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AJ Preller is a box of chocolates... or something. Just days ago, news out of the Padres' front office was that they weren't interested in dealing high-end relievers. Now, according to Underdog MLB, the Padres are listening on not only their best reliever, but their best starting pitcher. Mason Miller, 27, is arbitration-eligible beginning in 2026 and is scheduled to reach free agency in 2030. In 2025, he made 60 relief appearances split between Oakland and San Diego, working 61 2/3 innings and recording 22 saves. He struck out 44.4% of hitters with a 12.0% walk rate, and he posted a 2.23 FIP with a 0.73 HR/9. His BABIP was .240, and his strand rate was 76.0%. He finished with 2.0 fWAR, a 2.63 ERA, and a 2.27 xFIP. Nick Pivetta, 32, is signed through 2028 on a four-year, $55 million contract covering the 2025-28 seasons. In 2025, he started 31 games for San Diego and threw 181 2/3 innings. He recorded a 26.4% strikeout rate and a 6.9% walk rate, and his season FIP was 3.49 with a 3.85 xFIP. Pivetta's HR/FB rate was 9.7%, while his K-BB% was 19.5%. View the full article

The MLB Winter Meetings have concluded, and the Red Sox appear serious about adding offense in 2026. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Cardinals' Willson Contreras has become their most recent trade target. Contreras turns 34 early in the 2026 season. He signed a five-year deal with St. Louis that runs through 2027, so he remains under contract for 2026 and 2027. At the plate in 2024, Contreras logged 663 plate appearances and hit .262/.380/.468 with a .365 wOBA and 141 wRC+. He walked in 12.6% of his plate appearances, struck out 26.8% of the time, and finished at 2.7 fWAR. In 2025, he had 622 plate appearances and hit .257/.344/.447 with a .358 wOBA and 124 wRC+. His BB% was 7.8% with a 25.2% K%, and he produced 2.8 fWAR. Defensively, he caught 431 2/3 innings in 2024. In 2025 at first base, he logged 1011 2/3 innings with -1 Defensive Runs Saved. While he could still technically catch, he's not a volume receiver at this point in his career, and it's possible the Red Sox will not consider him a catcher at all. View the full article

The San Diego Padres reportedly are looking to do Padres things this offseason, even after the conclusion of the Winter Meetings. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller is devising something that would "rival" the Juan Soto trade (the one to the Yankees, that is) and/or "pale in comparison" to what he pulled off the past two trade deadlines, if Kevin Acee's sources are to be believed. What could such a deal -- or series of deals -- involve? Hint: It's not moving Jeremiah Estrada and/or Jake Cronenworth. No, there's a more obvious one, even it isn't being intensely discussed at the moment: moving Fernando Tatis Jr. for a haul. As odious as that might seem to Tatis (full no-trade through 2028) and Padres fans, it's THE move to attempt, now or in 2026, if Preller wants to keep the club's current run going -- or start a new one quickly. Based on San Diego's major-league roster and farm system, he has all but check-mated himself into doing it. A quick personnel review: After Tatis, the only young foundational position player is Jackson Merrill, whose nine-year, $135 million contract extension kicks in next year. Merrill produced 2.7 bWAR in 2025 despite injuries, but Tatis is in another galaxy of stars (team-leading 5.9 bWAR last year). The other lineup fixtures are getting old. Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts are entering their age-33 seasons. Cronenworth is entering his age-32 season. Ramon Laureano is entering his age-31 season. Tatis will be in his age-27 campaign, with nine years and $286 million remaining on his extension, next year. Nick Pivetta is the lone reliable starting pitcher. Joe Musgrove is a dice roll. If the rotation remains a weak spot, then the bullpen needs to stay elite. An Estrada trade would need to significantly improve the roster. Is such a deal available? The farm is fallow. The Padres' system was dead last in Baseball America's midseason talent rankings last August. "This is the thinnest system in the game because of trades. The bottom two-thirds of this Top 30 would not crack the Top 30 of the game’s deepest systems," BA wrote. The owners are all but a lock to lock out the players a year from now, which might change payroll dynamics. The clubs will want to force the union into accepting a salary cap (evergreen sentence). The '26-27 offseason, therefore, figures to be as chaotic as the '21-22 offseason, which was the last lockout winter. Padres chairman John Seidler told Acee and other reporters this week that he is committed to keeping the payroll steady in '26, but will his thinking change if MLB's salary system changes? And will that then require really hard decisions, such as asking Tatis to leave? Back to now: Preller could try to push all-in for Tarik Skubal or Sandy Alcantara, but the Tigers seem uninterested in moving their ace and Alcantara hasn't yet regained his pre-surgery form. With the Pirates suddenly wanting to win, a Paul Skenes mega-trade has almost no chance of happening. And even if it was, Preller could add Estrada and Cronenworth to the prospects and it still wouldn't be good enough. Maybe he can offer enough to get Brandon Lowe from the Rays and/or Kodai Senga from the Mets. But much larger moves are being teased. Like, say, a 5- or 6-for-1 return for Tatis. Preller could aim for prospects who would rival the likes of James Wood, C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Jakob Marsee, Stephen Kolek and Leo De Vries. During his MLB Network segment Tuesday night at the meetings, Preller wouldn't say outright whether Tatis or anyone else was untouchable. "Like anything, you want to listen," he said. "You want to be able to listen to hear what people are going to say. That's the only way to find out more information, what's out there. But we like our team." That's typical GM talk, of course. But when it comes to the 2026 and 2027 Padres, "We want to listen" needs to become "I'm all ears," particularly when it comes to Tatis. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs didn't do much at the Winter Meetings, but as their signing of reliever Hoby Milner proves, they're clearly planning to be active throughout the rest of the offseason. View the full article

While there is still some time until the 2026 MLB Draft Bonus Pool Money is finalized, Jamie and Jeremy provide early insight on how much money the Twins could have to spend on their signing bonus for their first round pick in 2026.View the full article

The Winter Meetings came and went, all without the Blue Jays making any major moves. This wasn't a cause for panic, though, as the team has already reshaped its pitching staff, signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract, followed by giving a three-year, $30 million contract to Cody Ponce. With Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer likely departing, those additions were essential. Toronto still has some work to do in the bullpen. Collectively, Jays relievers posted a 3.98 ERA in 2025 (16th in MLB), and the team has identified the 'pen as a need that will have to be addressed this winter. They have already made some small transactions this offseason; Seranthony Doínguez was granted free agency, Nick Sandlin and Yariel Rodríguez were outrighted to the minors, with Sandlin electing free agency, and they recently acquired right-hander Spencer Miles in the Rule 5 draft from the Giants. He must remain on the active roster all season, or else he will be offered back to San Francisco. This leaves the Blue Jays' bullpen in an interesting spot. As things currently stand, Jeff Hoffman is still the closer, Yimi García will be making his return from his elbow injury, and after some speculation about stretching out Louis Varland to take on a starting role, GM Ross Atkins confirmed that he will remain in the bullpen going into 2026. It seems like the Blue Jays have six starters for five spots, and one of those arms will likely have to move to the bullpen, unless there are injuries or the club unexpectedly goes to a six-man rotation. That creates competition for only a handful of relief roles among Braydon Fisher, Brendon Little, Tommy Nance, Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Miles, Justin Bruihl, Rodriguez, Paxton Schultz, and Rule 5 draft holdover Angel Bastardo, who will have to be on the active roster for 90 days, or he will be offered back to the Red Sox. The Blue Jays certainly aren't just content with the group they have, though. Over the past couple of weeks, the top free agent relievers Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, and Robert Suarez all found new homes, and while the Blue Jays had various amounts of interest in these players, none of them ended up in Toronto. The team is certainly not done, and there will be more additions along the way, whether in the form of Pete Fairbanks, Brad Keller, or maybe a trade. But if there is one area of need that may require reinforcement, it's the left side of the bullpen. Right now, the top three left-handed arms in Toronto's projected bullpen are Little, Lauer, and Fluharty, and while all three had various levels of success in 2025, it didn't end that way. Little went from being one of the best relievers in baseball in the first half of the season to being almost unplayable in the postseason, and while Lauer and Fluharty had bright spots in 2025, neither of them is an established high-leverage arm. Managing a bullpen is always key to getting through baseball games, and being able to bring in a left-handed pitcher to get out a tough pocket of lefties is always important. John Schneider knows this well, as the Blue Jays are certainly going to face a slew of elite left-handed hitters over the course of a long season, and a pitcher who can be relied on to shut them down is a piece that Schneider would love to have. With that being said, here are three names the Blue Jays should consider adding this offseason to be their left-handed specialist out of the bullpen. 1) Drew Pomeranz - 46.1 IP, 1.94 ERA, 27.9 K%, 6.8 BB% (as a reliever) Before last season, Pomeranz hadn't seen big league time since 2021 with the Padres. He resurfaced in 2025 and was a key part of the Cubs' bullpen. Now, at 37 years old, he could be a useful piece in any bullpen, especially when you consider left-handers hit just .176 with just two extra-base hits off him all season. 2) Sean Newcomb - 70.0 IP, 2.19 ERA, 22.4 K%, 7.0 BB% (as a reliever) Newcomb, now 36, began the year in the Red Sox organization and made five starts for the team before a trade at the end of May sent him to the Athletics. From there, he pitched out of the bullpen and was extremely effective, posting a 1.75 ERA in 51.1 innings for the A’s. Lefties had a .283 wOBA against him last season, and with the potential for him to start some games, he would be an intriguing option for rotation depth should it come down to that. 3) Tim Mayza - 16.2 IP, 3.78 ERA, 20.3 K%, 6.8 BB% Yes, seriously, that Tim Mayza. His Blue Jays tenure didn’t end according to plan. After spending parts of seven seasons with the Blue Jays, he was let go in 2024 after he had an 8.03 ERA through 24.2 innings that season. But he did look like he was back to being a big league reliever in 2025. He’s still effective at getting left-handers out (.228 wOBA against LHH vs. .373 against RHH), and the fastball velocity has taken a tick up, to 95 mph. He may never again be the guy who posted a 1.52 ERA and 2.1 bWAR for the Jays in 2023, but he’s not done as a major league reliever and could be had on a minor league deal. Not only would it make for a great storyline, but he could be effective if put in the right position. View the full article

