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In 2002 (the first-year reliable data from Fangraphs is available), the average fastball velocity of all MLB pitchers was 89.0 mph. Driven by training enhancements, exercise science, scouting emphasis and changes in pitch design, it has consistently increased over the years. Last season, it stood at 94.0 mph. In an age where it has become axiomatic that higher velocity inevitably leads to success, Tyler Rogers stands out as a complete anomaly. Rogers’s pitches aren’t just slow. They are slowest. His rarely-thrown four-seam fastball is the lowest velocity four-seamer in the entire league at 83.2 mph. His sinker, which he threw nearly 75% of the time in 2025, came in at an average of 83.5 mph. He combines that sinker primarily with a slider that has the velocity of a slow curveball at 72.6 mph. For comparison, the average changeup in MLB in 2025 was 85.9 mph. Yes, the average changeup in 2025 was more than 3 mph faster than Rogers’s fastball. Unlike his twin brother Taylor Rogers, a conventional throwing left-handed reliever currently with the Cincinnati Reds, Tyler has thrown from an ultra-low, submarine arm slot since high school, a style reminiscent of Royals team Hall of Famer Dan Quisenberry- but even lower. Rogers’s release point is just barely over six inches from the ground, almost certainly the lowest in baseball history. That throwing motion limits velocity but compensates with deception, movement and durability. The extreme low arm slot is far easier on fragile elbows and shoulders. Rogers has not spent one day on the injured list in his big-league career. After being drafted in 2013 in the 10th round out of Austin Peay by the San Francisco Giants, Rogers, despite generally good numbers, toiled in the minors for seven plus seasons before debuting in 2019 at the age of 28 and finally becoming a bullpen mainstay for the Giants in 2021. In recent years, ERA has fallen out of favor to FIP, which typically better predicts a pitcher’s future success than ERA by focusing on outcomes largely within their control such as strikeouts, walks, and home runs. In theory, if you miss bats, you will be more successful. Rogers again, is a complete anomaly. He does one thing better than anyone else in MLB. He misses barrels and hard contact while not missing bats. His K% was just 16.1% in 2025. His career xFIP (expected Fielding Independent Pitching) over 424 IP is nearly a full run higher than his ERA (2.76 ERA/3.74 xFIP). In every season in which he has pitched over 28 innings, his xFIP has been significantly higher. He is able to be successful in spite of his inability to miss bats because of his extreme ground ball percent (62.1% in 2025), low HR/9 (career 0.59), low BB% (2.3% in 2025), low HardHit% (32.9 vs league avg 47.8%) and low WHIP (0.94 in 2025). Rogers’s 131 Stuff+ for his sinker in 2025 is elite. Remember, he throws that pitch nearly 75% of the time. He induced an average of 18.2 inches of arm-side run (99th percentile) on it and combines that with a -10.5 inch vertical break. Alternatively, the slider tunnels from the exact same release point, and look exactly the same from the hitter's viewpoint until about 15 feet from the plate when it moves in the opposite direction. He is simply the most effective pitcher in MLB who does NOT have swing-and-miss stuff. He does what modern sabermetricians say is not repeatable, and he’s done it for five straight seasons. One of the ways a small market team can make up ground on the big guys like the Dodgers, who hand out massive long-term contracts like candy, is by building an elite bullpen. Bullpens are more important than ever with starting pitchers giving max effort for fewer innings per start than in the past. The 2014-2015 Royals are a prime example of how a dominant bullpen can be a difference maker for a small market team. Relievers are, by comparison to most other positions, cheaper. Rogers’s consensus projected contract is 2-3 years at 20-25 million ($8-9 million AAV). The Royal’s bullpen is already in decent shape with a returning closer in Carlos Estevez, and high leverage swing man Lucas Erceg. John Schreiber returns along with lefty Angel Zerpa. While there are some intriguing options to round out the pen including Alex Lange and Luinder Avila, adding Rogers along with another lefty would greatly improve the length and strength of the pen. Rogers's splits for left-handed hitters vs right-handed hitters are remarkably similar. Although he is entering his 35-year-old season, his velocity independent history of success, and his remarkable durability alleviate concerns over his age. He is more likely than just about anyone to be pitching effectively late into his 30s. If Rogers is able to repeat his 2025 WAR of 1.3, it would amount to a considerable bargain. For the cost-conscious Royals, this is a no-brainer. View the full article

