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The Toronto Blue Jays are preparing for a significant shift in their infield alignment heading into next season. As reported by Sportsnet earlier this month, the team wants to assign Andres Giménez one role next season. Whether Bo Bichette re-signs or not, it appears Giménez won’t be returning to second base anytime soon. The Jays have decided to assign him one position and stick with it; it will be a departure from their recent strategy of shuffling players around the diamond to maximize lineup flexibility. The comment seemed strange since the Jays spent last season shuffling players between positions. The versatility provided John Schneider with plenty of options for putting together line-ups that best positioned the team to win. Obviously, the linchpin when it comes to who will be Toronto’s primary shortstop will be whether Bichette and the Jays come to terms. Even if he does sign, his defensive proficiency at the position has diminished in recent years; Bichette has always been an offence-first player. Andres Giménez, on the other hand, is a defensive specialist. When he was traded to the Jays, there was hope that he’d be able to regain the offensive output he had in 2022. It was a season that earned him a big contract with Cleveland, but that pop never materialized, and he was shipped to the Jays before the 2025 season. Giménez is one of the best defensive second basemen in baseball, ranking in the top five in defensive runs saved. He won three Gold Gloves with the Guardians (2022–24), a 2023 Platinum Glove, and offered top‑tier Outs Above Average (OAA), accumulating a +59 mark for his career. For the first one and a half months of 2025, it seemed like Giménez might have figured things out at the plate, too, posting a .622 OPS in the first half of the season. As the season went on and injuries mounted, he returned to his offensive struggles, as he slid to a .556 OPS in the second half. He did have an impactful home run in the ALCS and countless defensive plays during the season. Does his offensive output matter in the end? Not so much. For the Blue Jays, this defensive excellence is not a luxury but a necessity. Over the past several years, Toronto has built its roster around run prevention. Strong defense has been the backbone of their success, carrying them to the cusp of a World Series title. With Bichette’s late-season injury last season, the Jays were forced to expedite their experiment of whether or not Giménez could handle shortstop. He didn’t always look comfortable, but he filled in admirably, posting a neutral zero OAA in 119 innings. Giménez has experience at short from his first year with the Mets in 2020 and played there intermittently in Cleveland and last season. His range metrics to cover more ground, and arm strength suggest he can easily make routine plays from the position. Playing defense is all about reps. Slight differences in routine and positioning can be challenging for even the top major leaguer. If you look across the majors, there aren’t a lot of players who have successfully transitioned from being an established, everyday second baseman to a successful, everyday shortstop. It is usually the opposite; as players age, they shift from short to third. Players like Cal Ripken Jr. made that transition in the past, and Carlos Correa is doing it now. That isn’t to say utility players can’t swap between positions. Last season, Ernie Clement played every infield position. Other players have done the same. In recent memory, Ben Zobrist and Tony Womack played significant time at both second and short throughout their careers. They were often valued for their defensive versatility rather than for handling either position permanently. Don’t overlook Mookie Betts, who moved from right field to second, then shortstop for the Dodgers. First in 2024 and then again last season. Other examples highlight the rarity of such transitions. Most teams prefer to groom natural shortstops from the minor leagues rather than convert established veterans. The Jays’ willingness to buck convention underscores their confidence in Giménez’s abilities and their commitment to defence-first roster construction. If Giménez takes over shortstop permanently, there is good reason to believe he will develop into a top-tier defender at the position. With his physical tools, such as range, sprint speed, and average‑plus arm, why wouldn’t he? His consistent defensive play could not only help the Blue Jays win more games but also alleviate some of the pressure on their pitchers. So, it comes down to where Bichette would play if he re-signs. The Jays could certainly give him the choice of playing second or third. They could use it as a bargaining chip, an extra perk because they value his defensive contributions (just not at short). Clement is flexible enough to play whichever position Bichette declines. The deal for Giménez was all run prevention up the middle. The big question now for the organization is which alignment maximizes total wins, not just which individual is best in a vacuum. The Jays’ decision on who will take over at short will continue to reflect a broader organizational philosophy. Rather than chasing offensive fireworks, they are building a team that wins with pitching and defense. This approach may not always generate headlines, but it has proven effective. With Giménez at shortstop, the Jays will strengthen their run prevention edge and maximize their chances of winning close games. Giménez is signed through 2029 with a 2030 club option, escalating to $23 million average annual salary in the late years. Shortstop should be a team’s most valuable defender. That player is often considered the captain of the infield, responsible for directing traffic, making split-second decisions, and maintaining consistency both defensively and offensively. With that argument, Giménez, as the team’s best fielder, should take that role. His elite defense will yield the biggest return, preserving the team’s run-prevention edge. In the end, the Jays’ decision to install Andres Giménez as their everyday shortstop is a calculated gamble. Toronto is betting that defence wins championships. It nearly did last year, and just might in 2026. With Giménez at shortstop, they are doubling down on that philosophy. Whether Bichette stays or goes, the Jays have made their choice: the captain of their infield will be Andres Giménez. View the full article

Even with the travel week, the Royals front office continued to work, maybe forgetting to take the weekend off. Late on Saturday afternoon, the Royals sent enigmatic lefty reliever Angel Zerpa to the Milwaukee Brewers. In return, the received right-handed reliever Nick Mears and utilityman Isaac Collins. Since debuting for the Royals in 2021, Zerpa has gained an increased role each season. In 2025, he pitched in 69 games and posted an ERA over 4.18. In 64 2/3 innings, he had 58 strikeouts and 22 walks. His stuff has always been impressive. In 2025, his fastballs (four-seam and sinker) both averaged over 96 mph. He threw a mid-80s slider that could be effective as well. Previously a neutral pitcher, Zerpa had a 62.5% groundball rate in 2025. Despite the impressive stuff, he has been worth a total of 0.6 fWAR over the past three seasons, half of that coming in 2025. In return, the Royals will get two seasons of team control of reliever Nick Mears. The 29-year-old right-hander originally signed as a non-drafted free agent with the Pirates in August of 2018. He didn't want to mess around in the minor leagues and made his debut for Pittsburgh in the Covid-shortened 2020 season. He pitched in 36 games for them through the 2022 season when he was DFAd. First he was claimed by the Rangers and DFAd. The Rockies claimed him and he posted a solid 3.72 ERA for Colorado in 2023. At the trade deadline in 2024, he joined the Brewers and struggled down the stretch. In 2025, he posted a 3.49 ERA over 63 appearances. In 56 2/3 innings, he had just 46 strikeouts (7.3 K/9) and a miniscule 13 walks (2.1 BB/9). With that number, he was able to keep his WHIP below 1.00. Mears's fastball averaged 95.4 mph is 2025. He also threw over 40% sliders, a good pitch in the mid-80s. He will also throw an occasional changeup. He has been worth 1.5 fWAR over the past three seasons including 0.5 f.WAR in 2025. Isaac Collins is certainly an interesting add for the Royals. A tremendous athlete, he was a Mr. Football and Mr. Baseball finalist in his senior season at Maple Grove (MN) High School. He went to Creighton for three seasons and became the ninth-round pick of the Rockies in 2019. Things started out well for him in pro ball, and he earned a spring training invitation with them in 2022. Unfortunately, he struggled in Double-A, and after the season, he was surprisingly available in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5 draft. The Brewers happily picked him and sent him back to Double-A for the 2023 season. He was much better. In 2024, he hit well in Triple-A and ended his season making his MLB debut and playing in 11 games for Milwaukee. They saw enough that he was included on their 2024 playoff roster. He had a strong spring training in 2025, and it was somewhat surprising that he made the Opening Day roster. He never went back down to the minors. His role varied throughout the season. Overall, he played in 130 games and hit .263/.368/.411 (.779) with 22 doubles, three triples, and nine home runs. He also stole 16 bases. Defensively, he played shortstop in high school. He played mostly second base at Creighton. In the low minors, he played mostly third base and second base, but as he moved up, he started to see more time in left field. In 2025, he played in 108 games in left field, eight in right field, two at third base and once at second base. He also started at DH in three games. He was called off the bench 20 times as a pinch hitter. A switch hitter, he hit fairly well from both sides but clearly had more success and twice as many opportunities right-handed. In 296 right-handed plate appearances, he hit .279/.389/.413 (.802) with 14 doubles, two triples, and five home runs. In 145 left-handed plate appearances, he hit .232/.324/.408 (.732) with eight doubles, a triple, and four home runs. All told, he was worth 2.4 fWAR in 2025 and finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He will give the Royals a little versatility in their lineup and on their bench. With the signing of Lane Thomas on Friday, the Royals could use one or both of them to platoon with Jac Caglianone. What are your initial thoughts on the trade? The bullpen loses Angel Zerpa but gains Nick Mears, and while Zerpa appears to have more potential, Mears has probably been better in terms of performance. Is it close enough for you that when you add a versatile, athletic hitter like Isaac Collins, you think the Royals did well? View the full article

The Brewers have traded Isaac Collins and right-handed reliever Nick Mears to the Kansas City Royals for lefty reliever Angel Zerpa, according to multiple reports. Robert Murray of FanSided had the first report, on Twitter. Despite spending a month or so as a favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, Collins became just an extra piece again by the end of the season. He's a switch-hitter with average athleticism and a good approach at the plate, but the Brewers have toolsier options at every position he can credibly play. Mears, who is out of options and didn't fit into the top half of the Brewers' bullpen hierarchy for 2026, was on the roster bubble even when the non-tender deadline passed last month. More to come. View the full article

