30 potential and could be a left-handed version of Carlos Gómez at his 2013-2014 peak. Of course, that hinges on him addressing the holes in his swing, learning to lift the ball, and staying on the field. He hasn't been exposed enough to test whether he can do the first two; he's been stunningly unable to check the third and most crucial box. Perkins was the primary center fielder in 2024 and was a Gold Glove finalist. He missed a lot of 2025 due to an injury suffered in spring training, and he wasn't his best self even after he returned. Given the nature of that injury and the difficulty of losing his mother during the season, though, he more than deserves a mulligan. It's just that a mulligan doesn't mean guaranteed playing time, on a roster this strong. Chourio has posted two 20/20 seasons to start his major-league career and is seen as the franchise player for the late 2020s and the 2030s. Ideally, perhaps, he's a corner outfielder, but they could do much worse than having him find his playing time in center again in any of the next few seasons, while his elite speed still covers for some subpar reads on balls off the bat. Mitchell, Perkins, and Chourio are the best three center fielders on the 40-man roster, but there are now others. Sal Frelick, who’s primarily played right field, is a viable center fielder, and he has a Gold Glove from 2024. His bat’s taken a step up, although he arguably ran out of gas late in the season. Even more than Chourio, his best defensive spot is in a corner, but his bat will never have Chourio's thunder, so letting him stretch to use his speed and cover center would be fine. Behind those four, the Brewers have Brandon Lockridge and Steward Berroa, mid-season acquisitions in 2025 due to the injuries that hit the outfield. Akil Baddoo, signed to a deal that grants him a 40-man roster spot (though not a place on the Opening Day roster), played a fair amount in center as a rookie in 2021. He hasn't spent meaningful time there since 2022, and is strictly an emergency option, but he gives the team even more insurance. It doesn't stop there. Minor-league prospect Luis Lara will likely be in Triple-A Nashville, while Braylon Payne will patrol center for High-A Wisconsin. The Brewers could also move prospects like Jesús Made and Luis Peña to center to accommodate other prospects, although at the moment, that seems very unlikely. In short, center field could be in flux for a long time in Milwaukee, but in this case, it’s a sign of the immense depth and drafting success the team has had. Mitchell or Chourio could seize the gig on a more lasting basis, but that seems unlikely at this juncture. Who should be in center field for the Brewers in 2026? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

There was a time (roughly the spring of 2018) when Scott Kingery represented one of the more intriguing names across the baseball landscape. Had the Chicago Cubs brought him into their organization at any point around that particular moment, then his involvement in a potential roster would've had a bit of juice to it. We're far removed from such a time, however. Kingery signed a pre-debut extension as a top prospect with the Philadelphia Phillies in March of 2018. The contract carried club options for 2024 through 2026. Unlike many of his counterparts that have signed that type of deal, there wasn't really a point where the contract looked like a win for the Phillies. Kingery posted a wRC+ of just 61 across 484 plate appearances in 2018. He improved to 100 in 500 PA the following season and showed a bit of pop (.216 ISO), but flamed out entirely during the COVID sprint of 2020 (36 wRC+). After toiling largely in Triple-A for the next four seasons — the final two of which he never appeared at the major-league level — Kingery was sent to the Los Angeles Angels for cash last November. After an uninspiring 29 plate appearances, he was outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency. That's where the Cubs enter the picture. Kingery signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs earlier this month. It's entirely possible that his initial signing on December 2 is the last we hear of him as a noteworthy member of the organization. With the way his career has transpired, one would really have to stretch to see this as a signing anything beyond its literal significance: depth. There's no logical reason to expect him to ply his trade at Wrigley Field outside of injury to one of the team's current position players. With that said, there's been almost no activity to speak of on the part of the Cubs in building up their positional depth this winter (let alone adding a legitimate component to their lineup), save for their very cheap acquisition of Tyler Austin. They've made signings to build up their bullpen again, but outside of the odd Alex Bregman whispers, there's been nothing even speculated. Such is the nature of a tight-lipped franchise like the Cubs, compounded with their relative inactivity in making outside additions. That context does add a least a little bit of uncertainty as to whether the Cubs will seek additional roster depth or give Kingery a legitimate shot to win a bench job in the spring. Even if it's unwise to award a roster spot to a player who hasn't posted a positive fWAR at the top level since 2019, it's also not an impossible image to project. Kingery's value at this point lies almost exclusively in his versatility. He logged time in the Angels organization