One thing most Royals fans should be accustomed to hearing about is budget restraint. And while John Sherman has shown some willingness to fork over cash to players, 2026 is already looking tight in the budget department. With current salary expectations and the assumption that the team will not increase payroll by more than a few million dollars, it can be projected that this winter the front office will have somewhere between $15 and $20 million to spend on free-agent acquisitions. For an MLB franchise and what players make in today’s game, that’s not a lot of dough. What this means is that, with what remains to spend, the signing must make sense both on the field and in the checkbook. A lot of this year's offseason for Kansas City has circled the team looking for help in the outfield, specifically an everyday left fielder. Harrison Bader is one name that has hit the stove, and while his 2025 campaign was one of his best, the underlying numbers suggest this may not be a gamble the Royals should take. Bader’s 2025 raw numbers look good; he had a .277 BA to go along with a .796 OPS while hitting 17 home runs and 54 RBI. His wRC+ was a respectable 122, and he had a 3.2 bWAR for the campaign. So what’s not to like? While this sort of performance would undoubtedly be an upgrade for the Royals' outfield, can the expectation be that Bader can repeat this in the upcoming season? The underlying metrics say not so fast. The first indicator to look at is Bader’s BABIP, or Batting Average on Balls In Play. This is sort of the catch-all for a player's “luck factor”. With 9 years and over 3,000 PAs under his belt, Bader has more than enough sample size to understand his normal range of production. His career BABIP is .305, which is right around league average, but his 2025 line shot up to .359. This is an immediate red flag for regression. Diving into the batted ball numbers, not much pops out as to what changed last season. His spray chart was consistent with his career averages; he wasn’t pulling the ball or sending it to the opposite field much more than usual. And his ground ball, line drives, and fly balls ratios were all in tune with what he typically hits. His FB% has come down over the last couple of seasons, which can be a positive for a player like Bader, as he has never been a slugger, but unfortunately, it hasn’t led to more line drives; instead, it has led to an increase in his groundball rate. Season GB/FB LD% GB% FB% Pull% Cent% Oppo% Soft% Med% Hard% 2017 1.13 16.40% 44.30% 39.30% 38.70% 37.10% 24.20% 17.70% 48.40% 33.90% 2018 1.19 26.80% 39.80% 33.50% 46.50% 29.60% 23.80% 21.50% 40.80% 37.70% 2019 0.87 17.40% 38.40% 44.20% 42.10% 37.30% 20.60% 16.30% 45.90% 37.80% 2020 0.93 15.20% 40.90% 43.90% 41.80% 32.80% 25.40% 23.90% 40.30% 35.80% 2021 1.04 15.80% 43.00% 41.20% 44.40% 32.40% 23.20% 21.50% 47.90% 30.60% 2022 0.92 16.40% 40.10% 43.50% 39.70% 41.80% 18.50% 24.10% 50.40% 25.40% 2023 0.78 16.70% 36.50% 46.80% 42.60% 34.00% 23.40% 20.40% 50.20% 29.40% 2024 1.19 21.10% 42.80% 36.10% 47.00% 36.40% 16.60% 19.20% 54.30% 26.50% 2025 1.25 17.80% 45.70% 36.50% 45.70% 34.30% 20.00% 21.60% 45.40% 33.00% Career 1.03 18.70% 41.30% 40.10% 44.00% 35.00% 21.10% 20.70% 47.70% 31.60% His exit velocity for 2025 sat at 87.2mph, again near his career 86.5, so no real extra juice when making contact other than a slight increase in bat speed which jumped from 70.8 and 71.2 in 2023 and 2024 (the first two years this stat was tracked via Baseball Savant) to 73.5 this past season. Other than his increase in bat speed, his advanced batting numbers from his past three seasons don’t look all that different. Looking above at his advanced metrics the past three seasons via Baseball Savant, only two things stick out for 2025 improvements: his bat speed and barrel rate. Both jumped up from significantly below to respectfully above league average. For a young player these could be signs of progress, but for a player like Bader who will be turning 32 in this upcoming season, it shows a more likely culprit; an outlier season. His xBA, xSLG, and xwOBA all stayed relatively within his average range, but as mentioned earlier both his raw stats and BABIP took very noticeable jumps. These numbers combined with no strong evidence of an approach change at the plate through his batted ball numbers show 2025 was a good but generally lucky year with no real indications of sustainability. Simply, Bader is a career .247/.313/.401 hitter with a 96 wRC+; the odds would favor him playing closer to these numbers next season versus replicating his 2025 output. This isn’t written as a hit piece on Harrison Bader, he’s a productive player with good defense posting +13 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved) this last season. But the point is if he is worth the price tag if you are paying a premium for a season that could be hard to repeat. For a team like the Royals with very limited cash to spend, the answer should lean no. Last month, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel wrote their projections for the top 50 free agents contract numbers and Harrison Bader’s price tag is estimated to be in the two-year, $25 million range. A contract that could eat up a sizeable portion of the Royals funds with the risk of not improving the team at a much needed position. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins must see an improvement in their offense in order to have a chance at being competitive in 2026. The team has an obvious need for a right-handed, impact bat with first base and designated hitter as the most obvious positions where that addition could be added to the roster. Could free agent Paul Goldschmidt make sense for the Twins? Earlier in his career, Goldschmidt was a constant in All-Star and MVP conversations. He won the MVP award in the National League in 2022 while he was with the St. Louis Cardinals. Since 2022, Goldschmidt has not played anywhere near that MVP form, with a significant decline across many statistical categories. Even with that decline in performance, Goldschmidt looks like he would be a passable everyday player in Minnesota based on the traditional stats we look toward to measure production. With the Yankees in 2025, Goldschmidt slashed .274/.328/.403 with a .731 OPS. In 2025, Twins first basemen as a collective slashed .231/.304/.383 with a .687 OPS. With Kody Clemens