As bits of news leaked about teams checking in on Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton being willing to waive his no-trade clause, the belief grew that the Twins were headed for a full-on rebuild. The development in the ownership situation has changed things, as Derek Falvey now says they intend to keep their star players and add to the roster. A sigh of relief would be a fair reaction to this news, but is it really worth celebrating? The Twins have been in a state of stasis for almost three calendar years, declining to invest in moderate-cost or multi-year free agents while keeping much of the roster core almost precisely the same. The results speak for themselves: the team missed the playoffs in both seasons since payroll was slashed heading into 2024. The team is at a crossroads: the current roster clearly isn’t good enough, and ownership hasn’t been willing to invest enough to change things. The news that the Twins were looking to build around their star players brought instant excitement. Their current estimated payroll of around $95 million has inspired little hope for next season, and further payroll shedding would put the final nail in the coffin of fan morale. To hear them frame their plans in this manner was a refreshing development. Unfortunately, it sounds like more corporate speak that Twins fans have grown so accustomed to. “Building around” the stars on the current roster likely means a payroll that won’t approach the $135 million the team allocated at the beginning of 2025, and $110 million is a plausible result, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic. This number would place the Twins firmly in the bottom third of the league in spending and represent a decline in payroll for a third consecutive season. Such a low number would leave the team scouring the bargain bin for one-year deals once again, a tactic that has had mixed results for this regime, to put it kindly. The Twins could use impact players at multiple positions, but will likely once again have to settle for low-wattage deals with uninspiring names and hope to hit on a few of them. A $110 million payroll would represent a notable decline from the payroll of the 2025 roster, which lost 92 games. Within this number is $10 million being paid to Houston, who took Carlos Correa off their hands at the deadline. It would leave the bullpen without names such as Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland, while also giving the team little chance to find adequate replacements. This raises the question: Is attempting to compete with a $110 million payroll actually better for the team than entering a full-blown rebuild? Fan morale may have received a shot in the arm when Falvey announced their desire to build around their star players, but this is sure to dissipate throughout another quiet offseason. It stands to fall back into apathy if the team gets off to another slow start with much of the same core. There’s no telling how badly morale declines if 2026 includes another deadline sell-off where the Twins wind up parting with the star players they claim to be “building around” anyway. That's assuming they’re healthy and performing well at the time. Twins Daily users voted on this subject over the past few days, and basically split the vote, with 138 in favor of a rebuild, and 140 against a rebuild: It would be difficult to frame a $110 million payroll as anything more than a disingenuous “attempt” to try to compete by Twins' leadership, but it’s not difficult to envision them trying to do so. They can repeat this talking point, hoping fans weigh their additions against their current 2026 payroll of around $95 million rather than comparing it to previous seasons, in which it is almost certain to decline for the third consecutive year. If things go off the rails for a second consecutive year, they can sell off their rentals and consider doing the same with names such as Byron Buxton and Pablo Lopez to lower their bottom-line costs for the 2026 season, just as they did in 2025. Unfortunately, this is a very real possibility. The Twins appear unlikely to emerge from their three-year hibernation when it comes to significant roster moves. Keeping their star players, such as Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan, at least gives them a chance to compete in 2026 if things go perfectly and if much of the roster that has failed them for two straight years finally comes around. That chance may be enough. It does raise the question, though: Is reducing payroll even further and taking half measures to compete for the third straight season really better than entering a full-blown rebuild? View the full article

The Royals are still looking to be active in the trade market, and two new names have been added to their interest list, writes Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Royals have been linked to the Red Sox's Jarren Duran for months, but are now apparently interested in the Nationals' infielder CJ Abrams and, more surprisingly, their young starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore. To read about potential matchups in a trade for Jarren Duran, click here to read our in-depth piece on scenarios. MacKenzie Gore: The 26-year-old left-hander is arbitration-eligible, with club control through 2028. In 2024, he made 32 starts and logged 166 1/3 innings with a 24.8% K%, 8.9% BB%, 3.53 FIP, and 3.2 fWAR. In 2025, he started 30 games and threw 159 2/3 innings with a 27.2% K%, 9.4% BB%, 3.74 FIP, and 2.9 fWAR. CJ Abrams: Abrams is 25 and arbitration-eligible, also with club control through 2028. In 2024, he logged 602 plate appearances with 20 homers, 31 steals, a .246/.314/.433 line, .322 wOBA, 106 wRC+, and 1.9 fWAR, plus -18 OAA at shortstop. He's brutal defensively at short, which makes a position switch likely. In 2025, he reached 635 plate appearances with 19 homers, 31 steals, .257/.315/.433, .324 wOBA, 107 wRC+, 3.1 fWAR, and -11 OAA, with a 5.8% BB% and 19.7% K%. View the full article

San Diego Padres chairman John Seidler has stated that the team will continue its willingness to pay over $200 million in total salaries for 2026. That means San Diego has at least another $30 million to spend this offseason, which could lead to some high-impact additions. One name that came up during the Winter Meetings is Toronto Blue Jays starter José Berríos. The two-time All-Star signed a 7-year, $131 million extension with Toronto in 2021 and now, ironically, could end up swapping jerseys with the Jays’ newest starter, Dylan Cease. Berríos would give San Diego a reliable, cheaper, and easier commitment than Cease, while still offering strong production. He’s on the trading block after a slightly down regular season followed by an incredible postseason run in Toronto... all while Berrios was injured (he didn't pitch in the playoffs). His 4.14 ERA last year is a bit high, but overall, he’s been very solid across his last three seasons: 548.0 IP 3.79 ERA 4.68 xERA 4.44 FIP 4.22 xFIP 21% K-rate 7.1% BB-rate The one glaring negative on Berríos’s résumé is that his results often outperform his expected metrics. Some might view him as an “accident waiting to happen.” But expected metrics aren’t perfect predictors, and Berríos has consistently proven he can outperform them. Every season of his career, his ERA/xERA and FIP/xFIP have been within 0.75 runs of each other — usually within 0.3. The variance stems from his skillset. Projected metrics favor high-velocity, high-strikeout pitchers that keep runners off base. Berríos, who throws a low-90s fastball, instead relies on a five-pitch mix and a high-movement arsenal to work through lineups. These types of pitchers don’t always get love from expected stats. The real red flags appear when a pitcher has these discrepancies and low velocity, a limited arsenal, and no go-to pitch. Berríos, however, has a deep repertoire led by a sinker that has consistently ranked among the best pitches in baseball via Statcast. The theme of my Padres rotation coverage this offseason has been urging the team to find stability. That’s exactly what Berríos offers. His ceiling may not match someone like Cease — who boasts elite strikeout rates and sub-4.00 expected metrics — but his floor is much higher. He also brings durability to a rotation that badly needs it. With Cease gone, Nick Pivetta is the only remaining starter who was a healthy mainstay in 2025. Berríos has thrown at least 165 innings in seven of his ten career seasons; the exceptions were the shortened 2020 season and his rookie years in 2016-17. Along with durability, Berríos brings consistency. Since his 2016 debut, he’s only had one truly poor season: a 2023 campaign with a 5.23 ERA and 4.55 FIP. Even that year isn’t too concerning, as he faced the highest BABIP of his career (.328), meaning he was incredibly unlucky. As long as his luck normalizes, Berríos performs. After a solid yet underwhelming 2025, he will either continue a slight decline or remind MLB that he’s an All-Star caliber arm. If he wants to fully bounce back, he’ll need to regain dominance with his sinker and slurve. His sinker, historically his most reliable pitch, posted just a +2 run value last season. That’s still good relative to the league, just not up to his usual standards given its peak of +15 in 2021. As for the slurve, there’s work to be done. He threw it a career-low 26% of the time in 2024, and it produced a rough -5 run value. Still, these issues feel fixable in San Diego with pitching coach Ruben Niebla leading the way. There’s no statistical indication that either pitch is losing effectiveness. At 92.2 mph (sinker) and 82.5 mph (slurve), both pitches are maintaining their velocity. He also threw his sinker a career-high 33.6% of the time last year, so hitters may have begun sitting on it more often. Meanwhile, his breaking-ball spin rate remained above 2,350 RPM — consistent with his career norms — and still generated a 33.3% whiff rate. There’s no sign of physical decline, and the 2025 results are a small sample. As recently as 2024, his sinker had a +8 run value, and in 2023, his slurve posted +5. He’s still got great raw stuff. Berríos brings value everywhere, but what makes the Padres an especially good fit (beyond their need for stability), is their history of working well with pitchers of his archetype. Randy Vásquez, another sinker-reliant arm who excelled for San Diego in 2025, saw his sinker improve from a -8 run value in 2024 to +11 in 2025. Niebla could unlock similar improvements from Berríos. There’s also free agent Michael King, who the Padres would ideally re-sign alongside adding Berríos. King was already developed when he arrived from New York, but he’s another example of a sinker-heavy pitcher thriving in San Diego. He uses his 92.7 mph sinker 30% of the time, paired with an 82.2 mph sweeper at a 19% usage rate. He, Berrios, and Pivetta would form a talented trio atop the rotation. It wouldn’t be the most diverse pitching group, but adding Berríos would give the Padres financial flexibility while investing in what they do best (dominating with sinkers) and addressing their biggest pitching issue: consistency. View the full article

According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Brewers are open to trading some of their outfield depth. Isaac Collins and Blake Perkins are mentioned by name, with the expectation that Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, and Sal Frelick are not available. Perkins, 29, is arbitration-eligible for 2026, his first year of arbitration. In 2025 for Milwaukee, he logged 171 plate appearances and hit .226/.298/.348 with three home runs. He posted a .287 wOBA and 83 wRC+, and finished at 0.4 fWAR overall. Perkins played 52 games in center field, with +1 Outs Above Average. Collins, 28, lost his rookie eligibility in 2025 and won't qualify for arbitration until 2027. Collins tallied 441 plate appearances in 2025, batting .263/.368/.411 with nine home runs and 16 steals. He produced a .344 wOBA, 122 wRC+, and 2.6 fWAR, along with a 12.9% BB% and 21.1% K%. He finished the season with +4 Outs Above Average, a .319 xwOBA, and an 88.8 mph average exit velocity. View the full article