last year at second base, third base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots. He was perfectly adequate at each, with his worst Outs Above Average in small samples unfolding at second (-1 in 53 innings) and shortstop (also -1 in 13 innings) while with the big-league club. Of course, the caveat to that is that you're not getting anything with the bat. Kingery's wRC+ in his 19 games with the Angels was just nine, and it was only 58 while in Triple-A. Factor in a career strikeout rate over 28 percent that is hardly compensated for with a walk rate under seven percent, and there's very little to speak of in terms of offensive value. At the same time, the Cubs just spent a season rolling out the likes of Jon Berti, Vidal Bruján, Gage Workman, Nicky Lopez, and a post-deadline Willi Castro among their reserves last year. It's not entirely unreasonable to think they'd give Kingery a little bit of run as a versatile bench piece if they're unable to fill such a role elsewhere. At least with his presence, you have coverage for Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson and a late-game insertion option in the event that you need to deploy a pinch hitter whose defensive chops aren't completely trustworthy (like Moisés Ballesteros). In an ideal world, the Cubs are thinking bigger for their lineup than Scott Kingery. While the versatility will play, the absence of any offensive value is something we saw become a major issue for Chicago out of their depth last year. If lessons were learned, then perhaps they shoot higher as the offseason wears on. But it's also not entirely unreasonable to imagine a path to playing time considering the lack of movement for the Cubs thus far. View the full article

If everything goes to plan, Mason Miller could be striking out Shohei Ohtani for the final out of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. That is because Miller, the San Diego Padres' closer, was named to the U.S. roster on Thursday. Miller joins starters Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and Logan Webb, among others, as committing to play for the U.S. Skubal and Skenes were this year's AL and NL Cy Young Award winners, respectively. Miller, acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline from the Athletics, notched 22 saves in 26 chances between the two teams, including two saves in three opportunities with San Diego. Miller mainly served as the setup man for Robert Suarez, who was a free agent this offseason and recently signed with Atlanta. Miller has a 0.77 ERA and 1.12 FIP in 22 appearances with the Padres. He had a 54.2 strikeout percentage after the trade. View the full article

Tom Pohlad introduced himself as the new face of the Twins on Wednesday, after Joe Pohlad was apparently forced out of his role. Tom is now the sole member of the Pohlad family who will be involved in the business; he plans to be more active; and he claims (that, at least) to understand the challenges he will face. He recognizes that his family has eroded the trust of fans, and says he wants to earn it back. What will it take to get there? Before I dig in, I do want to give a little context. If you have read my pieces on Twins Daily, you will know I am not one to make excuses for ownership. If anything, I am quick to put them on blast for the numerous decisions they have made regarding everything from payroll cuts to tone-deaf comments to media and fans. That said, this feels different, and I’m actually optimistic for the future of the franchise. I’ll share some quotes he gave to media, including Twins Daily’s own Matthew Trueblood, and discuss what I believe it will take to earn back trust. Self-Awareness and Effective Communication Perhaps the place to begin is by establishing some self-awareness from the latest Pohlad. When asked why he was taking the reins from Joe, Tom said: “When we took a hard look at things, it’s undeniable that we haven’t won enough baseball games, the financial health of the club has been put in jeopardy, and we’ve got a fan base that has lost trust in us as owners and, as a result, this organization and the direction it’s headed … I’m well aware of how upset the fan base is with our family and with this organization. I view that as an opportunity for us. They care deeply about the sport of baseball. They care deeply about this team.” “I also think that the fan base wants to feel some sort of connection with ownership, and they want to know that ownership cares just as much as they do," Pohlad added. "And I’m not sure that they’ve gotten that sense.” That’s pretty clear, and very accurate. It appears that Tom has ideas on how to put action behind those words. When asked how he plans to make fans like him, he had a ready answer. “I think the work of earning back their trust comes with two things: communication and accountability. We’ve got to do a better job of telling fans where we’re going, how we’re going to get there, and why we’re doing the things we’re doing. And I commit to that going forward.” Now, I don’t have much to add here. It seems as though Tom has correctly identified the issues, and the solution for them. Payroll Of course, this is an important aspect of winning back trust. In a separate interview with WCCO’s Chad Hartman, Pohlad spoke to the “right-sizing” of the payroll following the 2023 Twins breaking their playoff curse, and he fully acknowledged the impact that had. "We made what we thought at the time was a responsible financial