Despite the division-rival Chicago White Sox nabbing the top pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, most Twins fans (and the front office) were pleased to land at No. 3, behind only the (formerly) godless South Siders and Tampa Bay. There was a notable exception. “Winning the lottery is supposed to mean a boatload of money,” said a source close to the Pohlad family. “They are furious that baseball’s lottery means the exact opposite. They want some answers from the Commissioner’s Office, and they want them now.” The Twins most recently benefited from the draft lottery in 2023, when they leapt to the fifth pick and snagged Walker Jenkins, the organization’s top prospect. The source says the Pohlads dispute that characterization. “In 2024, they were able to fall from the 12th pick to the 16th pick. That’s four slots worth of savings," said the family friend. "Jumping up to five when you’re 13th? That means you have to sell one of your country estates—or your entire bullpen.” Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and general manager Jeremy Zoll seemed pleased with the pick, telling The Athletic it was “a good outcome.” Behind the scenes, the Pohlads were fuming. “When a poor wins the lottery, they get money to buy their Big Gulps and Crocs,” said another source with knowledge of the Pohlads’ reaction. “Why don’t those same rules apply to their betters? The Pohlads will put that money right back into the community! “I should clarify that by ‘community,’ I mean the community of Pohlad family members, who will then deposit it in offshore tax havens where it can’t be touched by the government.” The 2026 MLB Draft takes place on July 12 and 13 in Philadelphia. Both sources say the team hopes that the prospect will accept vouchers at the Target Field Team Store in lieu of a signing bonus. Image license here. View the full article

Spencer and Joseph Zarr discuss the minor league departures and additions to this point in the offseason, and then break down their tiers for the DSL and ACL rosters from 2025. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays sat on their laurels at the Winter Meetings while watching the rest of the league try to catch up to their signings of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox were predictably quiet at the Winter Meetings after trading for Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo earlier in the offseason, though they did ship out a disgruntled prospect in Vaughn Grissom. View the full article

Welcome to part four of our offseason series covering the 1918 Chicago Cubs. Here are parts one through three so you can catch yourself up on everything covered to this point: Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Start of the Season Part 3: Charlie Hollocher In part four, we’ll look into how the Cubs performed in the month of June. Another Winning Streak At the start of the month, the Cubs found themselves 1.5 games behind the New York Giants in the National League standings. Fresh off of a win in their last game in the month of May, the Cubs continued on to win their first four games of June. This set up the debut of Phil Douglas on June 6. Douglas, who was one of the Cubs’ best pitchers in 1917, suffered appendicitis in February that kept him out until now. Coming off of a season in which he pitched to a 2.55 ERA, expectations were high for the veteran. Behind a complete game shutout from Douglas and home runs from Dode Paskert and Charlie Deal, the Cubs defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0. With that win, and a New York Giants loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, the Cubs were officially in first place in the National League. The Cubs would win their next two games, extending their win streak to eight games, and their lead in the NL to 1.5 games. This created quite a bit of buzz around their upcoming four-game series against the Giants. According to the New York Times, the Cubs were “the sensation of the league, and the Giants face the hardest ordeal of the season in this coming series.” A Huge Series As reported by the Times, game one of the series against the Giants, with Claude Hendrix and Jeff Tesreau set to be the starting pitchers, was Bat and Ball Day, where 25 percent of the gate receipts was donated to baseball equipment for WWI soldiers in France. This fundraiser, which was created by Clark Griffith, was a huge success. Per Griffith’s Society for American Baseball Research biography, over $7,500 had been raised by July.. Unfortunately, the first shipment was struck down by a German U-boat. Griffith persisted, however, and would end up creating another campaign that successfully sent baseball supplies, as well as copies of The Sporting News so soldiers were up-to-date on happenings around baseball, to the troops. Back to the series against the Giants, the Cubs were able to take game one to extend their winning streak to nine games. Down 3-2 in the ninth inning, the Cubs took a 5-3 lead via clutch hits from Fred Merkle, Charlie Deal, and Bill Killefer. “The impulsiveness of their scrappy attack carried the Giants off their feet,” the Times said in their recap the next morning. That same article continued: “How manager Fred Mitchell has enticed this collection of ancient and youthful players to play winning ball is something of a mystery. Such familiar relics as Rollie Zelder, Dode Paskert, and Fred Merkle perform as if they had discovered some kind of a tonic which laughs at the advancing years. This young Charlie Hollocher, the former caddie boy of St. Louis, is all that they have said about him at shortstop, and is a whirlwind with his hands and feet. Charley Deal, who is no Spring chicken, manages to insert hits at the proper time, and Claude Hendrix blooms forth into a better pitching commodity than he has been for half a dozen years. The conjurer behind it all must be Mitchell, for the Cubs are the scrappiest bunch that has hit the Harlem meadow this year.” Game two pitted Lefty Tyler against Pol Perritt. With two outs in the first inning, George Burns of the Giants stepped to the plate. According to the Times, Burns hit a ball all the way to the fence that Max Flack fell while pursuing, which allowed Burns to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run: ”Just as the ball was about to flirt with the fence, Flack made a grab for it, but slipped in the mud and sat down suddenly. All this time George Burns was making tracks around the muddy base paths. Great hunks of mud were flying up from his spikes as he tore around the bases. Burns hasn’t run quite as fast as he did yesterday since he hustled to catch the train out of Utica to come to New York.” Perritt would make that stick, pitching all nine innings and allowing just six hits and two walks. The Cubs lost 1-0, and the winning streak was over. But the Cubs would bounce back the next day behind three hits each from Flack, Hollocher, and Merkle. After all of that, though, the series would end up in a 2-2 split. Hippo Vaughn gave up five runs in the first inning of game four en route to a 7-0 loss. This dropped the Cubs to 32-14 and their lead in the National League to 1.5 games. Another Win Streak to Close the Month Strong After going 3-3 in their next six games after the Giants series, the Cubs would start up another win streak. With a victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, a four-game sweep of the Cardinals, and a couple of wins against the Cincinnati Reds, the Cubs had won another seven in a row before closing the month with a loss and then a tie. In the month of June, the Cubs went 19-6-1, and went from one game back of the Giants for first place in the National League to 1.5 games up on them. The offense fell off a tad, hitting for just a .262 batting average after a sterling .295 in May. It was the pitching that really carried them. The Cubs’ team ERA in June of 1918 was just 1.95. The addition of Douglas was huge, as he had just a 0.94 ERA to that point. With Vaughn and Tyler continuing to do their part at the top of the rotation, the pitching was leading the way for the first-place Cubs. View the full article