MLB Pipeline's 3rd-best prospect in the 2026 MLB Draft is University of Alabama shortstop/center fielder Justin Lebron. Lebron is a likely candidate for the Twins to follow this spring for the 2026 MLB Draft, given their strong ties to Alabama in recent drafts, picking Riley Quick in their Comp C slot in 2025 and Connor Prielipp in the second round of 2022. Jamie and Jeremy make the case on why Twins fans should continue to follow him in the upcoming college baseball season. View the full article

The dust is finally settling after MLB’s Winter Meetings in Orlando, and the Twins seem to have a more defined path forward. For weeks, the offseason was clouded by rumors surrounding Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Byron Buxton. That chatter quieted dramatically once Minnesota’s leadership met with the media. Instead of shopping their cornerstone pieces, the front office emphasized stability and a plan to keep the roster intact while searching for incremental upgrades. If Minnesota does plan to make a notable move, it likely will not come from a traditional sell-off. There were not many teams signaling that they were ready to move established players for futures. As president of baseball and business operations, Derek Falvey explained, this time of year is geared toward more balanced swaps between competitive clubs. “If two teams are both trying to compete and both have needs, and different ways, how can you swap them? It led to us in our Pablo acquisition a few years ago,” Falvey said. “They wanted Luis Arraez, and we wanted Pablo López, and that was ultimately a fit for us and a fit for them at the same time. It does not always happen like that, but we certainly are looking for that this time of year. We will see if we can execute.” This concept is not new for the Twins. The front office has repeatedly leaned on MLB-for-MLB trades in the winter because the marketplace is fundamentally different from the one in July. In the offseason, most organizations still believe they can compete, which limits the number of clear sellers. A deal becomes more about matching needs rather than collecting prospects. Falvey reinforced that point when he noted, “But it is not with a goal of trying to figure out how to push those guys out into the future in terms of players coming back.” The Twins want major league contributors, and they hope to exchange from areas of depth to address areas of need. Minnesota’s recent history supports this approach. The Arraez-for-López trade stands as the most successful example, giving the Twins a frontline starter who immediately helped anchor a playoff rotation. Two winters ago, the Jorge Polanco deal fit a similar mold. While the Mariners sent notable top prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, the swap also included MLB players Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa. The Twins targeted players who could help right away and found a club that valued Polanco in a win-now environment. This winter offers similar possibilities. Baltimore might be an interesting match after bringing in Pete Alonso to play first base. That decision could open the door for Ryan Mountcastle or highly touted corner infielder Coby Mayo. Mountcastle has one year remaining of team control but is coming off a career-worst season with an 83 OPS+ in 89 games. Mayo has a career 79 OPS+ in 102 big-league games and could be a good change-of-scenery candidate. In the outfield, the Twins could look toward the Angels, who have already traded one outfielder this winter. Last season, Jo Adell broke out with 37 home runs, 98 runs batted in, and a .778 OPS in 2025. He remains under control for two more seasons and would give Minnesota the right-handed power presence it currently lacks. Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos fits the same profile, though his remaining salary ($20 million) would require the Phillies to pay down a portion of the contract to make a deal work. He hit 17 homers last season, but was worth an 88 OPS+ and a -0.8 rWAR. Some ideas are bolder. Twins Daily’s Nate Palmer explored a scenario that would send Royce Lewis to Washington for shortstop C.J. Abrams. It is the type of headline-generating move that always sparks debate, yet it also reflects how the MLB-for-MLB framework can create opportunities when teams are searching for the right blend of skill and long-term control. Nothing is guaranteed as the Twins continue through the offseason, but their direction is now clearer than it was a week ago. They want to keep their core intact and make upgrades without sacrificing their ability to compete in 2026. If the next splash comes, it will likely come from a team looking for the same thing. Should the Twins target any of the players mentioned above? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The MLB Winter Meetings have come and gone with a general whimper for the Chicago Cubs, their only major-league transaction of the week being their recent signing of veteran left-handed reliever Hoby Milner on Thursday. They did, however, complete a minor-league deal signing Collin Snider, formerly of the Seattle Mariners. It's easy to have some cynicism when it comes to contracts like Sniders', especially due to the timing; the Orioles are signing Pete Alonso and the Cubs are throwing pasta at the wall on Collin Snider — the headline writes itself for the most part. But beyond the initial reaction of "who cares?", I think there is a genuinely interesting pitcher in Collin Snider, and one who could find his way into the Cubs' bullpen plans in 2026. First, it's probably important to point out that Snider isn't a particularly new name to those in the Cubs organization. While it's true the reliever has never been a Cub, he's worked with Tread Athletics and Tyler Zombro in the past (we'll come back to this later). So, while it's true that he's yet to wear the royal pinstripes, there's an air of familiarity for what he does well and how to work with him already. ZW5QeUFfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0FRaFJBVmRRQXdRQVdsQUxWZ0FBQ1FBQUFGa0NWMWtBQndaUVVnWUhWd0FIQmdBRg==.mp4 Beyond just some familiar vibes, Snider has had major-league success in the past, specifically in 2024. Over 40 innings, the right-handed reliever was able to post a 1.94 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 3.52 xFIP and a sparkling 27.8 K%. He was unable to keep up the good times in 2025, though, struggling in just 25 innings with the M's, being unceremoniously designated for assignment mid-summer. Attempting to diagnose what went wrong is key to figuring out how to get him back to his best. The most obvious thing that went off the rails was Snider's fastball. One of the things he did so well in 2024 was couple a low-release point with solid velocity to surprise hitters by attacking them up in the zone. Only 26 pitchers in baseball had a lower release point on their fastball in 2024, which makes his usage of the fastball at the top of the zone a bit of an awkward look for hitters — it has a "rising" action (look at how Luis Robert Jr. swings right through his fastball in the video above). Last year, the velocity on the fastball waned, dropping two full mph, and his shape dropped as well; an issue for someone who throws this pitch one-third of the time. Based on FanGraphs' Stuff+ model, it fell from a pretty excellent 111 Stuff+ to a below-average 97 Stuff+. Getting this pitch back to peak velocity and shape is a key to unlocking the 2024 version of the pitcher. Snider also dabbled with splitting his sweeper into two distinct pitches last year; his traditional one with more horizontal movement, and another with more vertical movement, classified as a slurve. This was a pitch designed to play nicely with his cutter-fastball combination and create a little extra depth in his arsenal. While solid in theory, this pitch was kind of a mess all season — MLB hitters crushed the thing, to a tune of a .351 xwOBA and a slugging percentage well north of .500. After he was DFA'd, he entirely lost feel for the thing, so while his velocity may have been up half a MPH while in Tacoma, this pitch became a real problem for him: It became too close to his actual sweeper much of the time, making it hard to differentiate, while also getting too far away from his cutter and fastball to create a difficult decision point for the hitter. It really might behoove everyone to entirely scrap this thing and go back to the 2024 pitch mix. One of the issues that we can point to when it comes to velocity and shape is that the pitcher spent nearly two months on the shelf for a lower-arm issue. Snider is a supinator and a pretty extreme one at that; he engages his lower arm to create the motion and the shapes of his pitches. This causes stress in that area, meaning that it's both not surprising that he suffered an injury here, but also gives us a place to point as to what went wrong last season. A healthy forearm may fix much of what was ailing the righty all on it's own, meaning less outside intervention required. The vision for Snider is likely something akin to what Tyson Miller was for the Cubs in 2024 (who they also acquired from Seattle). Miller was a slider-fastball pitcher with a low arm slot who the team used, especially, against RHH. When both relievers are going well, they uses a high fastball to play off their slider/sweeper to great effect. To get there, the fastball velocity will have to get back to where it was, and Snider's likely going to scrap the slurve (it's just a bad pitch). These pitches interact with each other very well and create difficult decision points for hitters, but if one of them isn't working, then the others will falter on their own merits. Snider would play really well with Hoby Milner, who's devastating against LHH. While they both may fit in more as "specialists". they can thrive in those defined roles. Bigger picture, I think Collin Snider helps us understand the types of pitchers the Cubs are targeting. While we can't say every pitcher is going to have the exact same profile, there are a lot of things that we can glean from this. Namely, that low arm slot Snider uses to great effect (when healthy). Thus far, the Cubs have signed three pitchers for their 2026 bullpen: Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, and Collin Snider, all three of whom have extremely low arm slots. They use them differently; Maton kills you horizontally, Snider attacks you at the top of the zone and then changes your eye level with a sweeper, and Milner is just funky as hell. I don't think it's an accident that they all have this type of arm slot. Further driving the point home: The Cubs signed Matthew Boyd last year and lowered the arm slot of Colin Rea to great effect, Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill, though. Collin Snider is a dart throw and will likely be one of many the Cubs attempt this offseason as they look to rebuild their bullpen. Given their track record, we should probably give them some runway, but it's very possible that even after reuniting with Tread Athletics and Tyle Zombro, Snider just cannot get back to what he was in 2024. The hope here is that as he gets beyond the forearm issue that clearly hurt his feel last season, he can get back to making his unique profile work. With as many 40-man spots as the Cubs have, there's a real path for the right-hander to make the Cubs out of spring training if he can show he's gotten himself right. While I doubt he's as good as Brad Keller, who they really struck gold with last season, there's probably a good reason to believe that despite the MiLB nature of his deal, the Cubs can at least strike silver with Snider. What do you think of Collin Snider? Do you think the Cubs can extract as much value from him as they did with Tyson Miller? Let us know in the comment section below! View the full article