currently the front runner for time at first base in 2026, a combination of Clemens and Goldschmidt looks intriguing when we simply look at the stats laid out above. A closer look reveals plenty of reasons to grow concerned about the 38-year-old. Often, when we look at batters and try to gauge where they are headed, bat speed is an important indicator. Goldschmidt, in the three years of data we have on swing speed, saw an increase in bat speed from 2023. An increase in bat speed is good, but what came with it may not be. With that increased speed, Goldschmidt, especially in 2025, began to swing under the ball more than ever. In 2024, Goldschmidt’s under% according to Statcast was 22.0% and rose to 27.1% last season. Subsequently, his flyball rate increased over the same time frame from 56.3% to 61.1%. The increase in flyball rate isn’t necessarily a concern in and of itself, as Goldschmidt has had similar flyball rates in some of his more productive seasons. The flyballs, combined with where the ball is being contacted, seem to have decreased much of Goldschmidt’s power. Year by year, since his MVP season, Goldschmidt has seen a decline in several secondary stats that indicate potential power output. xSLG xwOBA Barrel % 2023 0.447 0.367 12 2024 0.414 0.329 10.7 2025 0.403 0.328 7.9 By looking at expected stats, we eliminate the possibility that Goldschmidt has simply had bad luck. Instead, his reduction in production and power truly seems to be a product of a true decline. While in the Twins' recent past, the club has found success in signing aging sluggers such as Nelson Cruz and Jim Thome , Goldschmidt does not seem to be aging as gracefully. The production may level off and be similar in 2026 as it was in 2025, but at what cost for Goldschmidt’s next team, and is that cost worth it for the Twins? It seems unlikely that it would be wise for the Twins to go in the direction of Goldschmidt, even as desperate as they are for offensive production. The Twins will need to find treasure this offseason, but a Goldschmidt signing has a good chance of turning up fool’s gold. View the full article

The 2024 season was the last in which Shane Farrell was the Blue Jays’ scouting director, but the 2024 draft class was the second in a row from which the draftees have already started to show significant dividends. Although it is still early in all of these prospects’ professional careers, the 2025 season was able to show us some trends for Toronto’s early-round picks. This article was inspired by Cody Christie, who wrote a great piece about the Twins’ 2024 Draft Class on our sister site, Twins Daily. RHP Trey Yesavage (1st Round, 20th overall) The 2024 first-rounder for the Blue Jays really does not need to be talked about, as the 22-year-old burst onto the world stage with dominant performances in the 2025 playoffs. Yesavage was one of the more MLB-ready pitchers drafted in the first round, but his meteoric rise from Single-A Dunedin to starting Game 1 of the World Series is still extremely astonishing. He’s now the runaway favourite for the 2026 AL Rookie of the Year. Stock: To the Moon RHP Khal Stephen (2nd Round, 59th overall) - Traded to Guardians The Jays’ 2024 second-rounder was overshadowed by some big names in the system, but the big righty was performing as much as Yesavage at almost every step of the way. He, too, started off in Single-A, making it all the way to Double-A before getting shelved with a shoulder impingement. He eventually was traded for 2020 AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber, but has still been in consideration for the bottom end of top 100 prospect lists. For the 2025 season, Stephen pitched just over 100 innings with a 2.53 ERA and a 2.60 FIP. Stock: Up LHP Johnny King (3rd Round, 95th overall) Johnny King was drafted out of high school as a raw 17-year-old and did not pitch until the start of the Florida Complex League. He adjusted rather quickly, dominating rookie ball hitters, striking out 41.8% of the hitters he faced. He was then promoted to Single-A Dunedin, where he continued his strikeout dominance, K-ing 38.1% of A-ball hitters, although his walk rate also jumped as he struggled to repeat his delivery. King definitely proved that his stuff was immaculate, and although he still needs to figure out his command and needs to develop a third pitch, he has also earned consideration to be a top-100 prospect. Stock: Way Up 3B/1B Sean Keys (4th Round, 125th overall) Keys was drafted out of Bucknell and immediately produced in 22 G and 98 PA in Single-A Dunedin in 2024. He showed off his strong plate discipline, walking over 13% of the time, leading to a 134 wRC+. He earned his promotion to High-A Vancouver, where he quietly produced a strong season, showing off his strengths well. Keys continued to get on base, producing a .365 OBP carried by a 16.3% walk rate. He also showed off some real power, with 19 homers, 22 doubles and a triple to give him a .191 ISO. He got a little unlucky in terms of BABIP, as did many of the hitters in Vancouver. He’s been looked at as a potential breakout candidate for 2026. Stock: Up OF Nick Mitchell (4th Round, 136th overall) - Traded to Guardians Nick Mitchell was the compensation pick for Matt Chapman, and the outfielder performed well in 2024 and was subsequently traded to the Guardians with Spencer Horwitz for Andrés Giménez and Nick Sandlin. I will not comment on his stock, given that he was not in the Jays organization at all this past season, but he performed well with the Guardians, posting a 122 wRC+ across Single and High-A. RHP Jackson Wentworth (5th Round, 158th overall) It was