There have been many reports suggesting that the St. Louis Cardinals are open to trading Brendan Donovan. On December 7th, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discussed the latest information on Donovan. The Cardinals have made it clear they are willing to trade veterans Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras, but other players could be available as well. With the Royals’ well-documented need for offensive production, particularly in the outfield, the Cardinals look to be a natural trade partner. Below is a look at the most realistic targets and how they might fit in Kansas City. Potential Royals Trade Targets Brendan Donovan - Free Agent in 2028 Donovan was the Cardinals’ best player in an otherwise disappointing season last year, posting a team-high fWAR of 2.7. While he logged most of his innings last year at second base, he has spent over a third of his career playing in the outfield. If the Royals end up trading for him, the fact that Royals second basemen Michael Massey and Jonathan India have also spent time in the outfield would give the Royals some flexibility to find the defensive combination that works best for them. Donovan has been a consistent offensive threat in the Cardinals' lineup, never posting an OPS+ below 114, and his OBP of .353 would have topped all Royals hitters last season, so despite his below-average sprint speed, he would be a good option to lead off for the Royals and pair well with Bobby Witt Jr. batting second. Alec Burleson - Free Agent in 2029 Burleson is an intriguing option for the outfield. Over the past two seasons, he has hit for a decent average and power, resulting in an OPS+ of 105 and 125 in 2024 and 2025, respectively, which earned him a Silver Slugger in 2025 at the utility position. FanGraphs projects him to maintain his 2025 form into 2026. The big issue with Burleson is that his defense is definitely lacking. Last season, he graded in the 14th percentile in fielding range with -4 outs above average, and his fielding run value has been -6 or -7 in each of his three full seasons at the big league level. If the Royals wish to pursue Burleson, his offensive upgrade will come at the cost of his poor defense. Lars Nootbaar - Free Agent in 2028 On the surface, Nootbaar would not be a huge upgrade in the outfield, batting closer to league-average than previous years with an OPS+ of 95. He also graded well below average in xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG last season, after several strong seasons prior. Despite his regression, his OBP stayed relatively high at .325, which was higher than every qualified Royal other than Witt Jr., Mike Yastrzemski, and Maikel Garcia. Nootbaar also shows good plate discipline, with above-average chase, whiff, and walk rates. The issues with Nootbaar are his declining defense and injury history. His defense has regressed over the last two seasons, posting negative run value and OAA in both 2024 and 2025. For his injury history, he has only managed to play in more than 120 games once; however, that season was last year, so hopefully he can maintain his relative health going into next season. JoJo Romero While Romero does not fit the Royals’ need in the outfield, Anne Rogers recently reported that the Royals are “looking at the reliever market, particularly a left-on-left arm that could fit in the back of their bullpen.” Romero had an excellent season last year, posting a 1.7 fWAR while assuming closer duties after Ryan Helsley was traded before last year’s trade deadline. While his strikeout and walk rates are less than ideal, both being below average according to Statcast, his ability to induce ground balls and prevent hard hits would be a valuable addition to the back of the bullpen. Cardinals Players Less Likely to be Involved Willson Contreras - Free Agent in 2028 Contreras has been a productive hitter in St Louis and has posted an OPS+ of at least 123 and a total fWAR of 8.7 in his three seasons as a Cardinal. There is no doubt that he would provide a massive upgrade to the Royals’ lineup. Even though he is willing to waive his no-trade clause, according to Katie Woo on the Athletic, the Cardinals are not as motivated to trade Contreras. Another issue is fit, since the Royals have enough depth at first base with Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez, and Jac Caglianone all expected to spend time there. Contreras has spent some time in left field when he was still in Chicago, but he is probably destined to be a designated hitter if there is any potential fit in Kansas City. This would leave the questions in the outfield in Kansas City unanswered. Nolan Arenado - Free Agent in 2028 It has been widely reported that Trading Arenado is one of Chaim Bloom’s main tasks in his first year as Cardinals’ general manager, and Arenado is reportedly more willing now to waive his no-trade clause than in past years. His defense is still above average, though not quite at the level it once was, and he also had his worst season at the plate since his rookie year, excluding the shortened 2020 season. His OPS+ dropped to 87, and his OBP was below .300 for the first time in his career. Entering his age-35 season, he can no longer be relied upon to be an impact in the lineup. Adding Arenado to the lineup would likely mean that Maikel Garcia would be displaced from third base following his Gold Glove-worthy season. Another issue is his contract. Arenado is owed $22 million by the Cardinals and $5 million by the Rockies next season, and $15 million in 2027. For the Royals to even consider a trade for Arenado, the Cardinals would have to retain a portion of his salary, something they were willing to do in their trade for Sonny Gray last month. Even so, there are too many issues for a trade involving Arenado to be likely. Nolan Gorman - Free Agent in 2029 Gorman has spent most of his career playing second and third base, but, as mentioned earlier, the Royals have some potential flexibility with Massey and India being able to play in the outfield. Gorman had a productive year in 2023 with a 2.4 fWAR and 116 OPS+, but he followed that up with disappointing seasons in both 2024 and 2025, with a total fWAR of 0.4 and an average OPS+ of 87.5 in those seasons. If the Royals trade for him, they will hope he can return to his 2023 form, but they should be able to find more impactful options on the market. Royals-Cardinals Possible Trade Scenarios Option 1: Major Trade Royals Receive: 2B Brendan Donovan OF Lars Nootbaar LHP JoJo Romero Cardinals Receive: LHP Noah Cameron 2B/OF Nick Loftin LHP Angel Zerpa RHP Ben Kudrna (No. 5 prospect) This is a trade that would involve a lot of moving parts. The Royals would receive an upgrade, with some risk, in their outfield with Nootbaar, in addition to a major upgrade in their lineup with Donovan. JoJo Romero would provide a boost to the back of the bullpen to group with Lucas Erceg and Carlos Estevez. The Royals would likely need to find a new home for either Massey or India to allow Donovan to take over at second base. The cost is likely worth it for the Royals here. They do give up Cameron, who just finished fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting, but the Royals have enough pitching depth to allow him to leave. Loftin becomes surplus to needs with the addition of Donovan and Nootbaar, and he can hope to benefit from a change of scenery after having a less impressive 2025 season. Zerpa will give the Cardinals a left-handed bullpen arm with more years of control than Romero, and Kudrna will give the Cardinals a look at a future pitching option. The key with all of these additions for the Cardinals is controllable assets. With the Cardinals looking less likely to compete in 2026, targeting controllable talent aligns with Bloom’s long-term strategy. Zerpa will be a free agent in 2029, Loftin in 2031, and Cameron in 2032. Option 2: More Realistic Royals Receive: 2B Brendan Donovan Cardinals Receive: LHP Noah Cameron RHP Ben Kudrna (No. 5 prospect) This trade scenario is much more realistic than option 1, but it leaves the Royals still searching for another option in the lineup, particularly in the outfield. However, the same logic applies to each team. The Royals add an impactful bat to the lineup, and the Cardinals gain a starting pitcher with five years of control plus a promising prospect. Option 3: Realistic, but Less Ideal Royals Receive: OF Lars Nootbaar LHP JoJo Romero Cardinals Receive: RHP Stephen Kolek LHP Angel Zerpa This option is less ideal for the Royals because while it does improve the outfield with the addition of Nootbaar, his offensive ability will not be as impactful as Donovan’s. Trading Zerpa for Romero is a “win-now” bullpen upgrade, and adding Nootbaar brings upside with risk. Kolek was acquired last season from San Diego in exchange for Freddy Fermin. He impressed after joining the Royals with a 1.91 ERA and 2.71 FIP in five starts in Kansas City. He would be ready to slot into the Cardinals' rotation and doesn’t become a free agent until 2031. Conclusion Since the Royals and Cardinals are actively looking in the trade market for their own roster solutions, they could likely end up dealing across Missouri. Whether they can agree on a mutually beneficial deal remains to be seen, but the framework is certainly there. View the full article

Starting in early 2023, the Twins appeared to have the shortstop position figured out for the foreseeable future, with a Carlos Correa megadeal. Correa has since been shipped back to the Astros, though, and we now have a 189-game sample of Brooks Lee. According to Baseball Savant, last season, he was well below average in batting, baserunning and fielding. However, he did do two things well: squaring up the ball and avoiding strikeouts. In total, he tallied -0.8 bWAR last year. It was really, really bad, but there's a glimmer of hope. What’s the answer for a player like Lee, who needs to get better and is on a team that claims it would like to compete in 2026? He profiles substantially better at second base. With his poor arm strength and slow feet, he is far more palatable on the right side of the infield. He has good actions as a defender, but the reality of the majors is that if he’s going to be a soft-hitting shortstop, he needs to bring above-average defense to that spot. I just don’t see it. Swing him over to second base, and let him continue to develop the bat. He needs to be a high-contact switch-hitter, and a Swiss army knife when constructing a batting order. That introduces a new question: What should the team do with Luke Keaschall? I love his offensive makeup, but he was extremely clunky at second base. His arm was also a source of tsuris and agita. The Twins have been searching for another right-handed bat in the outfield every offseason for a few years now. Left field could be the long-term fit for Keaschall The organization should obviously continue to rehab his arm and have him on a strict throwing program, but with his athletic ability, a move to left could be great for him and the ball club. So, what about the Twins’ need for a shortstop? They have a great candidate to be a long-term solution, in Kaelen Culpepper. I love his swing, and I expect him to knock on the door of the big leagues in 2026. But again, we return to the fact that they want to compete in 2026. It’s not a real answer to say this guy who finished in Double A is going to hop onto the big club after spring training, and they’re rolling with the rookie. That is, it’s not a real answer if you’re trying to be a serious threat in 2026. Regardless of how well he hits in Fort Myers this March, we should expect to see Culpepper in St. Paul, where he will likely be hitting in front of Walker Jenkins for a month or two (talk about a fun Triple-A squad). Well, now what? I just moved Brooks Lee to second base, Keaschall to the outfield, and declared Culpepper to be unready for a club trying to be a contender. With some alleged spending money, the Twins can go to a tried-and-true method: the stopgap shortstop. It’s an extremely unsexy play, but it makes so much sense for the current state of the ball club. Pending his price tag, a guy like Ha-Seong Kim (coming off an injury =-plagued season, likely looking for a prove-it deal) would be a phenomenal fit. This gives us a good look at the infield, with Royce Lewis improving defensively and Kim always grading well at short. Lee will get one final chance to be the answer in the big leagues, and if so, the team will have a long-term home for Keaschall’s top-of-the-order bat and legs. If Culpepper rakes and he gets the call, bump Kim to second or keep Lee rolling, depending on who is playing better. This will allow the other to fall into the “day-off” infielder role, since they can each fill in at all the infield spots. The stopgap move is flat-out boring, but I think it would be a sneaky big move with the Twins' current personnel. This could also give Culpepper a smooth runway to the bigs letting him take the reins as the shortstop when he is ready. The move puts the roster in a very healthy spot to potentially move Trevor Larnach for a bullpen arm or a prospect, which seems increasingly likely as we get further into December. This course of action isn’t ESPN headline-worthy, but it’s a sensible move that could pay huge dividends in the short- and long-term outlook for the Twins. View the full article