decision, and we obviously failed to consider the long-term impact of that decision, and the short-term impact of that decision, frankly," he said. "We sucked the air right out of our fan base, and it did significant damage to our brand and to our family from a confidence standpoint. Plain and simple, we got it wrong.” Yeah. That. By acknowledging that mistake, it seems that he understands the correlation between trying to compete when the window is open and fan morale. Applying this to the 2026 payroll, it’s been broadly reported that the 2026 payroll is unlikely to eclipse $120 million and may be more likely to sit in the $110-115 million range. When asked directly about the budget for the year, Tom demurred. “I don’t think … that we should put a significant investment into the team of $50 or $60 million dollars, but I don’t think we’re far off from that.” That can be interpreted two different ways: either that they may spend an additional, say, $30 million this offseason, or that 2026 will be down, but 2027 (if all goes well) could be right back near league average. Either way, a surefire way to earn back trust and build morale would be to do exactly that: provide a payroll commensurate with the openness of the competitive window, and roughly in the middle of the league pack. Improving the Team When asked about the balancing act between winning back the fan base and building for long-term success, Pohlad gave the only answer of the day that sounded rehearsed—but which also appeared to be his mission statement. “We owe the fan base something; we owe our veteran and star players something; and we owe this organization something," he said. "And that something is hope.” Now, that’s a great place to start. Hope is, after all, what brings us as fans together every spring. But what about winning? “I think we are certainly within reach of winning a division title this year," Pohlad opined. "And I think we’ll continue to look at moves we can make that will help us accomplish that.” He also acknowledged that the Twins' process hasn’t been working the way anyone would hope. “We need to rethink how we put a championship-caliber team on the field. That work begins this year," he said. "We’re laying the foundation for ultimately what we hope will be a nucleus that can be a championship-caliber team and that warrants a championship-level investment." Finally, he spoke about the Dodgers, and alluded to looking at all avenues of improving the team—both on and off the field. Again, this shows a good understanding of the assignment, and is promising. Now, I’m an “action speaks louder than words” kind of guy, so my optimism is guarded. However, I am impressed with a few aspects of Pohlad’s introductory interview. First, there was a noted lack of self-importance in his interviews. Second, he seems to realize that sports teams exist for the fans, not for ownership. Third, he said he wants to do the work to change the narrative, rather than just expecting fans to perceive his family as the heroes of the story. Now, it’s time for Tom to do that work to prove to fans that ownership truly wants to win. That, more than anything else, will bring back the fans. View the full article

While it won't erase the bad feelings from a short stint in the playoffs, the San Diego Padres learned there is a small silver lining as MLB announced the distribution of postseason shares. The Padres will dole out $10,710.79 to 68 members of the 2025 team. Postseason shares are given to teams from the MLB pot, which this year was $128.1 million, and are based on how far each team advanced in October. As we all know, the Padres lost in three games to the Chicago Cubs in an NL Wild Card Series. The 68 shares go to players, managers, and select staff members eligible for the World Series or who were on the roster after June 1. Cash awards are given to other members of the organization. Executives are not eligible. The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers' playoff shares are $484,747.57. View the full article

On Thursday, the Miami Marlins made the free agent signing of Christopher Morel official, inking him to a one-year deal worth $2M. In his previous two offseasons as Marlins president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix gave similar deals to shortstop Tim Anderson ($5M) and starting pitcher Cal Quantrill ($3.5M). Neither of them finished the season with the team. After getting burned by Anderson and Quantrill, why should Marlins fans be hopeful about Morel turning his career around? The 26-year-old isn't likely to emerge as a consistent everyday player, but Miami may be the right landing spot to help him improve upon what he did last season. In 2025 with the Tampa Bay Rays, Morel slashed .219/.289/.396/.684 with a 90 wRC+ through 105 games played. He struck out 35.7% of the time and walked at a 8.2% rate while hitting only 11 home runs, which were all career-worsts for him. Morel's raw power remains impressive. His average exit velocity of 91.8 mph would have ranked in the 87th percentile among MLB hitters if he had enough playing time to qualify, tied with Julio Rodríguez and Jarren Duran. He also made an interesting adjustment to his swing decisions in 2025. Morel offered at 77.1% of pitches inside the strike zone after never previously reaching 70%. The main issue with Morel is connecting with the ball. He just set a career-low with his 72.6% contact rate and he was among MLB's worst when chasing outside of the zone (36.5% O-Contact). In some ways, Morel has a similar profile to Kyle Stowers and Griffin Conine. Working with the Marlins hitting development staff, both outfielders improved their plate approach and mechanics. They enter 2026 as key pieces of the club's lineup. Stowers went from a 34.5% O-Swing in 2024 between his stints with the Orioles and Marlins to 29.0% in 2025. On top of that, he made much more contact inside the zone, allowing him to break out into an All-Star. Prior to Bendix joining the organization, Conine struck out 34.9% of the time in 2023. The following year in Triple-A, he lowered his strikeout rate to 29.5%. This past season—albeit in only 24 games due to a dislocated shoulder—he struck out 29.1% of the time at the major league level. Steamer projects Morel to slash .227/.307/.419 with 11 home runs and a 100 wRC+, which would get him to 0.6 fWAR. Even that ordinary production would make the Marlins consider retaining him for 2027 via arbitration. Morel can make the decision easier if he learns to play decent defense at first base. Morel is just now entering what should be the physical prime of his career. To make the most of it, he'll have to trust his new organization and be open-minded to some major changes. View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers will hand out the fourth-highest postseason shares, giving out $168,852.76 after reaching the National League Championship Series. The Brewers' pool comes from the MLB total of $128.2 million, which is just shy of the record of $129.1 million. There will be 70 individual shares distributed to players, managers, and certain staff members who were eligible for the World Series or on the roster after June 1. Separate cash awards will be given to other members of the organization. Team executives are not eligible for either payout. The Los Angeles Dodgers, who swept the Brewers in the NLCS and won their second straight World Series, received shares worth $484,747.57. The American League champion Toronto Blue Jays' full shares are worth $354,118.39, while the Seattle Mariners, who lost to the Jays in the ALCS, received $182,376.45. View the full article

Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox pulled off a surprise trade this week, sending electric pitching prospect Luis Perales to the Washington Nationals for left-handed pitching prospect Jake Bennett. The trade is a strange and rare prospect-for-prospect trade, but with Paul Toboni now calling the shots for the Nationals, it makes sense that a trade between the two teams was bound to happen. Toboni does have an excellent understanding of the Red Sox's farm system after all. With the trade, Breslow continues his acquisition of pitchers who fit a certain, preferred mold. Bennett, who was the Nationals’ second-round pick back in 2022, stands 6-foot-6 with elite extension (during his time in the Arizona Fall League Bennett averaged seven feet of extension) and a fastball that just averaged under 94 mph. His pitch arsenal is made up of six pitches: a fastball, changeup, sinker, cutter, curveball and slider. Depending on which side the batter hits from tends to dictate his pitch usage, as against left-handed batters, he relies heavily on his sinker (55.3% usage in the AFL). His cutter and fastball are used 18.1% and 14.9%, respectively, while his slider was used just 6.4% of the time and his changeup and curveball were used a combined 5.4%. On the other hand, against right-handed batters it’s his fastball and changeup that make up 75.6% of the pitches he threw in the AFL. His cutter and curveball were his two next-most-used offerings, though it's clear that's he got a bread and butter against righties. Bennett’s fastball, while averaging 93.8 mph, did top out around 96 mph in the AFL, and he’s already shown an increase in velocity compared to his professional debut. Spending the remainder of the offseason following the Red Sox's pitching program could yield another tick or two for the 2026 season. The southpaw recently turned 25 years old at the start of December and returned in 2025 from Tommy John surgery, appearing in 19 games across three levels. Bennett finished the season with Double-A Harrisburg where he pitched in 10 games, making nine starts, going 1-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 45 2/3 innings. For the entire season, he wound up going 2-5 with a 2.27 ERA across 75 1/3 innings. Bennett struck out 64 batters and walked 19. Following the season, he was sent to the AFL where he was dominant in an otherwise hitter-friendly league. In 20 frames, he led the AFL in strikeouts with 25 while walking just five batters. Of his pitches, the only one that had under a 20% chase rate was his curveball, while every pitch generated at least a 33% whiff rate (slider sat at a whopping 66.7%). His changeup was also a great pitch, being chased 45.6% of the time and being whiffed on 43.8% of the time. Overall, during his time in the AFL, Bennett managed to get opposing batters to chase on 34.1% of his pitches while whiffing on 39.9% of their swings. Breslow holds a high opinion of the pitcher, going as far as to say: “We feel like Bennett is a high-probability starter that excels in some things that are hard to teach. Fastball playability driven by above-average extension and strike-throwing ability. His whiff rates and ability to manage hard contact have us confident in his ability to be a major-league starter”. During his time in the AFL, Bennett held batters