The MLB Winter Meetings have come and gone with a general whimper for the Chicago Cubs, their only major-league transaction of the week being their recent signing of veteran left-handed reliever Hoby Milner on Thursday. They did, however, complete a minor-league deal signing Collin Snider, formerly of the Seattle Mariners. It's easy to have some cynicism when it comes to contracts like Sniders', especially due to the timing; the Orioles are signing Pete Alonso and the Cubs are throwing pasta at the wall on Collin Snider — the headline writes itself for the most part. But beyond the initial reaction of "who cares?", I think there is a genuinely interesting pitcher in Collin Snider, and one who could find his way into the Cubs' bullpen plans in 2026. First, it's probably important to point out that Snider isn't a particularly new name to those in the Cubs organization. While it's true the reliever has never been a Cub, he's worked with Tread Athletics and Tyler Zombro in the past (we'll come back to this later). So, while it's true that he's yet to wear the royal pinstripes, there's an air of familiarity for what he does well and how to work with him already. ZW5QeUFfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0FRaFJBVmRRQXdRQVdsQUxWZ0FBQ1FBQUFGa0NWMWtBQndaUVVnWUhWd0FIQmdBRg==.mp4 Beyond just some familiar vibes, Snider has had major-league success in the past, specifically in 2024. Over 40 innings, the right-handed reliever was able to post a 1.94 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 3.52 xFIP and a sparkling 27.8 K%. He was unable to keep up the good times in 2025, though, struggling in just 25 innings with the M's, being unceremoniously designated for assignment mid-summer. Attempting to diagnose what went wrong is key to figuring out how to get him back to his best. The most obvious thing that went off the rails was Snider's fastball. One of the things he did so well in 2024 was couple a low-release point with solid velocity to surprise hitters by attacking them up in the zone. Only 26 pitchers in baseball had a lower release point on their fastball in 2024, which makes his usage of the fastball at the top of the zone a bit of an awkward look for hitters — it has a "rising" action (look at how Luis Robert Jr. swings right through his fastball in the video above). Last year, the velocity on the fastball waned, dropping two full mph, and his shape dropped as well; an issue for someone who throws this pitch one-third of the time. Based on FanGraphs' Stuff+ model, it fell from a pretty excellent 111 Stuff+ to a below-average 97 Stuff+. Getting this pitch back to peak velocity and shape is a key to unlocking the 2024 version of the pitcher. Snider also dabbled with splitting his sweeper into two distinct pitches last year; his traditional one with more horizontal movement, and another with more vertical movement, classified as a slurve. This was a pitch designed to play nicely with his cutter-fastball combination and create a little extra depth in his arsenal. While solid in theory, this pitch was kind of a mess all season — MLB hitters crushed the thing, to a tune of a .351 xwOBA and a slugging percentage well north of .500. After he was DFA'd, he entirely lost feel for the thing, so while his velocity may have been up half a MPH while in Tacoma, this pitch became a real problem for him: It became too close to his actual sweeper much of the time, making it hard to differentiate, while also getting too far away from his cutter and fastball to create a difficult decision point for the hitter. It really might behoove everyone to entirely scrap this thing and go back to the 2024 pitch mix. One of the issues that we can point to when it comes to velocity and shape is that the pitcher spent nearly two months on the shelf for a lower-arm issue. Snider is a supinator and a pretty extreme one at that; he engages his lower arm to create the motion and the shapes of his pitches. This causes stress in that area, meaning that it's both not surprising that he suffered an injury here, but also gives us a place to point as to what went wrong last season. A healthy forearm may fix much of what was ailing the righty all on it's own, meaning less outside intervention required. The vision for Snider is likely something akin to what Tyson Miller was for the Cubs in 2024 (who they also acquired from Seattle). Miller was a slider-fastball pitcher with a low arm slot who the team used, especially, against RHH. When both relievers are going well, they uses a high fastball to play off their slider/sweeper to great effect. To get there, the fastball velocity will have to get back to where it was, and Snider's likely going to scrap the slurve (it's just a bad pitch). These pitches interact with each other very well and create difficult decision points for hitters, but if one of them isn't working, then the others will falter on their own merits. Snider would play really well with Hoby Milner, who's devastating against LHH. While they both may fit in more as "specialists". they can thrive in those defined roles. Bigger picture, I think Collin Snider helps us understand the types of pitchers the Cubs are targeting. While we can't say every pitcher is going to have the exact same profile, there are a lot of things that we can glean from this. Namely, that low arm slot Snider uses to great effect (when healthy). Thus far, the Cubs have signed three pitchers for their 2026 bullpen: Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, and Collin Snider, all three of whom have extremely low arm slots. They use them differently; Maton kills you horizontally, Snider attacks you at the top of the zone and then changes your eye level with a sweeper, and Milner is just funky as hell. I don't think it's an accident that they all have this type of arm slot. Further driving the point home: The Cubs signed Matthew Boyd last year and lowered the arm slot of Colin Rea to great effect, Let's not make a mountain out of a molehill, though. Collin Snider is a dart throw and will likely be one of many the Cubs attempt this offseason as they look to rebuild their bullpen. Given their track record, we should probably give them some runway, but it's very possible that even after reuniting with Tread Athletics and Tyle Zombro, Snider just cannot get back to what he was in 2024. The hope here is that as he gets beyond the forearm issue that clearly hurt his feel last season, he can get back to making his unique profile work. With as many 40-man spots as the Cubs have, there's a real path for the right-hander to make the Cubs out of spring training if he can show he's gotten himself right. While I doubt he's as good as Brad Keller, who they really struck gold with last season, there's probably a good reason to believe that despite the MiLB nature of his deal, the Cubs can at least strike silver with Snider. What do you think of Collin Snider? Do you think the Cubs can extract as much value from him as they did with Tyson Miller? Let us know in the comment section below! View the full article

The Brewers will open next season as the reigning three-time Central Division Champions; however, in some ways, the 2026 season feels like a placeholder until the next wave of premier prospects arrives in 2027. Four Brewers received Rookie of the Year votes this past season, but only Jacob Misiorowski was a top 100 prospect, and he only received one fourth-place vote. The 2027 Brewers could have four or five rookies receive votes, with multiple top 100 prospects among them. The Brewers are often described as “threading the needle” between competing for a championship and accumulating young talent to remain competitive on a budget – this winter, that needle hole feels finer than usual. Recent rumors suggest that the Brewers will possbily trade away ace Freddy Peralta, closer Trevor Megill, and setup man Nick Mears, and while recent trades of star pitchers have brought back plug-in contributors such as William Contreras (after a second masterstroke trade), Joey Ortiz, DL Hall, Nestor Cortes, and Caleb Durbin, the bar for the quality of the returning player to become an instant contributor has been substantially raised. This Brewers team just had the final pick in the Rule 5 Draft, where it didn’t select a player, and will have the last official pick in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft - the Brewers are good. Yes, the Brewers could be served well with more home run power in their lineup, and they might trade away their ace before the year ends, but the front office has built this organization to sustain itself at a high level. Here’s what that could look like after next season. Catchers (2) William Contreras Jeferson Quero William Contreras would enter the 2027 season in his last year of team control. While the Brewers traded Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams and may be trading Freddy Peralta, they kept Willy Adames. They might be smart to keep Contreras as well. He is a very good-hitting catcher, a team leader, and works closely with the team’s deep and talented pitching staff. Quero would have a second year working as a backup and learning from Contreras, while the uber athletic and powerful hitting Marco Dinges would get a third full season in the minor leagues to work on his conversion to catcher and look to compete with Quero to be the starter in 2028. Infielders (6) Blake Burke (1B) Brice Turang (2B) Andrew Fischer (3B) Jesus Made (SS) Joey Ortiz (INF) Caleb Durbin (INF-OF) This is an exciting group! It may seem aggressive to have Burke, Fischer, and Made all on the 2027 Opening Day roster, but all three should move fast in the coming year. Made looks set to start 2026 as a still-18-year-old in Double-A, and reaching the major leagues in 2027 would put him on the same timeline as Jackson Chourio. The two former University of Tennessee corner infielders look ready to move as well. Burke took off after being promoted to Double-A Biloxi and could begin the 2026 season there. Fischer, who many thought was the most advanced college bat in the 2025 MLB Draft, had a strong start to his professional career at High-A Wisconsin and will likely also begin 2026 in Biloxi. Any one of these three could reach Milwaukee by the end of next season to help clinch a fourth straight Central Division title. Surrounding Team USA’s Brice Turang with the three young infielders could be risky, but the upside could be massive. Ortiz would make an excellent backup and defensive replacement anywhere on the infield, and as a right-handed batter, he could take the lineup spot for any of the three left-handed hitters on the dirt. Durbin would also fit as a right-handed option, both on the infield at second and third and in the outfield. Outfield (5) Jackson Chourio (LF) Luis Lara (CF) Sal Frelick (RF) Christian Yelich (DH) Blake Perkins (OF) The changes in the outfield between now and April 2027 are less obvious than in the infield. The Brewers may look to make an upgrade in the outfield this winter, and that player could have multiple years of control. But as it stands, this would be an excellent defensive outfield with potential at the plate. Lara is an elite center fielder and had a very good year at Double-A this past year. He won’t help the Brewers hit more home runs, but he should get on base at a strong clip, and has the speed to impact the game from there - he fits in well with the brand of baseball the 2025 Brewers played. The Brewers will hope Chourio has taken a big step forward and become an All-Star caliber player, and that Frelick is still playing elite defense while getting on base and turning the lineup over. This lineup will have great flexibility - with Made and Lara switch-hitting, Pat Murphy would have only two right-handed batters among his starting nine, but against a left-hander, he could utilize a lineup featuring only two left-handed batters. Starting Pitchers (5) Jacob Misiorowski Quinn Priester Chad Patrick Logan Henderson Robert Gasser Starting pitching is where the 2026 team potentially outshines this 2027 projection, especially if Peralta remains on the roster. However, this group has a lot of talent and should gain a lot of experience this coming year. The Miz has the stuff to be a true staff ace if he can limit the walks he allows and consistently pitch into the sixth and seventh innings. All four of Priester, Patrick, Henderson, and Gasser have had success at the major league level. Staying healthy and consistent will be the key to unlocking their potential and making this a very strong starting rotation. In addition to the outfield, starting pitching may be the position most likely to see a trade acquisition that could challenge for a roster spot between now and 2027. If Peralta and Megill do indeed get traded, it would be reasonable to expect that a highly rated pitching prospect will be a part of at least one of those trade returns, and one or more of those players could supplant a member of this group of incumbents. Bullpen (8) Abner Uribe Aaron Ashby Jared Koenig Brett Wichrowski Craig Yoho Coleman Crow DL Hall Tobias Myers The Brewers have an embarrassment of pitching riches - they really have impressive depth - there are another dozen or so pitchers in their minor league system that could potentially be ready to contribute to either the rotation or bullpen in 2027. In this projection, Uribe would remain the closer, with Ashby, Koenig, and Wichrowski as the high-leverage arms, and Yoho serving as a righty killer. Crow and Hall would offer longer middle relief from either side, and Myers would be the long man, capable of picking up a starter who has a bad day. A lot will happen between now and Opening Day 2027 - but the 2026 Brewers will be constructed with an eye towards the following year’s cadre of talented prospects that will reshape the lineup and keep this team in the hunt for many more division titles. View the full article