Quinn Priester made incredible in-season strides shortly after joining the Brewers via trade in early April. They first found success by leaning on his two best existing pitches—his sinker and slider—before working a retooled cut fastball and more curveballs into his mix. In 157 ⅓ innings, Priester posted a career-best 3.32 ERA and 82 DRA-, with an excellent 56.7% ground ball rate. Even after all that progress, there was still something missing from his arsenal by season's end: a reliable changeup. As the Brewers have emphasized mixing fastball variations, they've largely avoided throwing mediocre changeups, and Priester was no exception. He threw his changeup at a decent rate early in his career, but after joining the Brewers, he only used it sparingly for a few starts—before ditching it almost entirely. Without a slower pitch to break away from lefties, Priester attacked them with more cutters and curveballs in addition to his sinker. It created noticeable platoon splits: righties managed just a .275 xwOBA against him, but lefties posted a .317 mark. The Brewers used an opener ahead of him five times during the regular season against lineups with left-handed sluggers at the top, and his postseason usage suggested they were shielding him from those matchups with added urgency. To become a more well-rounded starter, Priester will need another weapon against opposite-handed opponents. When talking in early June about his sinker-slider pairing, pitching coach Chris Hook kept coming back to the changeup. They were still working at it on the side, he said, adding that he expected it to become a more significant factor in the future. "I think the changeup is there," Hook said. "We've got to get to a point where we can trust it and throw it in spots that it's good for him, but he's got to be on time [mechanically] to be able to do it." That point, seemingly, never arrived. For the rest of the season, Priester threw just 10 changeups. Even if his execution improves to the Brewers' liking, he would benefit from adding a little more depth to the pitch. In 2025, the average right-handed sinker and changeup differed by 7.5 mph, 3.4 inches of spin-induced vertical movement, and 9.1 inches of total vertical drop. For Priester, those figures were 5.5, 2.7, and 6.5, respectively, meaning his changeup lacked separation from his heavy sinker. Notice in the movement plot below how close the green cluster of changeups is to the orange cluster of sinkers. As someone who slightly cuts the ball at release and relies on seam effects to make it sink, Priester could be a candidate for a kick changeup, which incorporates a spiked middle finger to promote more sidespin. Another option may be a split-change, which became a weapon for Tobias Myers after he adopted it midseason. Regardless of what it takes to get there, it's clear that Priester will need more dependable offspeed stuff to close one of the remaining holes in his arsenal, and the Brewers want him to develop it. "He's showing me that he's able to do it," Hook said. "I look forward to the day that he's going to be able to incorporate the changeup as well." View the full article

Even by their usual standards, this has been a slow-moving offseason for the Miami Marlins. Although the Marlins have had widespread "interest" in players capable of improving their lineup and late-inning relief, they've been unable to close any significant deals as of Friday morning. The handful of free agents to join the organization on minor league contracts profile as Triple-A depth. More than two months since Isaac Azout's pre-offseason roster projection, not much has changed. That being said, Fish On First's recent reporting has added some clarity to how Miami's internal options would be utilized if the 2026 season started today. Position players Default starting lineup: C Agustín Ramírez, 1B Eric Wagaman, 2B Xavier Edwards, 3B Graham Pauley, SS Otto Lopez, LF Kyle Stowers, CF Jakob Marsee, RF Griffin Conine, DH Heriberto Hernández Bench: C/1B Liam Hicks, UTIL Javier Sanoja, INF/OF Connor Norby, OF Dane Myers Eleven of these 13 names finished the 2025 season on the Marlins active roster, the only exceptions being Stowers (oblique strain) and Myers (knee laceration), who have since fully recovered from their injuries. It is still likely that the Marlins will acquire somebody to overtake or at least compete directly with Wagaman. If those efforts fail, it'd be a first-base-by-committee approach which may involve the likes of Hicks, Pauley, Conine and Hernández moving off their natural positions to patch things together. Just missed: C Joe Mack Historically, most prospects with Mack's pedigree have been excluded from the Marlins Opening Day roster for service-time manipulation purposes—assigning them to the minor leagues for two weeks delays their free agent eligibility by a full year. Particularly during Bruce Sherman's ownership tenure, cost-efficiency has taken priority over winning ballgames. I have to assume that approach will continue until proven otherwise. Similar to Ramírez last year, Mack will likely debut in mid-to-late April. Pitchers Starting rotation: RHP Sandy Alcantara, RHP Edward Cabrera, RHP Eury Pérez, LHP Ryan Weathers, RHP Max Meyer Bullpen: RHP Ronny Henriquez, RHP Anthony Bender, RHP Calvin Faucher, RHP Tyler Phillips, LHP Cade Gibson, RHP Lake Bachar, LHP Andrew Nardi, RHP Janson Junk It feels like an eternity ago, but there was legitimate excitement around Meyer as a starter in spring training. He looked to be justifying the hype with a 2.10 ERA and 33.9% strikeout rate through his first five regular season starts. Regression hit him hard after that and his struggles were exacerbated by a hip injury. Although he ought to be on a short leash given the Marlins' abundance of rotation candidates, the former top draft pick will probably break camp with a starting job. The Marlins tendered Nardi a contract coming off a completely lost season. That doesn't mean his nagging back issue has been resolved. Even if available to take the mound, perhaps the quality of stuff will have diminished too much for him to reprise his 2023-24 role. Just missed: LHP Braxton Garrett, RHP Josh White Garrett would be the biggest beneficiary of a potential Cabrera trade. Barring that, he may have to bide his time in Jacksonville until a rotation spot opens up. White should be a welcome reinforcement for a bullpen that lacked swing-and-miss in 2025. It's just hard to squeeze him onto the roster if everybody's healthy and the Marlins decide to carry multiple lefty relievers. View the full article

The Blue Jays were two outs from ending a 32-year title drought before Miguel Rojas tied the game and sent it to extras. They were inches away from winning Game 7 when Isiah Kiner-Falefa was thrown out at the plate. The Dodgers would end up outlasting Toronto in the 11th to repeat as champions. A devastating end to an improbable season for the Jays. Considering the way the season started, it wasn’t a forgone conclusion that the Jays would even get to the postseason. Contributions by their stars and unheralded players enabled the Jays to win the division. From there, the team advanced to the World Series through razor-thin margins: a Game 7 ALCS decided by George Springer’s go-ahead homer and a World Series that swung on defensive gems and bullpen decisions. In 2026, the same coin flips may not have the same results. Through elite contact, improved infield defense, and matchup creativity, the Jays got ever so close to the elusive title. Repeating will take more than merely duplicating performance, as there are so many variables at play, including opposition results, injuries, team cohesion and overall luck. The same two teams have met in back-to-back World Series nine times in MLB history, with the most recent being the Yankees-Dodgers rematch in 1981 (after 1981, they met again in 2024). These rematches are rare, with notable instances involving the Yankees, Giants, Dodgers, Cardinals, Cubs and Tigers. The biggest offseason storyline for the team is still a waiting game: Will Bo Bichette re-sign and provide the Jays with a similar look to their lineup for 2026? His departure would require some shifting in the infield and force the team to look for other ways to replace his offensive output. The Jays’ win-now approach is clear. The $500 million extension Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed during the season and Dylan Cease’s recent $210 million deal anchor the payroll. Those moves signalled intent but may limit additional options. Money won’t necessarily buy love or championships. Historically, the highest-spending MLB teams are generally successful. They often make the playoffs and compete for championships. Prime examples would be the Dodgers and Yankees. However, spending money doesn’t guarantee winning seasons. Just look at the 2023 or 2025 Mets, who spent big with no result. Some teams, such as the Rays and Brewers, use smart development to compensate for lower payrolls, but that isn’t the way the Jays have elected to do things. To return to where they left off, the Jays will need to see some repeat performances. Springer posted career-best numbers at age 35. Ernie Clement became a postseason folk hero. Expecting both to repeat peak seasons may not be realistic. Will Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger continue on an upward trajectory? What about injuries? And that’s only the offence. Next season will see the introduction of Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System. That will be an interesting new wrinkle for all teams, including the Jays. Alejandro Kirk’s framing will undoubtedly continue to be an advantage for the Jays, especially with the new system in place. Catchers who understand the edges, who know which pitches deserve a challenge and which should be let go, will save outs and baserunners over a season. The new starting rotation led by Cease and Kevin Gausman will be formidable. It will be fascinating to see how opposing lineups handle Trey Yesavage after his phenomenal debut at the end of last season and into the postseason. The postseason taught us that how a team uses its starters is as important as who those starters are. The Blue Jays leveraged matchups, piggybacks, and aggressive bullpen usage to keep games in reach. The regular season demands a different tempo. Gausman and Cease will need to soak up quality innings to preserve the relievers for leverage. Yesavage’s next step will be less about pure stuff than sequencing, stamina, and the patience to survive third-time-through exposures. If the rotation can blend efficiency with tactical flexibility, thereby shortening games when it must and stretching them when it can, the Jays might be able to survive the inevitable valleys of a six-month grind. Apart from bringing back Bichette or signing Kyle Tucker, the Jays are working on upgrading their bullpen. Bullpens, even more than starting rotations, are often the most unpredictable component of a team every season. Depending on a bullpen's usage during the regular season, its success can waver into the postseason. That was evident for both the Jays and Dodgers during the World Series. The coaching staff will see some new faces in 2026. Manager John Schneider, associate manager DeMarlo Hale and pitching coach Pete Walker will be back, as will hitting coach David Popkins. Don Mattingly stepped down from his role as bench coach at the end of the season, and assistant hitting coach Hunter Mense departed to San Francisco to become their hitting coach. New voices on the coaching staff may recalibrate risk tolerance or redefine what “aggressive” means on the bases. On the hitting side, the bridge between analytics and feel is delicate. Popkins’ return will keep the language consistent, but Mense’s exit removes a connector who helped translate data into daily routines for key players. The coaching staff’s main job in 2026 will be to retain the clarity that fueled 2025 while inviting fresh perspectives that can help the offense in specific matchups and mitigate poor decisions when the pressure mounts. Intangibles like team chemistry and how the players respond to adversity are where the “luck” and the magic of a season unfold. Beneath that, can the Jays maintain their league-best contact rate from 2025 and further improve their defense and bullpen? Replicating all of that won’t come easy. Not to mention that after a successful season as the top team in the American League, there will be a target on their backs. It will be hard for the Blue Jays to repeat their 2025 success in 2026, not because they were lucky, but because the precise set of factors that made 2025 work will be difficult to reproduce. Still, with bold adaptation and health, they can finish what they started in 2026. View the full article