a mixed bag for Jackson Wentworth, who had stretches of absolute dominance and also periods where he really struggled. The righty out of Kansas State made 26 starts with a slightly above-average FIP, but was overshadowed by many of his teammates who were able to make the jump to Double-A or who dominated coming out of Single-A. Still, Wentworth only started 16 games in college, so showing the capability to go out there and pitch every six days, whilst taking on the challenge of going straight to High-A out of college, was still not an easy feat. His season didn’t do too much to hurt his stock, but also did not let him establish himself as one of the better pitching prospects for the Jays. Stock: Neither Up nor Down While the top picks from the Jays' 2024 draft class have all performed well, quite a few of their later-round picks are trending in the right direction as well. Later-round picks or undrafted free agents who were able to raise their stocks include: RHP Austin Cates (7th Round, 217th pick) Austin Cates has been viewed as a breakout candidate since his velo started to tick up late in the season and he pitched to a sub-2.00 ERA and FIP in five starts for Vancouver. OF Eddie Micheletti Jr. (8th Round, 247th pick) Eddie Micheletti Jr. was the best qualified hitter for the Vancouver Canadians, and although his defensive fit is questionable, he has shown strong power and plate discipline from the left-hand side. RHP Troy Guthrie (11th round, 337th overall) Trot Guthrie was the best pitcher for the championship-winning FCL Jays in the complex league, showing advanced command for a teenager. OF/2B J.R. Freethy (14th Round, 427th overall) Although he had an injury mid-way through the season, J.R. Freethy’s on-base ability earned him a promotion to Double-A, and he was also able to get a highlight piece from me. LHP Javen Coleman (UDFA) Javen Coleman was a strikeout machine for Dunedin and Vancouver, as the lefty reliever struck out over 38% of the batters he faced. He also threw an immaculate inning early in the season and almost had another on August 15, falling one strike short. The Blue Jays are beginning to develop a penchant for lefty arms, and Coleman is another example of such. Although most of these players may not have the impact that Trey Yesavage has already had, this season was another step in the right direction for the Jays’ drafting and development. After struggling to find success in the early parts of Shapiro and Atkins’ term with the Blue Jays, their stock is finally starting to rise in the minor leagues. View the full article

Sean McAdam of MassLive indicated the Red Sox are willing to spend beyond the first CBT threshold ($244 million) in 2026, “which would translate to them absorbing a modest financial loss. But with anything beyond that, there’s a reluctance to incur bigger deficits”. Cot’s Contracts estimates that the team’s 2026 payroll is currently $27.13 million below the first CBT threshold. Claiming that the Red Sox, who generated the fourth-highest revenue in baseball and have a dedicated national fanbase, are in financial distress is a tough pill to swallow. The Red Sox own majority stakes (80%) in New England Sports Network (NESN) and have one of the more lucrative local TV deals in the sport, further allowing them to mitigate revenue sharing protocols. Last week, when asked if the New York Yankees operated at a profit in 2025, owner Hal Steinbrenner responded, “I don’t want to get into. But that’s not a fair statement or an accurate statement.” The timing of McAdam's statement about the Red Sox and Steinbrenner’s comments isn’t a coincidence; if anything, it’s posturing ahead of the next CBA negotiations. Yes, free-agent contracts carry risk. Players typically enter free agency between the ages of 30-32, sometimes with their best years behind them. Teams pay for future performance with the uncertainty of injury risks and potential performance decline. However, spending money for the sake of spending limits roster and payroll flexibility for future needs. Sustainable competitiveness requires balancing homegrown talent with select free agent and trade acquisitions. The Red Sox's young core of Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, and Garrett Crochet are signed to long-term extensions. They just traded for Sonny Gray (and Johan Oviedo), which helps strengthen their rotation, but the team still has room to upgrade in the lineup and pitching staff. The AL East is currently in the midst of an arms race. After almost winning the World Series, the Blue Jays are eager to carry their momentum into next season, signing Dylan Cease to a seven-year $210 million contract. Despite injuries to key players, the Red Sox fielded a competitive team in 2025. They ended their three-year playoff drought but were overmatched by the Yankees in the AL Wild Card series, a team that spent $139 million more in luxury tax payroll. This disparity was evident in their pitching rotations. While the Yankees were led by aces Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, the Red Sox only had Garrett Crochet and had to turn to Brayan Bello and newcomer Connelly Early in Games 2 and 3. Granted, it’s only December, and top free agent targets like Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Schwarber remain on the market. The Red Sox’s future is bright, but failing to make significant upgrades through free agency will make it more challenging for the team to compete should they reach the playoffs. View the full article