During the Winter Meetings earlier this week, both Alex Cora and Craig Breslow offered a glimpse behind the curtain about outfield playing time for Wilyer Abreu in 2026. As MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reported: “With Willy and some of the lefties, we have to see if they can do it,” said Cora. “It’s about that time, especially with Abreu. If he can hit lefties and hit for power and play defense the way he’s done the last few years, he can be the guy.” Breslow then offered this glowing remark: “Wilyer is a really good player. We’ve seen the way he’s able to impact both sides of the ball. He has earned the right to get some added runway against left-handed pitching. We feel like it’s an adjustment he’s capable of making. He’s got such a solid defensive floor that having him out there more often than not is going to help the overall team.” That’s a great sign for Abreu moving forward, provided he remains with the club in 2026. As with other young, left-handed players like Jarren Duran and Triston Casas, Abreu was placed in a platoon role with Rob Refsnyder for the last two seasons. It’s worked well so far, but it hamstrings the team a bit in the long run. Abreu is a two-time Gold Glove winner while playing far less than he should be. With even more games in right field under his belt, the sky is the limit. Additionally, Abreu was one of two primary sources of power on the team last season (Trevor Story being the other) after Rafael Devers was traded in June. Limiting his plate appearances keeps him from putting the bat to ball and improving against left-handed pitching. Abreu has started against left-handed pitching just 15 times. He’s slashing .205/.271/.318 with two home runs and a 25.5% strikeout rate. That’s pretty bad. When we break his stats down by season though, we can already start to see an upward trend. Per Baseball Savant, Abreu started to come around against southpaws last season. The numbers still aren’t great, but they show that with consistent reps, Abreu should be able to make significant positive strides in 2026. The one thing that could hold him up though, is that it appears Nate Eaton is in line to see more reps with Refsnyder possibly leaving the organization this offseason. The Red Sox don’t necessarily need both Eaton and Refsnyder in 2026, and will likely opt to go with the cheaper choice in Eaton. This shouldn’t prevent Abreu from seeing the majority of playing time in right field, but it will give him a chance to cycle through days off and possibly even the DH role if he proves capable of handling lefties with some amount of success early in the season. Now that we’re three seasons into Abreu’s MLB career, it's time to see what he can do in a full-time role. He is young, cost-controlled, and seems primed to fully break out at the plate in 2026. If he can put all the pieces together, the Red Sox may have a 30-homer threat with Gold Glove credentials. As far as valuable players go, it's hard not to salivate at the prospect of Abreu turning into that. View the full article

Good deals aren't always easy to come by in Major League Baseball. Free agent signings don't always work out. It can take years to determine if one team bettered the other in a trade, and sometimes there’s no winner. The Blue Jays don’t seem to be done with their offseason activities. In search of good deals, they appear to be in the conversation with and for everyone. On their radar are free agents like Kyle Tucker, Robert Suarez, and Bo Bichette, and trade targets like Ketel Marte. They have been doing their due diligence throughout the market. Free agents are one thing – money talks – but trades are another. The Jays have shown a willingness to spend when the fit is right. But trades are something entirely. To acquire talent via trade, the Jays must be willing to part with something of value as well. Even if they are interested in certain available players, who could they offer in return? If you think about the 40-man roster and beyond, the pieces that Jays fans might consider expendable won’t necessarily fetch a big return. There are some exciting prospects in the system, but if traded, the Jays would hamper their ability to sustain success in the long term. This balancing act could define the offseason. GM Ross Atkins must weigh immediate needs and chemistry with future stability. Do the Jays mortgage tomorrow for a shot at glory today, or do they hold firm, trusting their farm system to deliver reinforcements in the years ahead? Another path the Jays could consider is trading from their major league roster. Could they trade Anthony Santander? Santander is entering year two of his five-year $92.5 million deal (of which $61.75 million is deferred). There’s also a sixth-year team option. If the Jays could manage a deal, it would reduce the logjam in the outfield and at DH. Yet, after an injury-plagued season, his value on the market can’t be high, especially considering his contract. The Jays would likely need to absorb salary or package him with prospects to entice a buyer. What about José Berríos? Berríos has an opt-out after the 2026 season, but based on his recent body of work, he isn’t likely to exercise it. He has three years and $67 million remaining on his seven-year contract. His departure would unclutter the starting rotation, but at what cost? As with Santander, the Jays would likely have to eat a significant portion of Berríos's salary or package him with prospects to bring back a meaningful return. Moreover, Berríos has been a stabilizing force, a pitcher capable of eating innings and delivering quality starts. Removing him from the equation would leave a significant hole. Clearly, he wasn't happy with the way his role evolved last season. Can the relationship be salvaged? The Jays must also ask themselves: Is any potential return worth the risk of destabilizing their pitching staff? Fan favourites like Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, Davis Schneider, Myles Straw, Nathan Lukes, and Jeff Hoffman won't be nearly as sought-after as the top prospects in the Jays’ system. These players are valuable within the organization because they provide depth, versatility, leadership, and clubhouse chemistry, but they are not the kind of assets that move the needle in blockbuster negotiations. To land a star, Toronto must consider bigger chips. It is highly unlikely that the Jays would trade Trey Yesavage, but it's not inconceivable to think they could consider a trade that includes Kevin Gausman, especially with Dylan Cease under contract. Gausman is entering the final year of a five-year, $110 million deal. His value lies not only in his performance but also in his contract, which could appeal to teams seeking short‑term pitching help without long‑term financial commitments. Of course, you’d have to think that such a deal would need to be lopsided in favour of the Jays for them to consider it at all. Obviously, there are examples of the Jays making blockbuster trades in the past... Mind you, when they were under different leadership. In 1990, the Jays acquired Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter from the Padres for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez. They would eventually lead the team to two World Championships. In 2012, the Jays made a trade with the Mets for R.A. Dickey in exchange for Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud. And in 2014, the Jays swapped Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, Kendall Graveman and Franklin Barreto for Josh Donaldson. Syndergaard and d’Arnaud were top prospects in the Jays’ system when they were traded. It all comes back to prospects. Former general manager Alex Anthopolous was criticized by some for trades that emptied out the farm system. Since Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins have been in their roles, the franchise has been slowly building the system back up. Yesavage would be a good example, albeit a rare one, of a draft pick who has made an immediate impact. There is no question that several of Toronto's top prospects would be of interest to other teams. The Jays’ farm system boasts some exciting names. Players who could be part of the next wave of stars. Trading them might yield immediate help, but at the expense of long‑term sustainability. The Jays must decide which prospects are truly untouchable and which can be leveraged to acquire established talent. Scouting, analytics, and gut instinct converge when it comes to prospects. A prospect’s value is not just in their potential but in how the organization projects their fit on rosters down the line. Do they address a future need? Do they align with the team’s timeline? These questions shape the calculus of every trade discussion. As the offseason unfolds, the Jays will continue to face tough decisions. Their willingness to explore every option is exciting, but they need to be decisive when it comes time to pull the trigger. The path to contention is narrow, requiring precision, patience, and courage. Whether through free agency or trades, the Jays must craft a roster that balances immediate competitiveness with long‑term viability. Outside of that equation, the team needs to ensure that the chemistry inside the clubhouse remains strong. Every move (and non-move) in the offseason is a gamble. Some pay off, others backfire, and many linger in ambiguity. For the Jays, this offseason feels like a particularly defining moment. The choices they make now will reverberate for years, shaping the franchise. The question is not whether the Jays will make moves, but it is whether those moves will propel them to a World Series championship. View the full article