The 2024 MLB Draft was the first one overseen by Craig Breslow following his hiring as the Chief Baseball Officer of the Boston Red Sox. Under Breslow, the Red Sox turned their attention to pitchers who had a combination of height, extension and a fastball with lots of upward mobility. They also looked at athletic positional players with the potential to have an impact bat while playing multiple positions. Quite a few of the top prospects drafted by the Red Sox in 2024 are no longer with the organization due to trades, but the ones who remained have begun to show promise. Here is a look at how the top selections performed in their first full professional season 2025. OF Braden Montgomery (Round 1, Pick 12) Montgomery never got to play a single game in the Red Sox organization after falling to them due to a fractured ankle he suffered in June. That didn’t keep his stock from falling too much, as the corner outfielder who had plus-plus raw power was traded to the Chicago White Sox as part of the package for Garrett Crochet. The 22-year-old proved to be past his ankle injury this year, as he played in 121 games across three levels and finished the season with a slash line of .270/.360/.444, good for an .804 OPS. He also hit 32 doubles, four triples, 12 home runs and drove in 68 RBIs. Defensively, he mostly split time between center field and right field when he wasn’t the designated hitter and finished the season with just three errors in 177 defensive chances while also recording eight assists. P Payton Tolle (Round 2, Pick 50) Everyone around here knows of what Tolle did this year. Christened as "The Piglet" for his size and fastball while following in the steps of Crochet ("The War Pig"), Tolle was absolutely impressive in 2025 as he not only skipped Single-A but pitched across four levels He made appearances in High-A, Double-A, Triple-A and in the majors with Boston. His time in the minors showcased why the Red Sox think so highly of him thanks to 133 strikeouts in just 91 2/3 innings, but his time with Boston proved that he still has some work to do. Tolle’s fastball is already great, but the need to develop secondary pitches is clear based on how he pitched at the major-league level. In 16 1/3 innings, Tolle surrendered 11 earned runs on 18 hits, including five home runs and eight walks, good for a 6.06 ERA. Despite that, he still struck out 19 batters, and his upside is as tantalizing as any pitcher in baseball. P Brandon Neely (Round 3, Pick 86) Neely missed the entire 2025 campaign due to forearm stiffness and made his professional debut in the Arizona Fall League. Much like most pitchers in the AFL (which is a very hitter-friendly league), Neely had good and bad appearances as he appeared in five games and made one start. In total, he tossed 10 innings and allowed 12 earned runs on 16 hits, one being a home run, and eight walks. He also struck out 11 during that span and flashed the potential that made him a third-round pick a few times. With a healthy 2026, Neely should be able to rise through the system quickly, especially if the team develops him as a bullpen arm while featuring his fastball-slider combination. OF Zach Ehrhard (Round 4, Pick 115) Ehrhard started the 2025 season off extremely hot, hitting .342/.471/.459 with High-A Greenville across his first 31 games. As one of the hottest hitters in the Red Sox organization at the time, Ehrhard was promoted to Double-A Portland where he began to cool off. Appearing in 58 games, Ehrhard would only slash .227/.305/.412 and would eventually be moved in a trade that now looks like a massive overpay by the Red Sox for pitcher Dustin May. Packaged with James Tibbs III, the two outfielders were shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where Ehrhard would finish the season at Double-A Tulsa and appear in 34 games. In that time, he would go on to hit .282/.391/.466, looking more like the hitter he was to begin the season. Showcasing a mix of power and contact, Ehrhard proved why the Red Sox were interested in him for years — they also drafted (and failed to sign) him in the 13th round in 2021. P Brandon Clarke (Round 5, Pick 148) Another prospect from the 2024 draft that was traded, Clarke had an up-and-down season in the Red Sox's organization. Opening the season with Salem, Clarke looked like a potential steal as a fifth-round pick as he tossed 9 2/3 innings and allowed just one run on two hits while striking out 17. Armed with a fastball that could hit triple digits, it seemed like between Clarke and Tolle, the 2024 draft class had the potential to deliver two exciting pitchers. However, things went south for Clarke upon joining Greenville where minor injuries, stamina concerns and being wild on the mound led some to wonder if he was soon meant for the bullpen. In 11 starts with the Drive, Clarke would toss 28 1/3 innings while allowing 16 earned runs on 15 hits and a staggering 25 walks, not to mention 11 hit by pitches and 12 wild pitches. While he also struck out 43, he was no longer the hyped-up prospect that had made his way into Top 100 lists back in May. He would eventually be one of two pitchers (the other being Richard Fitts) sent to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a trade that brought Sonny Gray back to Boston. P Blake Aita (Round 6, Pick 177) Aita did not pitch an inning in 2024 after getting drafted, as is standard for the majority of pitching prospects drafted by Boston the last few years. Instead, he made his debut with Single-A Salem in 2025, where, after 10 appearances, he was promoted to Greenville. With the Drive, Aita impressed, making 13 appearances, 10 of them starts going 3-4 with a 3.78 ERA across 64 1/3 innings. He also struck out 54 batters and walked 21. For the entire season, he appeared in 23 games and went 5-7 with a 3.98 ERA across 115 1/3 innings. He would go on to strike out 99 batters and walk 30. Aita has three pitchesL his fastball, sweeper and changeup. After sitting 89-92 mph in college, he has gotten his fastball to now sit 92-95 mph while his secondary stuff is ahead of his fastball thanks to his advanced feel for spin. His sweeper at times can get over 3200 RPMs and has shown bat-missing ability. During his time with Greenville, he only had two appearances where he allowed more than three earned runs, and he had six starts where he allowed two or fewer earned runs. Aita is an intriguing prospect whose future between the rotation and bullpen will be determined based on how his fastball develops. OF Will Turner (Round 7, Pick 207) Turner has had a rough start to his professional career which carried over from his final season in college. In that campaign with South Alabama, Turner saw his numbers drop to a batting line of .218/.409/.421 with 13 doubles and nine home runs along with 24 RBIs. In his first 23 games with Greenville at the end of the 2024 season, he struggled, hitting .081/.250/.122. The struggles continued as he opened the 2025 season on the injured list due to a broken hamate bone. Upon returning, Turner played 52 games between Greenville and the team’s Florida Complex squad, hitting just .156/.360/.265 with four doubles, four home runs and 20 RBIs. Despite that, he has a solid approach at the plate and rarely chases. Should he return to his pre-2024 form (prior to his tweaks in college to try and hit for more power), Turner could yield a lot of upside at the plate. His mechanics are already getting tweaked, and the hope is he can be more of the hitter he was in 2023 that made him a top-100 draft prospect and a Cape Cod League All-Star. Defensively, he split time between all three outfield positions and only made two errors (one in center field and one in right field). Currently, he profiles as an average defender and moves well in the outfield. P/SS Conrad Cason (Round 8, Pick 237) Cason was a high-risk, high-reward pick in 2024 as the team managed to get him to forego his Mississippi State commitment. While other teams wanted him to pitch exclusively, the Red Sox had interest in him as a two-way player. Unfortunately, Cason did not play much in 2025 as he made two appearances, one on the mound and the other as the designated hitter, before dealing with arm fatigue that became elbow soreness and eventually forced him to undergo Tommy John surgery on August 14. In his lone appearance on the mound, Cason tossed two innings, walked a batter and struck out five. Offensively. he went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Cason has been rehabbing since then and appears to be on track for spring training, though there is no timetable for when he will get back into game action. (For more information about Cason, check out our exclusive interview with the prospect from October). The 2024 draft class has shown a mix of ups and downs for the Red Sox, with some players emerging as stars and others stalling in their development. Several players may be gone, but in being traded, they helped bring in quality major league talent. The verdict may be out on most of these players, but such is the case in baseball drafts. The early returns appear positive, and for that, the Red Sox should be patting themselves on the back. View the full article