Right-hander Zach Brzykcy lasted about a month on the Miami Marlins 40-man roster. The 26-year-old reliever was outrighted to Triple-A Jacksonville early Friday evening. Brzykcy was claimed off waivers from the Washington Nationals on November 6. He's coming off a miserable season against both Triple-A competition (9.39 ERA and 6.24 FIP in 23.0 IP) and MLB competition (9.00 ERA and 6.27 FIP in 23.0 IP). That being said, he showed a propensity for striking out righty batters at lower minor league levels. His arsenal includes a four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. Because Brzykcy entered professional baseball in 2020 and has never previously been outrighted, he must accept the outright assignment and remain with the Marlins organization. If they went through the trouble of claiming him in the first place, it stands to reason that he'll be a non-roster invitee at big league spring training. Here is the updated Marlins roster, which is down to 39 players: The Marlins have expressed interest in a variety of MLB free agents, particularly relievers, corner infielders and corner outfielders. Now, they can make a signing without the need for a corresponding move. If no signing is imminent and their 40-man count remains at 39 entering Wednesday, they can participate in the major league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Here are some notable unprotected prospects from other organizations who may appeal to the Fish. View the full article

In episode 103 of Destination: The Show, the crew break down the forthcoming MLB Draft Lottery with the Twins having the second best odds at landing the number one overall pick. They walk through the mechanics of the lottery and how it works before digging into the implications of different picks and how they might impact the Twins bonus pool. The guys touch on the Twins Comp Round B and try and project what the Twins bonus pool might be assessing the potential slot values of their top 100 picks. 0:00 Intro 4:00 Housekeeping 4:35 Draft Lottery 7:57 How does the lottery work? 18:45 Twins odds to draft in different places and financial implications 27:00 Comp Round B pick 36:45 Twins math -- bonus preview 43:00 Listener Questions You can support the show by downloading it from wherever you get your podcasts, including iTunes and Spotify. If you enjoy the content, consider leaving us a five-star rating and review in addition to sharing or retweeting DTS-related content. You can follow us on Twitter @DTS_POD1, @Jeremynygaard, @J_D_Cameron, and @TheodoreTollef1. We’re now on Bluesky @destinationtheshow.bsky.social. You can also find full episodes and clips of our shows on our YouTube page @DestinationTheShow. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox stayed busy prior to the Winter Meetings, making another big trade following the Sonny Gray deal. On Dec. 4, they brought in their second new pitcher as the team shipped fan-favorite prospect Jhostynxon Garcia to the Pittsburgh Pirates as part of a five-player trade that saw the team bring back talented but oft-injured hurler Johan Oviedo as the main acquisition. The official deal saw Garcia, who was Talk Sox’s number two prospect at the time, and pitcher Jesus Travieso traded for a package of Oviedo and prospects Tyler Samaniego and Adonys Guzman. The main return is clearly Oviedo, who is under team control for two more seasons and won’t turn 28 until March 2. Oviedo made nine starts in 2025 as he returned from Tommy John surgery, going 2-1 with a 3.57 ERA in 40 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out 42 batters while walking 23. What makes Oviedo an intriguing rotation option is his frame (6'6") and extension. His fastball was impressive during his short 2025 season thanks to it reaching an average of 95.5 mph paired with nearly six inches of tailing action. In a short sample last season, Oviedo also demonstrated an ability to limit hard contact, as his average exit velocity (87.6 mph), hard-hit percentage (35.3%) and barrel percentage (6.9%) would have ranked in the upper-third of the league had he qualified. Along with the fastball, Oviedo has four other pitches: a slider, curveball, sinker and changeup. Though relies heavily on his fastball and slider combination, as they made up 69% of his pitches in 2025. His pitch selection gets a bit interesting when broken down against left-handed and right-handed batters, as his slider sees a drop in usage against the former, being used just 26% of the time, while the curve jumps in usage to 22%. That changes with the latter, his slider becoming his most used pitch against right-handed batters at 38% and the curve down to just 10%. Along with that, Oviedo has showcased an ability to generate whiffs, getting batters to swing and miss 30% of the time last season. Batters in general only managed a .181 batting average off of him as well, showcasing the talent the Red Sox are interested in. Oviedo continues a trend for the Red Sox, who have made it a point to find pitchers with projectable frames and obvious areas of improvement or streamlining. The major issue besides health with Oviedo is his command. Last season, he had a 13.5% walk rate, and his career mark is up to 11%. Oviedo can be wild, throwing more pitches than necessary and walking a lot of batters, but should the Red Sox pitching lab manage to realize all his potential, we could see a breakout season from Oviedo. Samaniego was a 15th-round draft pick back in 2021 by the Pirates and will turn 27 at the end of January. Since being drafted, he has yet to make it past Double-A, though he missed time in 2024 and only made 13 appearances. This past season saw him appear in 30 games across four levels, most of them coming with Double-A Altoona where