On Friday, the Royals made some big headlines in the baseball world, as Jeff Passan reported that the Kansas City Royals had agreed on a five-year extension with third baseman Maikel Garcia. Royals MLB.com writer Anne Rogers finalized the details of Garcia's deal, which totaled $57.5 million in guaranteed money over the five-year span, with a club option for 2031. Rogers shared more details about the deal in her whole piece on MLB.com later in the afternoon. He will be making a little over $4 million next season, which would have been his first year of arbitration. The deal gives Garcia financial stability through the 2030 season and shows the Royals' long-term commitment to their young infielder. That said, his first year is a bit of a discount for the Royals. His estimated salary in arbitration was $5.8 million, according to MLB Trade Rumors. Thus, the Royals saved nearly $2 million for next year's payroll by agreeing to this Garcia extension. Therefore, this is an interesting deal for Garcia and the Royals, as it maintains their ability to build their roster in the short term this offseason while still providing a blueprint for the long term. Let's look at why Royals GM JJ Picollo gave Garcia this extension, the long-term impact, and what other moves are on the horizon in Kansas City in the wake of this extension announcement. Garcia's Hitting Changes and Skill Improvement in 2025 The 25-year-old Royals infielder has been a key part of the Royals since the 2023 season, and he showed flashes of strong play in 2023 and 2024. In his first full season in 2023, Garcia posted an 85 wRC+ and 2.2 fWAR in 515 plate appearances. However, things regressed a little bit in 2024, especially at the plate. In 626 plate appearances, he posted a 71 wRC+ and 1.2 fWAR. He hit seven home runs, three more than he did a season ago. Garcia also scored 84 runs and stole 37 bases, both improvements from what he did in his rookie year (59 and 23, respectively). Unfortunately, his average exit velocity declined (91.8 MPH to 90.4 MPH), as did his hard-hit rate (50.6% to 42.8%). That led to a .270 wOBA, a 29-point decline from his 2023 mark. After a disappointing season in 2024, Garcia went to the drawing board and retooled some things in his swing in 2025. With the help of hitting coach Alec Zumwalt, the Venezuelan infielder made some modifications to his hands and leg kick, which was noticeable in Spring Training last year. Resting the bat on his shoulder in his batting stance and opting for a toe tap instead of a leg kick did wonders for his batted-ball metrics and overall results. In 666 plate appearances, Garcia slashed .286/.351/.449 with an .800 OPS and 121 wRC+. He also hit 16 home runs, a career-high, scored 81 runs, and collected 74 RBI, the latter being a career-high. The stolen bases fell to 23, a bit of a regression from a year ago. However, he traded speed for power, which was welcomed by a Royals lineup that ranked 26th in runs scored and home runs last season. The Royals' primary third baseman also saw a boost in many important Statcast categories last year. His 91.3 MPH average exit velocity was 0.9 MPH higher than his previous average. His 45.1% hard-hit rate was 2.3% higher than a year ago. Lastly, his 9.7 average launch angle and 5.6% barrel rate were career-highs. When looking at his overall Statcast profile via TJ Stats, he demonstrated some encouraging growth in his batted-ball categories while still maintaining elite plate discipline skills. That kind of combination made him one of the Royals' most effective hitters, skills-wise, in 2025. Now, Garcia's overall profile is far from perfect. He still struggled to consistently pull the ball last year, as he ranked in the 9th percentile in pull rate and 23rd percentile in Pull Air%. His barrel rate and max EV percentiles were also pedestrian, at the 24th and 34th percentiles, respectively. That said, as illustrated in his hits spray chart from a season ago, he did a much better job of pulling the ball for home runs, even if the other base hits were a bit more sprayed out. A lot of his singles were in the gaps. However, most of his extra base hits were pulled, whether they were home runs or doubles. For context, let's take a look at his hits spray chart from 2023 and 2024. Garcia sprayed the ball a lot more around the field and had more doubles and triples in the gaps. However, the home runs were a little more spread out, resulting in less consistency in launched batted balls and, thus, fewer home runs overall in those 2023 and 2024 seasons. Furthermore, by improving his ability to pull and launch the ball, he also posted a better xwOBA trend in 2025 than in his other seasons, which can be seen in the chart below via Savant. Not only did Garcia see much more consistency in his xwOBA trend last year, but he also saw extraordinary positive spikes that he never reached in 2023 or 2024. That is a positive sign that what he did in 2025 illustrated legitimate hitting growth and wasn't a fluke. These positive pull and xwOBA trends only justify the five-year extension that Garcia received from the Royals on Friday. The power is developing nicely and will only mature as he gets older and adds more natural strength to his frame. What Kind of Impact Does Garcia Have On the Royals' Payroll Long Term? The signing of Garcia has the most significant impact on the left side of the Royals' infield, as Kansas City has its shortstop (Bobby Witt Jr.) and third baseman (Garcia) under contract for quite some time. Given that both players won Gold Gloves last year and combined for 13.6 fWAR, that kind of stability is essential for the Royals to be a competitive club in the long term. What's interesting about the deal is that the Royals will have Witt and Garcia until at least 2030. After 2030, Witt can opt out of the 11-year contract he signed before the 2024 season, and Garcia will be in the final year of his deal (he has that club option in 2030). Rogers made a note of this in her piece on Garcia's signing. Witt is the franchise star for the Royals, but as baseball fans know, a team needs more than one guy to win a World Series. Salvador Perez has had a nice end-of-career resurgence, but he'll be 36 this season and may only have a couple of years left in his illustrious career. Thus, the Royals need young players that they can surround Witt with. Garcia is the first piece Kansas City has committed to in building its long-term offensive core. With Garcia signed, the main question is this: who are the Royals going to commit to next? Vinnie Pasquantino seems like the most logical choice, especially after leading the team in home runs (32) and RBI (113). He is in his first year of arbitration this offseason, much like Garcia. Unfortunately, Pasquantino doesn't offer the defensive value (-8 career OAA) or baserunning (-10.3 career Baserunning Runs above average). As a result, he has only accumulated a 4.5 fWAR in his career, much lower than Garcia's (9.1 fWAR). That makes it a lot tougher for the Royals to commit in the long term to Pasquantino when all of his value is tied to one particular area (i.e., hitting). Other extension options could be Jac Caglianone or Carter Jensen, both rookies a season ago. An extension now for both of them could be cheap, and we have seen other teams give out extensions to players before they had much, if any, MLB time. Colt Keith of the Tigers and Kristian Campbell of the Red Sox are two examples. Both Caglianone and Jensen have their fair shares of upside and risks as extension candidates. Caglianone may have the best power tool in the organization, even at the Major League level, but he struggled in his rookie debut, posting a 46 wRC+ and -1.6 fWAR in 232 plate appearances. He will need to improve his launch angle and some of his swing decisions in 2026 for the Royals to give him an extension. As for Jensen, his MLB debut went as well as it possibly could've. In 69 plate appearances, he posted a 159 wRC+ and 0.7 fWAR. His Statcast profile was pretty immaculate as well, with many of his Statcast categories ranking in the upper percentiles of the league, as seen in his TJ Stats summary below. That said, while Jensen's debut was impressive, it was only 69 plate appearances. The Royals need a larger sample from him in 2026 if they are going to make a significant financial commitment, especially at his age (22). Nonetheless, Caglianone and Jensen may be better extension candidates than Pasquantino, mainly because they hold better upside value and are both much younger than Pasquantino (28). What's the Next Big Move This Offseason? The Royals likely won't extend another player under arbitration this offseason. Conversely, they have more moves to make, especially when it comes to rounding out their lineup, preferably in the outfield. Passan, in his write-up about the Garcia deal, mentioned that the Royals have been inquiring heavily in the trade market. While he noted the Royals have been inquiring with the Red Sox about Jarren Duran, which is not new, he said they have also been inquiring with the Nationals regarding shortstop CJ Abrams and pitcher MacKenzie Gore. Abrams and Gore is an interesting discussion, mainly because Abrams plays the same position as Witt, and Gore is a pitcher. That said, Abrams has been rumored to be a candidate to move positions, especially after posting a -11 OAA last year at shortstop for the Nationals. The former Padres first-round pick could move to second base or possibly left field, where his speed and athleticism should profile well. Abrams' Statcast percentiles weren't eye-popping, but he still has some upside at 25, and he pulled the ball effectively last year for Washington as well. As for Gore, his possible acquisition may be a contingency plan for the Royals' rotation, especially if they need to trade away Cole Ragans for a big-time outfielder like Duran or someone else on the trade market (maybe Teoscar Hernandez, though he wouldn't be worth an asset like Ragans). Picollo, during the Winter Meetings, mentioned that the Royals needed an "ace" like Ragans to be competitive in the postseason. Could Gore fill that "Ragans" role? The TJ Stats summary profile for Gore compares quite favorably to Ragans', which could force the Royals to pull the trigger on a Ragans trade this offseason. Granted, while trade talks are circulating even more since the conclusion of the Winter Meetings, the Royals still have a lot of legwork to do to make one or any of these deals a reality. A lot of moving parts have to click first, and that could take weeks. Still, the Royals are going to be aggressive this offseason, not only in building their long-term future, as was the case with Garcia, but also in shaping their team for 2026. Garcia's contract stability gives Picollo one less deal to worry about, which should help him focus on that much-needed big-time trade or free-agent signing this offseason. View the full article

The Blue Jays clearly have put a focus on their bullpen this offseason, and that continued on Friday. Hours after they announced the acquisition of Chase Lee from the Tigers, reports began circulating that the Jays have signed free-agent submariner Tyler Rogers. The right-hander will receive a three-year contract worth $37 million with a vesting option for a fourth season that would pay him $11 million. Tyler and his twin brother Taylor Rogers will turn 35 next week. Taylor Rogers has played for six big-league teams over the past 10 seasons. Tyler Rogers was the 10th round pick of the Giants in 2023 out of Austin Peay State. He made his MLB debut as a 28-year-old in 2019. Since then, he has been one of the most active relievers in baseball. He has led the National League in appearances in 2020, 2021, 2024, and again in 2025. He pitched in 68 games in both 2022 and 2023. Tyler Rogers spent his entire career with the Giants until the 2025 trade deadline when he was dealt to the New York Mets. Rogers's release point is basically the ground. Because of that, he has the slowest fastball in the game. Read this Royals Keep article discussing what Rogers can do for a team to illustrate how he can help the Blue Jays bullpen. data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAPABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw== Rogers will be a completely different look out of the Jays bullpen, much different than the big velocity arms like Jeff Hoffman, Louis Varland, and Braydon Fisher. Rogers won't get a ton of strikeouts, but he also walks very few batters. What do you think of this signing for the Blue Jays? Maybe they should bring in Taylor too. View the full article