The 2026 MLB Draft Lottery did not go in the Miami Marlins' favor. For the second consecutive year, they were leapfrogged by multiple teams that finished ahead of them in the standings. Miami was projected to get the ninth pick in the first round. However, they fell five spots and are locked in at pick #14. Not only will have they have to wait longer to get access to amateur talent, but their overall bonus pool is smaller than it would've been otherwise, which will limit their flexibility in later rounds. The Marlins have had some success with the 14th overall pick. Drafting from the same position in 2011, they selected two-time All-Star and NL Rookie of the Year right-handed pitcher José Fernández. With the 2026 draft still seven months away, here are six prospects who could be an option for the Marlins with the 14th pick. 1. Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS (CA) Stanford commit Tyler Spangler looks to be the next top California high school product to be taken in the top of the first round. Spangler looks to have plus power potential, with the chance for plus-plus as he matures. He does a great job of hitting pull-side and getting backspin on the ball. He combines this power with an above-average hit tool for his age and the ability to play shortstop. The 6’3” left-handed hitter will be 18 on draft night. 2. Chris Hacopian, SS, Texas A&M One of the top hitters available in the 2026 MLB Draft is Texas A&M infielder Chris Hacopian. The 6’1”, 200-pound infielder spent his first two seasons at the University of Maryland before entering the Transfer Portal last offseason. During the 2025 season, Hacopian slashed .375/.502/.656 with 72 hits, twelve doubles, fourteen home runs, 61 RBIs, 40 walks, and a 1.158 OPS. Hacopian is the 14th-ranked draft prospect on Baseball America and the 16th-ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline. At the plate, Hacopian might be the best pure hitter in the draft not named Roch Cholowsky. He has an excellent feel for the strike zone and rarely chases out of the zone. He consistently makes loud contact and possesses above-average power. Hacopian projects to play third base at the next level. 3. Brady Harris, OF, Trinity Christian HS (FL) Going back multiple years, Brady Harris has been a highly regarded piece of the 2026 draft class. With the stick, Harris has a natural swing and a presence in the batter’s box. Generating strong exit velocities and a knack for hit the ball into both gaps of the outfield defense, Harris utilizes his speed to pull off extra base hits. He has shown some holes in his swing and will need to work on his plate approach moving forward. The Florida native's stock has fallen slightly after a tough summer, but Harris continues to get first-round buzz due to his strong floor and projections. He has shown the requisite speed, instincts, and arm strength that point in the direction of sticking at center field. Brady Harris will be fun to keep track of as the MLB Draft nears. 4. A.J. Garcia, OF, Virginia Another position player who entered the Transfer Portal this offseason was outfielder A.J. Garcia. The Duke transfer is coming off a monster sophomore campaign and could be an option for the Marlins with the 14th pick. In his final season at Duke, Garcia slashed .294/.445/.558 with 63 hits, ten doubles, one triple, fifteen home runs, 54 RBIs, 57 walks, and a 1.007 OPS. After two seasons at Duke, Garcia entered the Transfer Portal and committed to Virginia. Garcia is the ninth-ranked draft prospect on Baseball America and the fifteenth-ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline. At the plate, Garcia is one of the top power hitters in the 2026 draft class. His raw power is rated at a 60 grade. He has a good approach at the plate and makes great swing decisions. He broke Duke’s record for most walks in a season with 57 free passes. While he played center field last season, Garcia projects as a corner outfielder in the pros. 5. Gio Rojas, LHP, Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS (FL) South Florida native and University of Miami committee Gio Rojas is the top high school pitcher in the 2026 draft class. Rojas is 6’4”, 190pounds and will be 19 on draft day. His fastball sits 92-95 mph and he has some deception in his delivery. Coming from a lower arm slot, his velo plays up. Rojas also has a great changeup and breaking ball, which showcases his feel for spin. It may be unlikely that Gio Rojas is available at pick 14, but some teams may be unwilling to select a high school lefty so high, something the Marlins historically have not feared. Rojas is extremely projectable and may be able to move through a system fast. His ability to throw strikes, offer three plus pitches, and dominate hitters have teams excited about him. 6. Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida Florida Gators right-handed pitcher Liam Peterson is one of the top pitchers available in the 2026 MLB Draft. Peterson was once a Top 100 draft prospect coming out of high school and could be a top-15 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. In his sophomore season, Peterson made sixteen appearances and fifteen starts for the Gators. Peterson posted an 8-4 record with a 4.28 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and 96 strikeouts in 69 ⅓ innings pitched. Peterson is the fourth-ranked draft prospect on Baseball America and the thirteenth-ranked draft prospect on MLB Pipeline. On the mound, Peterson has a four-pitch arsenal, including one of the best fastballs in the draft class. Peterson’s fastball sits in the mid-90s and has been clocked at 99 mph with good carry. His 12-6 curveball and slider are above-average pitches and can generate swing-and-miss. Peterson needs to be more consistent and improve his command. The Sunshine State native is incredibly talented, but needs to put it together heading into the 2026 season. View the full article

After missing out on Mike Yastrzemski (who opted to sign a two-year deal with the Atlanta Braves), the Royals acquired some much-needed outfield help on Thursday night. According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, Kansas City signed free-agent outfielder Lane Thomas to a one-year, $5.2 million deal with $1 million in incentives. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com posted the financial details of Thomas' deal on social media. Thomas has spent the last 1.5 seasons with the Guardians and previously played for the Nationals. 2025 was a tough season for Thomas, as he was limited to 39 games and 142 plate appearances due to a wrist injury and plantar fasciitis, which landed him on the IL twice. In that small sample, Thomas slashed .160/.246/.272 with a .518 OPS and 48 wRC+. He also had a -0.5 fWAR, the worst mark of his career, and his Statcast percentiles were pretty poor as well, as illustrated in his TJ Stats Statcast summary below. In addition to ranking in the first percentile in wOBA and xwOBA, he also ranked in the 1st percentile in LA Sweet-Spot percentage, 2nd percentile in Z-Contact percentage, 3rd percentile in strikeout rate, 7th percentile in whiff rate, and 8th percentile in hard-hit rate. The only things Thomas did well at the plate last season were not to chase (83rd percentile O-Swing%) and draw a decent number of walks (72nd percentile BB%). While the numbers from last year aren't impressive, Thomas is an intriguing signing who comes with little financial risk (only a one-year deal) and boosts the depth in the outfield. He could also be used expertly by manager Matt Quatraro in centerfield with Kyle Isbel, who posted a 79 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR in 409 plate appearances last season. Thus, let's take a look at Thomas' overall profile and his outlook for the Royals in 2026. Thomas Is a Platoon Option With a Questionable Defensive History Royals GM JJ Picollo didn't acquire Thomas to be the primary answer to the Royals' outfielder woes from last season (they ranked last in wRC+ and fWAR). Instead, the 30-year-old former Blue Jays draft pick should help solidify the centerfield position, especially when Isbel needs a game off against left-handed starting pitchers. The overall numbers weren't great for Thomas last year, but he did perform better against lefties than righties, according to Fangraphs. Against righties, he posted a 43 wRC+, .094 ISO, and 0.25 BB/K ratio. Against lefties? He posted a 58 wRC+, .150 ISO, and 0.50 BB/K ratio. He posted better power and showcased stronger plate discipline against southpaws than righties last season. Over his career, Thomas has a 135 wRC+, .208 ISO, and a 0.48 BB/K ratio against lefties. That is much better than 84 wRC+, .163 ISO, and 0.27 BB/K ratio against righties. For further context, Isbel has a career 64 wRC+, .062 ISO, and 0.23 BB/K ratio against lefties. Thus, while Thomas wasn't sensational, he does offer more upside offensively against left-handed pitchers than Isbel. The Royals likely acquired Thomas because he can play centerfield. Unfortunately, the Royals didn't get much production from center fielders beyond Isbel, as shown in the table below. Unfortunately, the defensive data hasn't exactly been endearing to Thomas. Thomas struggled defensively for the Guardians in 2025. According to Statcast data, He posted a 0 FRV (fielding run value) and a -2 OAA (outs above average) for the Guardians last season, primarily playing center field. Furthermore, over his career, Thomas's defensive numbers aren't encouraging, based on OAA and FRV data. His career OAA is -17, and his FRV is -3. His best defensive season came in 2023 with the Nationals, when he posted a +2 FRV, but -4 OAA (primarily due to his porous play in right field that season). DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) isn't much kinder, as he had a career -18 DRS in the outfield and a -7 career DRS in centerfield, according to Fangraphs. Thus, it will be interesting to see how Thomas is utilized defensively and how he adjusts to Kauffman Stadium's spacious confines. So much of Isbel's value is tied to his defensive value and his ability to rob base hits and save runs. That ability was noticed this year by the experts, as he was a finalist for the AL Gold Glove award (though he came up short to Boston's Ceddanne Rafaela). Can Thomas at least provide average defensive value in centerfield when Isbel needs those games off? And if he can't defensively, can he at least make up for it on the hitting end? Looking at his 2024 metrics and Statcast data could give a hint as to whether the latter is possible. Could Thomas Bounce Back To His 2024 Self (At Least)? Last season wasn't exactly a fair portrait of Thomas due to his injuries. Thus, to get a fuller picture of Thomas, it is essential to look at what he did in 2024 when he played with the Nationals and Guardians (he was traded to Cleveland at the Trade Deadline that season). The numbers are not eye-popping, but they're certainly better than 2025 and not bad for a fourth outfielder. With the Nationals and Guardians in 2024, Thomas slashed .237/.309/.400 with a .709 OPS and 99 wRC+. He also posted a 1.4 fWAR, hit 15 home runs, scored 65 runs, collected 63 RBI, and stole 32 bases. He came up clutch in the postseason that year, launching a big grand slam against AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in Game 5 of the ALDS. When looking at his TJ Stats Statcast summary from 2024, it was a lot more promising than his summary from his injury-plagued 2025. Thomas' 2024 percentiles weren't impressive, but they weren't as poor as in 2025. He also still posted a strong O-Swing% of 22.9%, ranking in the 87th percentile. Thus, Thomas can at least provide professional, disciplined at-bats at the end of the batting order, which the Royals didn't consistently do last season. To compare, let's look at Isbel's TJ Stats Statcast summary from last year. Isbel seems much better at making contact and avoiding strikeouts (69th percentile K rate). However, his hard-hit rate and barrel rate paled in comparison to what Thomas did in 2024. Hence, Isbel and Thomas could be a nice platoon in 2026, giving the Royals different elements from the centerfield position, depending on the pitching matchup. Ultimately, that's what Thomas is for the Royals: Another piece of the puzzle in the outfield, but not the leading solution. At $5.2 million, he's not paid to be that primary outfielder in 2026, either. If the Royals can get the 2024 value of Thomas in this upcoming season, then Kansas City will be satisfied with their first major pickup of the winter. The Royals have more and bigger moves on the horizon this offseason, especially if they want to improve their lineup for 2026 significantly. That said, acquiring Thomas is a nice piece that fills a need off the bench (right-handed centerfielder), who may carry some bigger upside if he can stay healthy. View the full article