he had a 3.08 ERA across 26 1/3 innings. Samaniego is a left-handed reliever who will most likely open the season with Worcester, though will be on the 40-man roster as Pittsburgh added him to it in November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Samaniego relies mostly on four pitches: a sinker, fastball, changeup and slider. His sinker is his most thrown pitch, averaging around 93.3 mph and being used heavily against left-handed batters at 67% of his pitch usage. Much like Oviedo, Samaniego seems to limit hard contact, his average exit velocity being just 85.7 mph and his hard-hit percentage being just 22.2%. And while he doesn’t strike batters out as much as Oviedo, he still gets his fair share of strikeouts (23.1%) thanks to a 31.8% whiff rate. Samaniego will serve as a depth reliever this season, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get some time in Boston depending on their need for left-handed pitching. He’s got the height of a pitcher the Red Sox are interested in, as he stands 6’4”, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they manage to get the velocity of his fastball up a tick or two. The final prospect acquired in the deal, Guzman, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 draft by Pittsburgh and is another young addition to the organization’s catching corps. Guzman is the latest young catcher (and second from the 2025 draft) to be acquired by Breslow this offseason. Guzman entering the draft was viewed as a glove-first catcher due to a swing that can often times be stiff and too pull-oriented, but he does have good pull-side power and plate discipline. Guzman played for the Arizona Wildcats in college after transferring from Boston College and hit .328/.411/.496 with a .907 OPS in 62 games. He also had 12 doubles, nine home runs and 44 RBIs. Defensively, he threw out 31% of potential base stealers. Baseball America even stated that "his arm remains one of the best in class three years later with excellent carry on his throws that should help control the running game". Guzman, who bats from the right side, only played in one game after getting drafted, but went 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. More than likely, he’ll open the season with Single-A Salem, but a promotion to Greenville shouldn’t be off the table at some point in 2026. In Garcia, the Red Sox gave up a potential power threat, but with the outfield currently as crowded as it is and with talks that Kristian Campbell is expected to play in the outfield full time, it seemed like the writing was on the wall for Garcia. The outfielder made his major-league debut with Boston in August this season, going 1-for-7 with a double and five strikeouts. Now with Pittsburgh, he’s likely to be battling for an Opening Day starting position in spring training. Travieso, on the other hand, is an interesting arm the Red Sox gave up. He won’t be turning 19 until the end of March. Signed out of Venezuela, Travieso made it up to Salem this season after opening the year in the Florida Complex League. With Salem, he would go 2-0 in seven appearances, six starts, and toss 25 2/3 innings. He struck out 38 in that span and walked just 11. Though, with the many young pitchers in the Red Sox system, it was only a matter of time before one was traded. To make room on the 40-man roster, the team designated pitcher Cooper Criswell for assignment. The 40-man roster is currently full. The Red Sox got better with the trade, taking from an area of strength and bringing in a guy with a ton of potential. Whether he reaches that potential is a different question, but the Red Sox hope Oviedo can pitch as his hulking frame suggests. If he can, the rotation may prove to be the team's biggest strength in 2026. View the full article

A former Minnesota Twins catching prospect is officially eligible to return to affiliated baseball, closing the chapter on one of the most confusing and controversial situations the organization has dealt with in recent years. Derek Bender, a sixth-round pick in 2024, was released by the Twins in September 2024 after allegations surfaced that he tipped pitches to opposing hitters during a Florida State League doubleheader. Major League Baseball confirmed to The Athletic that his discipline has been served and he can now sign with any club. Bender, who missed the entire 2025 season due to what MLB described as his “conduct,” issued a broad apology through the MLB Players Association. His statement did not directly address whether he gave away pitches, yet it showed a player grappling with the end of a draining year. “After further reflection, I would like to apologize to the Minnesota Twins organization, my former teammates and coaches, and the fans, for my actions at the conclusion of the 2024 season,” Bender said. He added that he had been struggling with his mental health, noting, “Over the past year, I have been working hard, both on and off the field, to become the best player and teammate I can be.” In a February interview with The Athletic, however, Bender pushed back strongly on the core accusation. Asked directly if he gave pitches away, he responded, “No.” He went even further, saying, “And I’ll live with this until the day I die. I never gave pitches away. I never tried to give the opposing team an advantage against my own team.” At the same time, he acknowledged the physical and mental exhaustion he felt near the end of the season, mentioning joking conversations with teammates about errors and the shared feeling that “everybody’s ready to go home.” The league never publicly stated what conduct triggered Bender’s discipline, and