to a 44% hard-hit rate while the average exit velocity off of him was just 88 mph, a stat that had him sitting in the 72nd percentile. Bennett, who was the Nationals’ sixth ranked prospect by Baseball America, has shown improvement since being drafted. Between his wide arsenal of pitches, being a left-handed pitcher, and his excellent command, he should be in the rotation if he makes it up to Boston. His time in Double-A (while short) can be compared to two other talented lefties in Connelly Early and Payton Tolle. Though older than both of them, Bennett had an ERA that was comparable to Early while his FIP was lower. While also having the lowest strikeout rate of the three, Bennett edged out Tolle for a lower walk rate at 6%. Along with that, Bennett’s ability to keep the ball on the ground rivals both pitchers, his 48% ground-ball rate falling just short of Early’s 50%, but being much higher than Tolle’s 40%. Of course, you can’t get talent without giving up talent, and in return the Red Sox sent Perales back to the Nationals. Perales, who was Talk Sox’s fifth-ranked prospect at the time of the deal, was a talented-yet-injury-prone pitcher. He missed all but one game of the 2021 season due to injuries and the only season where he made at least 20 appearances was in 2023. This year, he was coming off of Tommy John surgery he had in 2024 and made just three appearances in 2025. Like Bennett, the talented prospect pitched in the AFL, where he made six starts and tossed 11 1/3 innings, striking out 19 batters. Despite Perales’ talent, there was worry of the risk he would wind up being a reliever due to his history of injuries along with his command issues. While not confirmed, Breslow must have had that in mind when he traded what was known as the arm with the best raw stuff in the system. Bennett will have a lot to live up to, but he fits the mold that Breslow loves far more than Perales ever did. View the full article

The Miami Marlins made it clear early on that they'd be pursuing some of the top relievers available in free agency. Instead, they have been overshadowed by teams in their own division. The Atlanta Braves, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have each signed multiple relievers to major league deals. The Marlins have only added pitchers on minor league deals. The unwillingness to commit to any free agent for multiple years has prevented the Marlins from landing big names. Fortunately, several effective relievers are still out there who wouldn't require commitments beyond 2026, most notably Pete Fairbanks. Despite a career 3.19 ERA and 90 saves, Fairbanks' injury history seems to be hurting his market. Sources told our own Isaac Azout that the Marlins remain "very interested" in Fairbanks and have made a strong one-year offer worth more than the $11M he was due to make with the Tampa Bay Rays before his club option was declined. Here are five more veteran relievers to monitor. LHP Taylor Rogers Rogers spent the 2025 season with the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, posting a 3.38 ERA, 4.38 FIP, 9.41 K/9 and 4.09 BB/9 through 50 ⅔ innings pitched. Once he was traded to the Cubs, Rogers did begin to struggle, posting an ERA of 5.09. You can make the case that pitching at Wrigley was the issue, as his HR/FB ratio went from 8.8% to 21.7%. He was walking fewer players, but just giving up a lot more contact. dnZicWpfZFhBc1VBPT1fQXdaVVVRWlNVd29BWEFjQ1ZnQUhBQVlBQUFNR1VsZ0FVd2NEVWdJTkNRb0hWQXBV.mp4 Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Marlins had shown interest in both of the Rogers brothers. While Tyler signed a three-year deal, $37M with the Toronto Blue Jays, Taylor should be significantly cheaper. LHP Andrew Chafin Chafin continues to bounce around the league, giving teams great results more often than not. In 2025, he started the season with the Washington Nationals before being dealt to the Los Angeles Angels. He posted a 2.41 ERA, 3.46 FIP, 9.62 K/9 and 5.08 BB/9 through 33 ⅔ innings pitched. Despite being 35 years old, Chafin's slider is still a solid swing-and-miss pitch with a 41.0% whiff rate. His sinker generates plenty of ground balls. He's also very comfortable inheriting baserunners in the middle of an inning. N3lSYmpfZFhBc1VBPT1fRHdCWUFGUU5VMVlBQ0ZaUlhnQUhVZ0ZXQUZoUlVWZ0FDbEVHVlFaV1VGWURWbFlB.mp4 Teams always have a need for relievers at the trade deadline, and Chafin has been moved during the last three of them. If the Marlins are out of contention, history says they should be able to get something in return for him. RHP Hunter Harvey Marlins fans should be familiar with Hunter Harvey, the son of Bryan Harvey who pitched with the Washington Nationals from 2022 up until the 2024 trade deadline, when he was moved to the Kansas City Royals. The 31-year-old pitched in only 12 games this past season due to a right teres major strain and a right adductor strain. In limited appearances, he posted a 0.00 ERA, 1.35 FIP, 9.28 K/9 and 0.84 BB/9. Looking at a larger sample size going back to 2024, in 50 ⅔ innings, he posted a 4.44 ERA, 3.52 FIP, 9.77 K/9 and 2.84 BB/9. Wng0amdfZFhBc1VBPT1fRGdOV1V3Y0dBMU1BV2dBSEFBQUhVZ0ZRQUFBSEFRQUFBMUJSQmdNTUJRdFJDUU5T.mp4 Harvey's combination of high velocity and control is hard to find. RHP Seranthony Domínguez Domínguez was with the Philadelphia Phillies from 2018 through the 2024 trade deadline. He's been dominant over 11 scoreless innings in his career pitching at loanDepot park. This past season, Domínguez