Back on October 1, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Miami Marlins payroll was "expected to rise" from its 2025 level, "but the extent of the increase remains to be determined." Jackson provided an update on Friday in the aftermath of the club agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with free agent Christopher Morel: "a source said last week that while the payroll will increase some, a significant payroll increase would not happen." The 2025 Marlins had a year-end 40-man roster payroll of $67.7 million, according to Cot's Baseball Contracts. Their luxury-tax payroll estimate was $84.9 million. Since Bruce Sherman took over as the franchise's principal owner during the 2017-18 offseason, the Marlins have perennially ranked in the bottom third of MLB team spending, but they had never been dead last in either category until now. For context, from 2022-24, the Marlins averaged a 40-man payroll of $97.1 million and a luxury-tax payroll of $123.6 million. Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic previously theorized that "the Marlins might be operating with an additional motivation" because they did not come close to spending 150% of their league revenue-sharing intake on player payroll—approximately $105 million for luxury-tax purposes. "When a club fails to hit the specified number, the burden of proof shifts from the (Major League Baseball Players Association) to the club," encouraging the union to file a greivance against them. The Athletics found themselves in a similar predicament last winter and their payroll spiked accordingly. Jackson disputes the notion that the Marlins are concerned about this. If challenged by the MLBPA, they will argue that an ample amount of money is being spent to bolster the organization's infrastructure ("things you don't see," to quote Sherman himself). President of baseball operations Peter Bendix has been clear that the Marlins' overarching goal is to qualify for the postseason as frequently as possible. Coming off a 79-win season, they are only a few effective moves away from genuinely contending for an October berth. Yet the budget is apparently so tight that Bendix had to address the team's biggest weakness—first base—by rolling the dice on Morel, who's coming off a sub-replacement-level season and has zero experience at the position?! As Fish On First has reported on, they have repeatedly fallen short in pursuits of free agent relievers despite craving more experience in high-leverage roles. As currently constituted, the 40-man roster payroll for the 2026 Marlins would already be in the $70 million range (though that is based on my rough estimates of Morel's compensation and not-yet-determined salaries for arbitration-eligible players). If indeed there isn't "significant" room to spend on top of that, they are headed for an unacceptably stagnant offseason. View the full article

Editor’s Note: This is the first Jays Centre article by five-time MLB All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. We’re always looking for eager new writers to join our staff, whether you’re a Home Run Derby champion or just the reigning ALCS MVP. If you’d like to learn more, please click here, fill out the form, and someone will reply with more information. LeBron James? Are you kidding me? Earlier this week, Sports Reference published year-in-review website trend data for the 2025 MLB season. You know, the season where I made my fifth consecutive All-Star team and led the Blue Jays on their deepest postseason run of my lifetime. No big deal. I was honoured to have the most-viewed baseball player page throughout the country, despite Showboat Ohtani’s best efforts. In 2023 and ‘24, that World Series-stealing free agent tease had the most-viewed Baseball Reference player page across most of the Great White North. In 2025, Canadians finally made the right call (even if Jordan Baker, home plate umpire in Game 7 of the World Series, did not). In every province and territory, no Baseball Reference player page got more hits than my own. per Baseball Reference (2023, '24, '25) I wish I could say the same across all the Sports Reference platforms. Instead, I was shocked, appalled, and frankly hurt to see a different name plastered from sea to sea to sea. A name we’ve all seen plastered everywhere for the last two decades. LeBron James had the most-viewed Sports Reference page in most of the country. LeBron James! It would be one thing if it were Auston Matthews or Scottie Barnes. Heck, I’m not mad to see Hamilton's own Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on there. You do you, Yukon. But you’re telling me that while I was bringing our home and native land together with earth-shattering grand slams (and my award-winning personality), y’all were looking up LeBron’s plus/minus? While almost half the country was tuning in to watch me dominate in the World Series, the other half just needed to know LeBron’s field goal percentage? All I can say is thank god for Prince Edward Island. You guys are real ones. If I could take my talents to Charlottetown, believe me, I would. per Baseball Reference I don’t do it for the recognition. I don’t do it for the fame. But LeBron?? Come on, Ontario. Come on, Canada. What happened to elbows up? What happened to Canada first? I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed. View the full article

On Friday afternoon, news broke from multiple sources, national and local, that the Kansas City Royals and third baseman Maikel Garcia have agreed to a five-year, $57.5 million extension with an option that could push it to six years and $85 million. 2025 was a huge breakout season for the 25-year-old from Venezuela. He originally debuted with nine games in 2022. He was a solid, one-win type of player in 2023 and 2024. In 160 games in 2025, Garcia hit .286/.351/.449 (.800) with 39 doubles, five triples, and 16 home runs. He also had 23 stolen bases. He had a 123 OPS+ and was worth 5.8 bWAR and 5.6 fWAR. Taking a slightly deeper look, his approach at the plate was much improved in 2025. His walk rate increased from 6.7% in 2024 to 9.3% in 2025. More impressive, his strikeout rate has dropped from 22.3% in 2023 to 16.5% in 2024 to just 12.6% in 2025. And he did that while improving his overall hitting and his power. The improvements led to him earning his first Gold Glove Award. He also improved his defense at the hot corner. He played about 143 more innings at third base in 2025 than 2024, he had four less errors. While not the best defensive metric, his fielding percentage went from a very solid .961 to .980. His DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) at third base jumped from 3.0 in 2024 to 13 in 2025. Shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. just completed Year 2 of his massive 11 year, $288.8 million deal (with options for 2035-2037). Garcia's contract will run through the 2030 season (with an option for 2031). Both were All-Stars in 2025. Both received MVP votes. Check back throughout the day for updates as we learn more about the details of the deal. What are your initial thoughts on extending Garcia? View the full article

Just after the 2025 Winter Meetings ended earlier this week, the Miami Marlins reached an agreement on Friday afternoon with Christopher Morel. It will be a one-year big league deal, sources tell Fish On First. Morel, 26, spent the 2025 season with the Tampa Bay Rays, slashing .219/.289/.396/.684 with 11 home runs, 33 RBI and a 90 wRC+. He was designated for assignment at the end of the season and elected free agency after going unclaimed. He spent most of the season in left field. A source tells Fish On First that they expect him to play first base as well, a position he has never played in his career. The Marlins are buying low on Morel in hopes that he can recapture his 2023 season, where he slashed .247/.313/.508/.821 with 26 home runs, 70 RBI and a 120 wRC+. In the middle of the 2024 season, he was shipped off to the Rays with two other players in exchange for Isaac Paredes. He was never able to get it going with the Rays after that. A main reason for Morel's struggles has been his high strikeout percentage. In 2025, he struck out 35.7% of the time, which is a career-worst. The hope here is that they can help him cut down on the K%. In a best-case scenario, he could follow in the footsteps of Kyle Stowers (35.4 K% in 2024 and 27.4 K% in 2025). Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic cites hitting coach Pedro Guerrero as a key part of this acquisition. Despite having a great arm—ranking in the 93rd percentile of arm strength, per Baseball Savant—Morel posted minus-five defensive runs saved in left field, and has never been able to find a home defensively. Maybe the move to first base can help him establish himself defensively, opening up for more production on the offensive side. It is worth noting that Morel has two more arbitration years after 2026. That gives the Marlins club control of him through the 2028 season. He doesn't have any minor league options remaining. Morel was being pursued by teams in both Japan and Korea, according to Francys Romero. It's unclear if any other MLB teams were willing to offer him a guaranteed major league deal. Ely Sussman's updated Opening Day roster projection has Eric Wagaman losing his spot to make room for Morel. We could possibly see Morel in a platoon situation, with Liam Hicks or Graham Pauley getting starts at first base against tough right-handed pitchers. The Marlins 40-man roster will be at 40 players once the deal is announced. Per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Marlins are trying to acquire another bat via trade. View the full article

Last week, Twins Daily's Matthew Trueblood wrote a piece on changeup specialists the Twins will target in free agency, highlighting Tommy Kahnle, Luke Weaver, and Kyle Finnegan. Finnegan is off the market, signing a two-year, $19 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. Kahnle and/or Weaver would still be welcome additions to Minnesota's bullpen, presumably stepping in as the club's primary closer. However, if the Twins are unable to sign them, the club could potentially lean on an in-house option as their changeup relief specialist in Pierson Ohl. Making his major league debut late last July, Ohl primarily operated in a hybrid stretch relief role, pitching in four-inning spurts. The 26-year-old struggled in his inaugural campaign, generating a 5.10 ERA and 4.75 FIP over 30 innings pitched. However, the young righty improved upon transitioning into a short relief role in mid-September, manufacturing a 3.86 ERA, 2.81 FIP, and 11-to-2 strikeout to walk ratio over his final 9 1/3 innings pitched. Ohl could continue inhabiting that role with intentions of entrenching himself as part of Minnesota's long-term bullpen plans. However, he will need to compete with fellow inexperienced arms in Travis Adams, Connor Prielipp, Marco Raya, John Klein, and others for one of the final spots in the eight-pitcher unit. Interestingly, Ohl could have the inside track on the aforementioned quartet (besides maybe Prielipp) due to his possessing what might be the best pitch in Minnesota's bullpen. Thrown 205 times last season, Ohl's changeup generated the second-highest Pitching+ (a metric that uses the physical characteristics, location, and count of each pitch to try to judge the overall quality of the pitcher's process) rating of all Twins reliever pitches post-trade deadline, achieving a 129 (100 is average). The only pitch that netted better results than Ohl's changeup was Justin Topa's sinker, which manufactured a 131 Pitching+. Ohl's changeup had better physical characteristics than Topa's sinker. However, Topa was able to locate his sinker better than Ohl did his changeup, resulting in a slightly better score. MnIyZ2pfWGw0TUFRPT1fVjFNRlZWRlhYd1VBWGxNTFh3QUhBRkpRQUFNRlUxY0FWZ0ZVVlZBSEJnc0VBUUFB.mp4 Ohl's changeup and Topa's sinker are neck-and-neck in overall pitch quality. However, with Ohl expected to transition into a one-inning role next season, he should be able to refine his pitches further, adding more velocity and movement. If Ohl takes that step, his changeup could become the highest-graded pitch in Minnesota's bullpen, potentially resulting in him progressing from throwing the pitch 38% of the time last season to over half of the time in 2026. Ohl, Prielipp, and Raya form an exciting trio of young arms who could blossom into high-leverage relievers early next season. Prielipp's slider and/or changeup and Raya's curve could challenge Ohl's changeup and Topa's sinker for being the best pitch in Minnesota's bullpen next season. For now, though, Ohl's changeup is arguably the most enticing pitch of Twins relievers with major league experience. If the young right-hander can fortify his secondary pitches this offseason (four-seamer, cutter, and knuckle curve), he could be the recipient of save opportunities early next spring. View the full article