investigators did not find gambling involvement of any kind. A league source told The Athletic that MLB had been examining a potential violation of rule 21(a), which covers intentionally losing games. A confirmed violation would have resulted in a lifetime ban, but the negotiated agreement sidestepped a formal ruling and allowed Bender to return after serving a season long suspension. With the matter now resolved, Bender has started contacting clubs to express his interest in returning. He spent last year with the Brockton Rox of the Frontier League, playing 92 games while hitting .282 with 11 home runs and 54 runs batted in. Despite the turmoil, he expressed a renewed commitment to the sport. “This whole situation made me fall out of love with baseball,” Bender said. “But I realized that I want to win more baseball games in my career. I love baseball. I love winning. I love being a part of a team.” For now, Bender’s future depends on whether an organization is willing to take a chance on a player trying to move past a complicated ending to his time with the Twins. But at the very least, the door to affiliated baseball is open again. View the full article

Minnesota’s offseason has been underway for more than two months, but as the Winter Meetings draw near, the Twins still appear to be wrestling with their direction. That uncertainty isn’t just external perception either. According to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal, the organization’s internal conversations remain murky. As he put it on Foul Territory, the Twins “are a mystery” because “there is not clarity yet on how they are going to operate this offseason.” Rosenthal emphasized this wasn’t simply a matter of the team keeping plans quiet. “I mean clarity within their own organization. I don’t know that they know what they’re going to do. They’re working through it. What I was told this week is that they’ll have clarity by the winter meetings. OK. It’s probably a good idea to have clarity by the winter meetings.” That kind of ambiguity is unusual for this point in the calendar, especially with the annual gathering of front offices set to take place next week in Orlando. The Twins have had over two months since the regular season ended to prepare their approach, and yet the franchise’s posture remains unsettled. Much of that stems from Minnesota’s stumbling ownership transition. The failed sale and the arrival of still-unnamed minority investors appear to be casting a shadow over budget decisions. Rosenthal noted that internal opinions are diverging. “It seems to me that there are factions in the Twins organization that want to start building the team back up again. Good idea since you’ve alienated your fan base. And then there are ownership questions. They just took on the two new investors. How much are they going to spend? All of that.” Amid that backdrop, the club’s most significant decisions still loom. What will Minnesota do with its remaining star-level players? Rosenthal wondered aloud: “So, the question then becomes ... where are they going to go? Which way are they going to go? I don’t necessarily expect them to trade (Joe) Ryan, (Byron Buxton), maybe Pablo Lopez.” If the side pushing for a roster rebound wins out, the Twins could arrive at spring training with their core intact. But if the payroll-cutting faction gains control, then difficult choices become more likely. As Rosenthal put it, “But to keep going backwards, if they do that, then yes, Ryan becomes available. Buxton becomes available. They’re probably more valuable separately than they would be (packaged) together.” The clock is ticking. With the Winter Meetings just days away, the Twins need to settle on a path that not only clarifies their competitive intentions but also signals to fans that the organization is finally ready to move forward. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins are still in sell mode, after their fire sale at the 2025 trade deadline. One of their two top starters, Pablo López and Joe Ryan, could be moved to alleviate their payroll pinch, even after the team reduced spending by roughly $30 million from 2023 to 2024 and by another few million in 2025.. If either López or Ryan is dealt, the Twins' star center fielder, Byron Buxton, is likely to be moved, as well. People in Buxton’s camp have indicated that, despite previous public comments to the contrary, he is willing to waive his no-trade clause to a contending team, as first reported by Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Buxton has been very loyal to the Twins, but even the most devoted players can have their patience tested when their team tears down a roster the way the Twins have. Not every team looking to contend in 2026 needs a star center fielder such as Buxton, but the Brewers could use his help. The Brewers have been playing musical chairs in center field the last two seasons. In 2024, Blake Perkins played 119 games, hitting .240/.316/.332 with six home runs and 32 RBIs over 434 plate appearances. Perkins played more of a backup role this year, and Jackson Chourio ended up playing the most games in center in 2025, with 89. Chourio’s bat was still solid in his sophomore season, with a .270/.308/.463 slash line, 21 home runs, 78 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases, but he played shaky defense compared to how he'd done in left field in 2024. Chourio went from 12 Defensive Runs Saved in 2024 to -4 this season, according to Sports Info Solutions. The sudden drop off when moving to a more demanding defensive position is a bit concerning, and Buxton had -5 DRS this season with the