posted a 3.16 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 11.35 K/9 and 5.17 BB/9 through 62 ⅔ innings pitched. He was also used in 12 of Toronto's 18 postseason games, including Game 7 of the World Series. If not for his strike-throwing issues (including 12 wild pitches last season), Domínguez would probably get a multi-year deal. It would make sense for him to show improvement in that area in 2026, then test the market again. RHP Kirby Yates After an awesome 2024 season where Yates posted a career-best 1.17 ERA through 61 ⅔ innings pitched, he landed on the injured list three times last season. Limited to 50 games, he struggled with a 5.23 ERA, 4.76 FIP, 11.32 K/9 and 3.70 BB/9. Yates' four-seam fastball (plus-15 run value to plus-1 run value) and splitter (plus-8 to minus-7) both regressed. There was a huge increase in the amount of hard contact he allowed on both pitches. Yates will turn 39 right before Opening Day. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a one-year, major-league deal with first baseman Tyler Austin, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan. Austin, 34, carried a colossal 36.9% strikeout rate over parts of four previous seasons in the majors, and last appeared in the States in 2019. Since then, he's played for the Yokohama Bay Stars of Nippon Professional Baseball. When last he did play in the American majors, Austin was one of Craig Counsell's charges for the Brewers. He drifted around in his final years before going to Japan, but found a home and made some major improvements as a balanced slugger in NPB. According to Yakyu Cosmopolitan, which keeps advanced NPB stats, Austin made contact on 85.1% of his swings within the strike zone in 2025, and chased fewer than 20% of pitches outside it. Even before going to Japan, he was an exceptional hitter against left-handed pitching, with a .253/.345/.539 line in 255 plate appearances against them. That will be virtually his only role for the 2026 Cubs. He profiles gorgeously as a lefty-mashing right-handed complement to star slugger Michael Busch, a lefty who struggles against southpaws. He can also find playing time as the designated hitter against lefties, moving Seiya Suzuki to right field and avoiding the need to play either Moisés Ballesteros or Owen Caissie against them, should Counsell prefer Busch to one of the two on a given day. He figures to come off the bench to pinch-hit for one of those three lefty batters fairly frequently, too, as long as his return to the States works out. Austin will come much cheaper than previous players the team has signed to fill the same role, a cast that includes Justin Turner ($6 million for 2025) and Trey Mancini ($14 million over the two previous seasons). Jon Heyman reports that he'll receive just $1.25 million, before incentives, making that roster spot a cheap one and leaving the team ample resources as they pursue a middle-of-the-order bat and an upgrade for the front half of their starting rotation. If they do achieve a major upgrade to the lineup, it's likely to come at third base, anyway, so Austin does nothing to materially gum things up on that front. He occupies a roster spot that will have little defensive value or flexibility, but which also demands little. As the team ponders ways to make the remaining improvements they need, this move saves money in one place for spending in another—while capturing some matchup-based upside. View the full article

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that the San Francisco Giants are looking for a second baseman and have checked in on the Cubs' Nico Hoerner. Hoerner, an Oakland native and former Stanford shortstop, is under contract through 2026 on the three-year, $35 million extension he signed in March 2023, and will reach free agency after the 2026 season. In MLB Pipeline’s midseason farm-system rankings, the Giants were labeled as the most improved system since the preseason, rising from No. 28 to No. 18. Bryce Eldridge was the organization’s lone Top 100 prospect, and he reached Triple-A at age 20. The system was also noted for Rookie-ball performers, including shortstops Josuar Gonzalez and Jhonny Level and right-handers Argenis Cayama, Keyner Martinez, and Alberto Laroche. Pipeline also called out the outfield group, led by Bo Davidson and Dakota Jordan. In a Top 30 midseason update, Pipeline graded Eldridge with 70 power, Jordan with 60 run, Carson Whisenhunt with a 70 changeup, and Gerelmi Maldonado with a 65 fastball. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs' bullpen picture has solidified to a degree in recent weeks with the signings of Phil Maton and Hoby Milner, as well as the decision to bring Caleb Thielbar back to town. Fans would still like to see more encouraging additions to shore up the group. Roster holes exist elsewhere, however, so the team may find itself leaning on internal options to take a step forward. Luckily, years of acquiring pitching depth in the minors has led to a point where the Cubs have plenty of talented arms waiting for a full-time opportunity in the big leagues. Whether because of ticking clocks or elite raw stuff that has never been fully harnessed, these are their top candidates to become important bullpen contributors Luke Little The Cubs' top two southpaws in the Opening Day bullpen are likely to be Hoby Milner and Caleb Thielbar. Both are experienced and effective, but they’re also in their mid-to-late-30s. The Cubs may need another LHP to mix in