Jason and Mitch recap the MLB Winter Meetings, discuss recent Cubs free agent and trade rumors, and discuss the pickup of side-arming lefty reliever, Hoby Milner. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-north-side-baseball-podcast/id1798599313 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75wMGhBwlrDDYPt3kaF453 Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-north-side-baseball-po-268998437/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/eey7h6ih Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@northsidebaseball View the full article

Carson McCusker is a man who is defined by his height—80 inches, to be exact, but who’s counting? If someone knows the name Carson McCusker, they know it because he’s 6-foot-8. He’s tied for the tallest hitter in MLB history, and only eight pitchers have ever been taller. For an exceptionally tall person, it’s hard to have the fine motor control needed to succeed in baseball. That McCusker ever made the big leagues is an accomplishment in itself, even if it was brief, and with his intentions to play baseball in Asia after his release from Minnesota, it’s unclear that he will ever don an MLB uniform again. But even if that doesn’t happen, it did happen. He had 30 big-league plate appearances. He was no Moonlight Graham, no 2021 Drew Maggi. He got his moment in the sun, regardless of how short that moment was. And he earned it. He did it the hard way. McCusker went undrafted in 2021 and signed with the Tri-City Valleycats of the independent Frontier League. Thousands of men choose to try to keep the dream alive with a couple of years playing in front of a couple of thousand fans every couple of nights, somewhere in rural America. Really, McCusker’s story is a piece of Americana legend. He was a larger-than-life, Paul Bunyan-like character who did one thing well—hitting the ball a country mile—hoping he could hit it just far enough to get a chance. He left his arid town out west—Sparks, Nevada—to enroll at a community college in Folsom, California (yes, where the county prison of Johnny Cash fame lies), before transferring to Oklahoma State. After his draft disappointment, he found himself in Upstate New York, playing indy ball, trying to put one over the Adirondacks to get his shot. McCusker’s dream was eventually realized. Each year, several players are purchased out of independent baseball by some MLB team, and stashed away in some low-level affiliate. McCusker joined the Single-A Fort Myers Mighty Mussels in 2023 as a 25-year-old, nearly four years older than the average player at the level, both he and the Twins hoping that he could hit just enough moonshots off opponents who couldn’t legally drink to justify moving him up the ladder. And Baseball’s Paul Bunyan kept marching, hitting enough tape-measure shots to go from Folsom to Stillwater, from Troy to Fort Myers, from Cedar Rapids to Wichita before finally arriving in the Twin Cities by the end of 2024. It’s remarkable, really, that the mountain of a man was able to scale four levels of minor-league baseball in just over a calendar year, two years after every team passed on drafting him at least 20 times. But once you’re in St. Paul, you’re almost in Minneapolis. Blast after blast, the big dude dinged enough dongs to put himself on the radar for a call-up. But even the best stories need a little luck. He got his call in May 2025, because of a rash of injuries to Minnesota’s outfield, less than two years after he was first plucked out of the Frontier League. He had his shot. It was a narrow one—perhaps too narrow a shot for a man of his frame. In his first stint with Minnesota, he received six plate appearances across nine games, finally achieving his first hit. It didn’t land in the parking lot, merely a blooper into right field, minutes before being demoted back to Triple A. But the lid was off. He’d seen one fall in a big-league stadium. Maybe, next time, the towering home runs would come. Few opportunities to hit those bombs materialized for the man whose future relied so heavily on them. In mid-September, after much of the Twins’ talent had been sent off to teams with playoff dreams that Minnesota no longer had, McCusker was given the green light on a 3-0 count, and he uncorked that long swing of his. With men on first and second, the ball flew off the bat to dead center at 102 miles per hour, soaring through a windy Minnesota night sky—and fell to the earth 402 feet later, directly in front of the 403 sign on the outfield fence. Just inches from becoming one of just a few thousand players to hit an MLB home run, the Kid Who Only Hit Homers’ fly ball was knocked down and died on the track, marked F-8 like any other. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and there’s no fanfare for almost leaving the yard. But that’s as close as he ever got. The man who is nearly ubiquitously defined by his height came up inches short of doing what every little boy dreams of doing someday. It’s heartbreaking. And it’s beautiful. View the full article

According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Brewers agreed on Thursday to sign outfielder Akil Baddoo to a major-league deal. The 27-year-old owns a career .224/.305/.369 line (87 wRC+) across parts of five seasons with the Detroit Tigers. His most successful big-league stint was his rookie campaign, in which he hit .259/.330/.436 (108 wRC+) after the Tigers selected him in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. Swing-and-miss issues and a lack of hard contact started catching up to him after that, though, and he has since bounced on and off Detroit's roster. Baddoo spent most of 2025 with Triple-A Toledo, pairing a .385 on-base percentage with 15 home runs for a 136 wRC+. That wasn't enough to secure a more stable future in a talented Tigers' outfield, so they outrighted him off their 40-man roster in June, and he elected minor-league free agency at the end of the season. In Milwaukee, he'll join an outfield with a plethora of left-handed outfield options, including Sal Frelick, Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, Tyler Black, and switch-hitters Isaac Collins, Blake Perkins, and Steward Berroa. There's some uncertainty throughout that group, but Baddoo falls into the same boat. Barring injuries or underperformance, that could be a tough roster to make out of spring training. While Baddoo's deal is reportedly a big-league contract, he does have one option year remaining. At first glance, he looks like minor-league depth with some upside, should the Brewers need to change things up on the grass during the season. Because the Brewers' 40-man roster entered Thursday at 39 players, no corresponding move is necessary to add Baddoo. The roster is now full. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent relief pitcher Hoby Milner, according to a report from Bleacher Nation's Michael Cerami. Milner, 34, fills a key need for the bullpen-needy Cubs, who saw both Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar hit free agency after playing huge roles for them in 2025. A late-blooming journeyman who throws from a true sidearm angle, Milner became a revelation for the Brewers under now-Cubs manager Craig Counsell in 2022 and 2023. He's a soft-tosser who has never racked up strikeouts, but he excels at managing contact and has historically been one of the league's best strike-throwers. He took a step back in 2024, leading the Brewers to non-tender him last November. He signed a one-year deal with the Rangers, where he rebounded in some ways but struggled in others; his walk rate rose and his strikeout rate fell. However, Milner remains one of the least comfortable at-bats in the majors for left-handed batters, and he's an affable and helpful clubhouse presence. He induces ground balls exceptionally well, and when he can command all four of his pitches, he can dominate in the right matchups. More so than Pomeranz or Thielbar, he's also exceptionally durable. As of earlier this week, sources said there was mutual interest in a return engagement between the Cubs and Pomeranz, whose stuff profile is different enough from Milner to make it plausible that the team will roster both. For now, though, the club has filled one of the many vacancies on their 40-man roster, and one of the many holes in a bullpen that had been evacuated at season's end. View the full article