The MLB Winter Meetings concluded earlier this week, and the Red Sox walked away without addressing their main focus, a middle-of-the-order bat. There are still plenty of free agents left to be signed, headlined by Kyle Tucker, but Craig Breslow may have to turn to the trade market to land someone who can slot into that role. While pure power hitters can be hard to trade for, swinging a deal with a team looking to shed salary is likely the path that can lead to some interesting trade partners. I’ve already discussed why the Red Sox and Cardinals should make a trade for Brendan Donovan, but there’s another Red Bird infielder who arguably makes even more sense for the Sox. Willson Contreras would solve the first base dilemma in Boston and slot into the middle of the lineup as another 20+ home run threat. In 2025, Contreras slashed .257/.344/.447 with 20 home runs, 80 RBIs, and five stolen bases. He posted an fWAR of 2.8 and a 124 wRC+. The bulk of his home runs came on the road, but Busch Stadium is a pitcher’s dream park. If we overlay his home spray chart over Fenway Park, we can add six more home runs and quite a few Green Monster wall balls to his stats. He’s a pull-happy right-handed hitter, and the team is lacking that exact profile in the lineup. He is a bit strikeout-happy and doesn’t walk much (25.2 K% vs. 7.8 BB%), but he can swing it, and that plays well in Boston. Defensively, Contreras is a plus defender at first base. He has years of experience at catcher, and could slide behind the dish in a pinch, but he thrived in his first full year at first base in 2025, posting an incredible +6 Outs Above Average. Typically, first base is a position where you hope someone can pick it and move on, but Contreras actually offers range and stability there. Scorchers down the line don’t intimidate him, and he’s got a quick enough first move to be able to get a glove on most of what gets hit his way. Adding a player like Contreras doesn’t necessarily spell the end for someone like Triston Casas, but it allows him to start the season at Triple-A Worcester to get his feet back under him. Once Casas is ready, he could even be called up to split time at first and DH with Contreras to give both guys a regular break from playing the field. Adding a player like Willson Contreras would help to calm the waters with fans after a quiet few days at the Winter Meetings. People tend to forget that while those meetings attract a ton of media coverage, many deals get done afterward from the productive conversations that start during the meetings. Craig Breslow and company are still trying to improve the major league roster, and adding Contreras would go a long way towards doing that. Maybe make it a package deal for him and Donovan? Two Red Birds, one stone. View the full article

The San Diego Padres were more interested in creating rumors than waves at the Winter Meetings, and it appears that the entire roster could be available in A.J. Preller's search for his blockbuster fix.View the full article

As the dust settles from MLB's Winter Meetings, the Orioles made one of the loudest moves by signing Pete Alonso to take over first base and provide the middle-of-the-order thump they have been seeking. It is a win for Baltimore, but it also creates a very real roster squeeze. The Orioles now have three players who primarily fit at first base or designated hitter, yet they only have two spots to place them. That imbalance should immediately draw the attention of a Twins team that desperately needs help at first base. Minnesota has multiple avenues to improve its lineup, but first base remains one of the clearest openings on the roster. There are multiple free-agent options, but the Twins are operating on a shoestring budget with needs in the bullpen, too. Baltimore’s situation changes that, because the combination of Alonso’s arrival and the Orioles' depth makes them one of the few clubs that can trade from a surplus. If the Twins want to find a solution without paying premium free-agent prices, this is the kind of opportunity they cannot afford to overlook. Here’s a look at Baltimore’s two first base options, besides Alonso. Each comes with different levels of intrigue. Ryan Mountcastle Mountcastle represents the most straightforward option for Minnesota, because his situation in Baltimore feels increasingly cramped. He is entering the final year of team control, which limits long-term risk for any acquiring team. MLB Trade Rumors projects him to earn $7.8 million in his final arbitration season. That also means the Orioles have motivation to listen, especially after his worst season to date. In 2025, he hit seven home runs with a .653 OPS in 89 games, a steep drop from what he showed earlier in his career. His track record still matters, though, because through his first five seasons, he produced a .265 average with a .766 OPS and a 113 OPS+. He has been an above-average bat for most of his career. Mountcastle’s cost should be manageable, because the Orioles no longer have room to give regular at-bats to Alonso, Mountcastle, and either Samuel Basallo or Adley Rutschmann. (On any given day, one of the latter two can catch, but the team will want the other's bat in the lineup most of the time.) That positional overlap lowers the asking price and allows the Twins to explore a short-term addition, without spending significant prospect capital. His pros are easy to see. Mountcastle has proven big-league power, a history of above-average production, and the appeal of a one-year commitment if things do not work out. The cons include the uncertainty around his recent decline, questions about his ability to rebound, and limited defensive value beyond first base. Still, the affordability and upside make him a natural fit for Minnesota’s needs. Coby Mayo If the Twins want to chase ceiling rather than floor, Coby Mayo is the more ambitious target. Mayo was once a consensus top-50 prospect with big raw power and a profile built around offensive damage. His big-league performance has not met expectations so far, as in 102 career games, he has hit .201 with a .634 OPS and an OPS+ of 79. Even with those struggles, though, his long-term value remains significant. He is not arbitration eligible until 2028, and is under team control through 2031. The pros with Mayo revolve around projection, as his power potential remains enormous and his underlying contact quality hints at untapped upside. Last season, his 74.7 mph bat speed would have ranked in the upper quartile of the league if he qualified. In September, he posted a .941 OPS with five homers. He could give the Twins a long-term answer at first base if he develops into the hitter scouts once envisioned. The cons stem from risk, as his early performance raises reasonable questions about how quickly he can adjust and whether he will ever reach his ceiling. Acquiring him would require a substantial trade package, and Minnesota would need confidence in its ability to smooth out the rough edges in his game. Minnesota also doesn’t have the greatest track record with young hitters in recent seasons. He is the higher-ceiling play, but also the higher-volatility one. Baltimore created a roster bottleneck by signing Alonso, and the Twins happen to have a clear path to playing time at first base. Whether Minnesota targets Mountcastle for short-term stability or Mayo for long-term upside, the Orioles are one of the few organizations positioned to deal from depth. The alignment is there, and it is a path the Twins should seriously consider pursuing. Should the Twins trade for Mountcastle or Mayo? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Joey Gallo has seen a career of highs and lows, but his latest chapter might be his most unexpected yet. After a decade of towering home runs, highlight reel throws, and extended slumps, the 32-year-old is now pursuing a return to the big leagues as a relief pitcher. And according to reports from the Winter Meetings, multiple teams are giving the idea more than a passing glance. Gallo sparked renewed attention this offseason by posting a 15-second video on X that showed him unleashing three pitches. The clip was short, and viewers could not see the catcher, but the sound told the story. Each pitch popped the mitt with enough force to make evaluators wonder if his elite arm strength could finally find a new home on the mound. For a player searching for a way back into the league, it felt like a statement that he is taking this transition seriously. The interest he has generated is not just social media buzz either. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported that several clubs have legitimate intrigue in the former slugger as a pitcher. For someone who launched 208 career home runs and once served as one of the most feared left-handed bats in the game, it is remarkable to see teams now asking whether he can help them in the bullpen instead of the batter’s box. The Twins have multiple open spots in the bullpen, so a minor league deal with an invite to spring training could be on the table. It is easy to understand why the idea is compelling. At his peak with the Rangers, Gallo owned one of the strongest throwing arms in the sport. His average outfield throw in 2021 clocked in at 93.9 miles per hour, ranking fifth in MLB. Even as he shifted more toward first base late in his career, he still averaged nearly 90 miles per hour on his throws. Translating that raw arm talent to the mound is far from guaranteed, but the baseline tools give pitching coaches something intriguing to mold. Gallo’s decision to remake himself began earlier this year when he told the White Sox that his future was on the mound, not in the outfield. Chicago released him shortly afterward, but the move only opened the door for him to commit to this experiment fully. Since then, he has been posting training clips and working to develop a delivery that can hold up at the professional level. The progress appears real enough that teams are now willing to explore the possibility. It would be one of the most surprising reinventions in recent memory if Gallo were to pitch in a major league game. This is a player who once hit 40 home runs in back-to-back seasons and won two Gold Gloves. But careers rarely move in straight lines, and Gallo’s willingness to try something bold has given him a new path. Whether it results in an MLB comeback remains unclear, but for the first time in a while, there is genuine optimism surrounding Gallo again. View the full article