late in games at some point in 2026, and Little has all of the tools to do so in a meaningful way. Little has lacked consistency in his limited MLB experience over three seasons, but his raw talent and traits are difficult to write off. At 6’8 and possessing a mid-to-high-90s heater from the left side, he offers a dimension to the bullpen that Thielbar and Milner do not... if he can iron out his command issues. At 25 years old, there’s still plenty of time for the Cubs to help him make an adjustment. Little’s wipeout slider, paired with an overwhelming fastball, gives him all of the tools he could need to dominate out of the bullpen, assuming he can locate anywhere near the strike zone. His ability to generate tons of ground balls and limit home runs comes from ridiculously elite extension (he averaged 7.2 feet of it in 2025), giving him another mouth-watering tool to build upon. Porter Hodge The 2025 campaign couldn’t have gone worse for Porter Hodge, as every regression concern came to life and then some. His .189 Batting Average on Balls In Play (BABIP) in 2024 was always going to be difficult to repeat, but watching it inflate to .313 was certainly unforeseen. His walk rate rose to 12.2% while his strikeout rate also declined slightly. He watched his home run-to-fly-ball rate increase from 5.6% to 25%. Anyone wary of trusting Hodge in a significant role headed into 2026 is justified. There’s also plenty of reason not to write Hodge off completely moving forward. The increase in homers allowed was arguably the most significant contributor to his miserable 2025 campaign. It’s worth noting that he’s suppressed homers at every professional level in his career, including MLB, until 2025. Could it be a bout of bad luck, or perhaps an oblique strain that he quietly struggled through for much of the season? It’s difficult to say, but lowering the home run rate to even modest levels would make a huge difference. Hodge will have just turned 25 at the beginning of 2026, and while the Cubs would be wise not to trust him in high leverage as they did early on this past season, he could easily earn a prominent role back at some point. Relievers are volatile, and these seasons unfortunately happen. The upside Hodge has already displayed is worth accounting for. Ben Brown Brown’s stuff remains tantalizing, and his 117 innings in 2025 may very well position him for another season of contributing to the rotation to some degree. It’s worth wondering, however, whether the 26-year-old may be best utilized in a bullpen role, given the Cubs' needs and how he struggled as a starter last season. Brown was fine in some respects as a starting pitcher, but was plagued by a crippling .347 BABIP and a 15.5% HR/FB rate. These may seem like fluky stats, but some may argue his pitch mix is to blame. A high-octane fastball and devastating breaking ball can make him effective for stretches, but the 1.126 OPS allowed third time through the order shows the dangers of being a two-pitch pitcher in the starting rotation. Hitters can feel more comfortable knowing they won’t be completely surprised by a third pitch, and at times may decide to take their big-boy hack while selling out for a 50/50 gamble on what’s coming. Without a third pitch, Brown may continue to struggle in a bulk role. The Cubs should be looking for high-end rotation help that will hopefully make them less reliant on arms like Ben Brown to fill in, and then he can focus on dominating hitters in short stints out of the bullpen. It’s hard to imagine his raw stuff not being up to the task. The Cubs should still have several additions on the way this winter, but it’s possible they don’t wind up with a marquee member for the bullpen. Are there any other arms that could become significant contributors to the back end of games in 2026? Let us know below! View the full article

During his opening press conference, Tom Pohlad explained over and over that he understood that part of his job was to be pummeled: by the media, by fans, and by curious onlookers to baseball. “The Twins community has lost trust in us as owners,” the new boss admitted. So begins the transition, then, with older brother Tom taking over from younger brother Joe. Tom will be the fourth Pohlad to run the Minnesota Twins, but it seems worthwhile to take stock of what happened with Joe, whose tenure was cut short after just over three years. While the team's recent stumbles will color any memory, when he first got started, the younger brother was an emblem of hope. Joe Pohlad clearly wanted to change the ownership style of the team. But something happened along the way that put a quick end to those hopes and set the franchise on a pathway to disaster. Joe Pohlad leaves the position, perhaps, even more hated than Carl was. How? Compared to some owners, Joe provided a somewhat fresh look for the Twins in November 2022, taking over control and operation of the team at the age of 40. While his father discussed his plan for the team as remaining outside the spotlight, Joe seemed to initially relish it. He wore nice suits and had a million-dollar smile. He was the first Pohlad to take an office in Target Field, where he said his plan was to collaborate more than enforce. But Pohlad didn’t waste time in trying to make a statement about how he expected the team to operate. He immediately authorized a pursuit of Carlos Correa, and eventually, the front office converted the one-year pit stop into a monster contract. The Twins’ initial pursuit of Correa fell short, but their final offer at $285 million over 10 years far eclipsed the $92-million signing of Josh Donaldson and the extensions for Joe Mauer and Byron Buxton. You can say the Twins still underbid for the highest-priced item on the market, but it suggested they wanted to shop at the Dior Store. So when luck and bad medicals put Correa back on the menu, Pohlad still pulled the trigger to bring him into a long-term relationship. Pohlad beamed during the press conference as Correa put on his new uniform (which had debuted a few months prior), declaring “Fashion Show 2.0.” It was one of many offseason investments in the team blessed by Pohlad. The Luis Arráez-Pablo López trade was certainly controversial, but few would take it back now—and the team eventually offered a substantial extension to make López a franchise face. The rest of the offseason included notable (if unglamorous) free agents, including Joey Gallo, Christian Vázquez, Donovan Solano. They traded for Michael A. Taylor. In total, the payroll jumped over $40 million from the 2021 season. Rocco Baldelli also received an extension through the 2025 season. Pohlad pushed the product to bring it up to the rising big-league standards. That included changes at Target Field that totaled around $30 million, including the new scoreboard and the diamond ball. Pohlad also expanded the “Family Value” section, where the price of a hot dog remained $3.99. In fact, going into 2023, Twins Daily’s Theodore Tollefson took an optimistic view of ownership. “In an era of Major League Baseball where the reputations of team owners usually bring negative connotations to their franchises, Joe Pohlad may be the outlier,” Tollefson wrote. At that moment, that didn't seem crazy. All of that change paid off. The gate receipts for Target Field jumped to (an estimated) $92 million, the highest since 2011, alongside $19 million in profit and a $70-million jump in valuation, at least according to Forbes. The curse was broken, leaving fans hungry for more. There were high expectations that Pohlad set for 2024. Though the sudden removal of Dick Bremer may have shocked some fans, the promotion of Cory Provus felt like the right move. More importantly, Pohlad and Dave St. Peter gave Provus the green light to announce that blackouts would end in 2024 and that a streaming product was on its way. But by the Winter Meetings, a new narrative emerged. Payrolls had gotten too high, and required cutting. For most of the offseason, Joe remained quiet on exactly what was going on. Then, an unfortunate WCCO interview officially ended the honeymoon. Business was the key word. Those $30-million players were luxuries they could not afford. There was a reasonable case for why the Twins felt no need to replace Sonny Gray, but Pohlad failed to articulate it. The team also backtracked on those blackouts, taking a one-year deal with Bally Sports. One could have expected that the reunion might mean more money to put toward payroll, but that never did come. The decision backfired when Bally’s parent company began a three-month dispute with Comcast and kept the Twins off most televisions for almost half the season. Twins.TV would debut in 2025, but too little, too late. Even when it was clear the Twins needed to add at the deadline, it became apparent from reporting from Jeff Passan that "if the opportunity to acquire a higher-salary player presents itself, they would need to offload salary from their major-league roster in that deal or another to cancel out the expense." Never mind that at most, this would cost a low seven-figure sum to play out the rest of the season. It will be up to history whether the implosion that followed was a result, but fans knew exactly how to draw the line. Pohlad finally stepped up to the mic once more at the end of the season. Defending his decision, he explained himself. “We were headed down a great direction and I had to make a very difficult business decision, but that’s just the reality of my work," he said. "I have a business to run, and it comes with tough decisions, and that’s what I had to do. I wouldn’t make any other decision.” No one wanted to hear it. Only a few weeks later, the family announced the sale. It will never be clear if Joe was fighting a battle with one arm tied behind his back. He probably expected a longer tenure than under two years before he announced the intention to sell. There are seven other Pohlads in his generation (who likely saw things differently all along), though, and he couldn't hold onto control. Even the sale effort, which was Tom's job, didn’t work. The only major buyer eventually locked up a shinier object. No other full-scale suitor emerged. At a time when the team was at its worst, Joe had to announce a new plan to bring on limited partners instead. As Tom suggested, only in the last month was it clear that he would take the reins. As Dan Hayes reported, the sale may just be pushed down the road, as owners hope for a salary cap in order to increase their valuations. Whatever conversation that ends up being, Joe will remain on the advisory board, rather than in the driver seat. In the meeting Wednesday, Tom described an employee town hall wherein Joe announced the end of his tenure through tears, clearly a bittersweet moment for someone who expected any other outcome than this. The younger brother skipped the press conference. His story—as far as the Twins are concerned—ends here. View the full article