“Come on, Chen!” It was June 4, 2010. An otherwise random Friday night game in an already-lost season, as the Royals entered the game at 22-33 on the year. But the first “Big Slick” charity event to raise money for Kansas City’s Children’s Mercy Hospital was held at Kauffman Stadium. Kansas City’s favorite celebrity sons - Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd, and Jason Sudeikis - were in town for the weekend with some of their show business friends. In a dugout suite, Royals television broadcaster Joel Goldberg attempted to interview some of them. But (a possibly inebriated) Will Ferrell kept hollering at the somewhat obscure pitcher on the mound. “Come on, Chen!” As social media was gaining steam, this moment quickly became a meme, at least among Royals fans. It helped that Bruce Chen was about to embark on the best three-season stretch of his career, with all three of those years in Kansas City as he helped stabilize a rotation that desperately needed dependable arms. Bruce Kastulo Chen was born on June 19, 1977, in Panama City, Panama. You might think “Chen” is an unusual surname for someone born in Panama, but there is an explanation. Many Chinese people fled their home country during a time of civil war in the 1920s, settling in Panama. One of those was Bruce’s grandfather, just a boy when his parents sent him (on his own!) to waiting relatives in Panama. Because he is Panamanian, Chen was not subject to the MLB draft. The Atlanta Braves signed him as an amateur free agent in 1993, just days after he turned 16. He didn’t exactly have a quick climb through the minors, but he did make his major league debut on September 7, 1998. He was able to stick with Atlanta for the second half of the 1999 season, making a few starts but mostly pitching in relief. He pitched in 22 games for the Braves in 2000 before a July trade sent him to Philadelphia. This began the “bouncing around” portion of Chen’s career. A left-handed pitcher is always in demand, and Chen was traded again (to the Mets) in 2001, to the Expos in April 2002, to the Reds in June 2002, and was released by both the Reds and the Astros in 2003, eventually signing with the Red Sox. As a free agent after the season, he signed with Toronto but didn’t pitch in the majors for them, and was sent to Baltimore at the beginning of May 2004. Here, Chen finally found some stability. He only pitched in eight games for the Orioles in 2004, but performed well (2-1, 3.02 ERA) in seven starts. In 2005, with a spot in the rotation for the whole season, he had his best year to date, with a 13-10 record and 3.83 ERA. But he wasn’t as fortunate in 2006, going 0-5 with a 7.71 ERA in his first 10 starts before being demoted to the bullpen. He never did pick up a win that season, finishing 0-7 with a 6.93 ERA. In a case of unfortunate timing, Chen was a free agent after that season. He wound up signing a minor league deal with Texas, but made the Opening Day roster. However, he was soon sent to Triple-A, then sidelined by an elbow injury. The ensuing Tommy John surgery cost him the rest of the season and all of 2008. That led to another minor league deal, this time with the Royals. He finally returned to the majors in late June, and after a few rough outings, seemed to find his groove. Chen finished the year with a 1-6 record and 5.78 ERA, but Kansas City was interested enough to re-sign him, again on a minor league deal, in the offseason. Chen started the year at triple-A Omaha, but was with the Royals before the end of April, as the bullpen had a disastrous beginning to the year. The start where “Come on, Chen!” was born was actually just his second one of the year (by the way, Ferrell’s exhortations helped; Chen outdueled a young Max Scherzer for the win). Roughly a month later, he gave Royals fans a thrill by taking a perfect game into the seventh inning against the Angels. A one-out home run in the eighth ended that, but Chen and the Royals still picked up a win. At the end of the season, Chen led Royals starters in wins (12) and ERA (4.17, tied with Zack Greinke). His final start of the year was another memorable one, as he notched his first career shutout with a 7-0 blanking of Tampa Bay. The 12 wins were the most by a Royals southpaw since Charlie Leibrandt won 13 and Floyd Bannister won 12 in 1988. Chen was granted the Joe Burke Special Achievement award by the Kansas City chapter of the BBWAA. He also received another contract, this one a major league deal, for the 2011 season. And Chen once again delivered. He led the starters in wins (12, again) and ERA (3.77 this time), although a strained back muscle limited him to 25 starts. Still, he received the Bruce Rice Pitcher of the Year award from the KC BBWAA voters. Royals fans perhaps didn’t realize it at the time, but the core of the 2014-15 teams was assembling at the major-league level. But the position players were arriving before the pitchers, so Chen was a valuable stabilizing force in a rotation that no longer had Greinke, as he had been traded to Milwaukee in the offseason. The Royals were happy to once again re-sign Chen, this time on a two-year contract. And Chen continued to be an anchor in a still-unsettled rotation in 2012, leading the majors with 34 starts, including the honors on Opening Day. He also tossed the second-most innings of his career (191 ⅔). He did pick up the most strikeouts of his career, with 140. But home runs were a problem; Chen allowed 33 long balls, up from 18 the year before. That led to his ERA jumping to 5.07. The Royals upgraded their rotation for 2013, bringing in Wade Davis, Ervin Santana, and James Shields. With mid-year acquisition Jeremy Guthrie already in the fold, and some spring training struggles on top of that, Chen found himself squeezed out of the rotation to start the year. To his credit, he quickly found his niche in the bullpen, maintaining a 2.41 ERA into early July. With Luis Mendoza struggling, Chen rejoined the rotation. He went 6-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 15 starts down the stretch as Kansas City, for the first time in a decade, played meaningful games in September. Although the Royals missed out on the postseason, things looked promising for 2014. The Royals again re-signed Chen, this time to a one-year deal for 2014 with a mutual option for 2015. He began the 2014 season in the rotation but, at the end of April, was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back. He would miss two months with that ailment, then struggled in his return. He did pick up a win over Chicago on July 22, tying him with Mariano Rivera for the most major league wins by a Panamanian pitcher (82). Unfortunately, that would be his last career win. After more struggles in the bullpen, the Royals designated Chen for assignment at the end of August. Chen signed with Cleveland ahead of the 2015 season, but after two poor performances, he announced his retirement. It was a disappointing ending to a career, but still, he had accomplished a lot. He pitched in the World Baseball Classic four times: for Panama in 2006 and 2009 and for China in 2013 and 2017. He played for 17 seasons in the majors, mentoring future Royals stars like Danny Duffy and Yordano Ventura (Chen served as Ventura’s interpreter for much of his time in KC); earning an AL championship ring; and winning the admiration of Royals fans. And of course, becoming a meme, thanks to Will Ferrell. View the full article

Derek Shelton arrived in Minnesota this winter with years of perspective, gleaned from guiding one of baseball’s youngest rosters. But when reporters asked him what he truly learned in Pittsburgh about developing young hitters, he didn’t hesitate. The biggest takeaway was startling and straightforward: Triple-A competition no longer prepares players for the major leagues. Shelton’s blunt assessment sets the tone for a Twins organization preparing to lean heavily on its next wave of position-player talent. And if Minnesota wants its top prospects to hit the ground running, it will need to understand the widening gulf in today’s game—one Shelton witnessed firsthand. Triple A is No Longer a Finishing School When asked what he learned during his Pirates tenure, Shelton offered a candid answer. “I learned that Triple A does not prepare you for the big leagues," he said. "I think that's the biggest thing I learned.” That gap has continued to grow. “It’s just the automated strike zone in Triple A, the quality of pitching, the velocity is just not the same,” Shelton said. Shelton watched young players dominate Triple-A opponents, only to struggle immediately in the majors. It was not just a Pittsburgh problem. It was baseball-wide. “It’s why we’re seeing, as an industry, so many young players come to the big leagues and struggle," Shelton explained. "They just don't hit. The pitching is just too good here. And the pitching they're facing in Triple A is not there.” As the distinction sharpens, the hitting lines in Triple A have become increasingly misleading. “As an industry, we’re seeing more young players fail and go back to the minor leagues, and you guys are able to write articles this guy has 1.100 OPS in Triple A, and he comes to the big leagues… it's throughout the industry that guys are struggling,” Shelton lamented. Shelton acknowledged that he doesn’t have a magic fix. No one does. “I wish I had a really good answer for you, but it’s just the fact that the distance between the talent in Triple A and the big leagues is probably the greatest it’s ever been,” said Shelton, who has been continuously employed in professional baseball for 30 years. That widening distance forces clubs into difficult decisions when players hit their first wall. Reporters asked how sending players back to Triple A helps, when the competition level is part of the problem. Shelton said the benefits are not always physical. “Sometimes it just helps them mentally. I mean, obviously," he replied. "You get your teeth kicked in enough times, sometimes you need a reset, you need a refresh.” There are still real adjustments players can make, even in an imperfect environment. “There are mechanical adjustments you can make. And I think, depending on the organization and where they’re at, they have to make that decision of, you know, does this individual stay in the big leagues and try to figure it out, or do you send him down, give him a little bit of confidence?” Shelton’s perspective matters, because the Twins are about to rely heavily on young hitters making this exact transition. By mid-2026, Minnesota could have one of the most prospect-driven lineups in the American League. Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez finished last season in St. Paul, where both showed flashes of elite upside. Jenkins finished the year with a 135 wRC+ as a 20-year-old. Rodriguez used the offseason to become one of the best hitters in the Dominican Winter League, posting a 1.063 OPS in 18 games. They will enter spring training just one rung away from Target Field. Each has the power, plate discipline, and athleticism to become a foundational piece. Still, Shelton’s experience is a reminder that dominating Triple-A pitching no longer guarantees early major-league success. Kaelen Culpepper, the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year, rocketed to Double-A Wichita with strong bat-to-ball skills and athleticism. In 113 games, he posted a 138 wRC+ and answered many of the questions that surrounded him on draft day. His development curve has already accelerated faster than expected, making him a likely Triple-A candidate by early 2026. That move puts him on the doorstep of an even bigger leap—one that will challenge how the Twins choose to prepare their hitters before promotion. Gabriel Gonzalez turned in a breakout season of his own, hitting his way to Triple A while showcasing improved swing decisions and run-producing ability (148 wRC+). Twins Daily named him the organization’s Minor League Hitter of the Year. His offensive skill set fits the modern Twins lineup, but like Jenkins and Rodriguez, his path runs straight through the talent gap Shelton described. From now through late 2026, Shelton will play a central role in helping these young players navigate the steepest transition in professional baseball. He has already watched countless hitters sail through Triple A, only to get humbled in the big leagues. His challenge will be using that experience to soften the landing for a group expected to define the organization’s next era. Shelton did not come to Minnesota with easy answers, but he did bring clarity about one of the sport’s most pressing development issues. The jump from Triple A to the majors has never been tougher, and the Twins will soon place some of their brightest stars on that tightrope. What Shelton learned in Pittsburgh may ultimately shape how ready Minnesota’s next wave truly is when their time arrives. Can Shelton help the next group of stars transition to MLB? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article