Twins. But DRS is not the all-telling stat in defense. Buxton still had plenty of highlight-reel catches in his 118 games played in center field this year. He also has the hardware to back it up, with a Gold and Platinum Glove awarded to him back in 2017. If the Brewers move forward with pursuing Buxton, moving Chourio back to left field would mean finding Isaac Collins a new defensive home, too. Fortunately for Collins, he is versatile with his defensive positioning, having spent several games at second and third base as well. Even with Buxton on board, it's easy to envision finding time for him, Chourio, Collins, and Sal Frelick, with Perkins's role receding to a purer defense-only gig. Alternatively, of course, someone in that mix could be dealt away. So what kind of trade package would it take for the Twins to be willing to move Buxton, if his no-trade clause gets waived? It’s safe to say the Brewers' top two prospects, Jesús Made and Luis Peña, are off limits, and the Twins are not in dire need for middle infield help in their farm system. A majors-ready player such as Collins could be someone the Twins would want to help their outfield depth, especially with his hometown connections to the Twin Cities suburb of Maple Grove. If Buxton does enter the trade market, it might be a package of Collins and a prospect or two that gets a deal done. Pitchers Bishop Letson and Logan Henderson are the types of arms the Twins like, but Minnesota has a bit of a logjam of young pitching. They have other needs the Brewers' farm system could also address. The positions where the Twins need the most help are first base, catcher, and the bullpen. While the Twins will likely look within their own farm system for relief help, they do not have many top-rated prospects in the upper levels of the minors for first base or catcher, which would make Jeferson Quero and the Brewers' first-round pick from the 2025 draft, Andrew Fischer, ideal trade targets for Minnesota. If a Buxton trade becomes a possibility, then it’s almost certain the Twins would trade their current starting catcher, Ryan Jeffers, as well. Jeffers is a year away from free agency, and with the Twins' current financial status, he's not expected to re-sign after the 2026 season. The Twins nabbed a top catching prospect, Eduardo Tait, from the Phillies at the trade deadline for Jhoan Duran, but Tait is still a couple of years away from the big leagues. Therefore, Quero would be a priority target for Minnesota. He is close to ready for the show, and would be able to take a jump into a starting role with Jeffers gone. Quero was limited to just 69 games in 2025 due to a hamstring strain that delayed the start of his season until mid-May and a shoulder injury in August. He put up decent numbers between the Arizona Complex League (on rehab assignments) and Triple-A St. Paul: a .271/.361/.478 slash line, 11 home runs, 57 RBIs, a 10.9% walk rate, and a 13.6% strikeout rate. Quero may not be ready for the starting role on a competitive team like the Brewers, but if the Twins truly intend to strip away their best and highest-paid players, then a player of Quero’s caliber would end up being thrown into the starting catcher role without concern for the long-term outcome. Fischer, on the other hand, will still be a year or two away from the majors and will try out between first and third base. The Twins don't have a first baseman ranked within their top-30 prospect list, per MLB Pipeline. Nor have they sought out a first baseman to develop internally in the last five years. Fischer may have limited playing time in pro ball, but his profile may be exactly what the Twins need to stop their own first base gap. Jeff Passan recently reviewed the case on Buxton’s availability and put his trade probability at 35% with López and Ryan both sitting at 50%. The Brewers were not a team listed as a landing spot for Buxton, but they do have the prospect capital to acquire him—more so than other listed teams, such as the Atlanta Braves or Cincinnati Reds. Much depends on whether the Brewers would be a team for whom Buxton would waive his no-trade clause. It's his desire to win that is pushing him toward an exit from Minnesota, though, and few teams offer a clearer path to consistent winning than Milwaukee. Still, if Buxton does become available, a Brewers outfield with Chourio in left, Buxton in center, and Sal Frelick in right might be the best defensive outfield in baseball. More to the point, adding 30-home runs, 30-steals potential into a lineup that had only two 20-homer hitters would put the Brewers over the offensive hump in the National League Central. Buxton has one of the very few things the Brewers currently lack. If they can snare him in a trade, they might be one step closer to unseating the Dodgers as National League champions. View the full article

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The Kansas City Royals currently live in the enviable position of having “excess” starting pitching. As you may have heard, though, “You can never have too much pitching”. The Royals certainly clung to this old adage during the 2018 MLB draft when they selected pitchers with their first five picks and eight of their first ten picks. Those first five picks were: 1st Round (18th overall): Brady Singer, RHP (Florida) He was traded for Jonathan India last offseason. 1st Round (33rd overall): Jackson Kowar, RHP (Florida) He is now with the Mariners and dealing with injuries. 1st Round (34th overall): Daniel Lynch IV, LHP (Virginia) He pitched 131 innings in 2022; now dealing with injuries and became a reliever. 1st Round (40th overall): Kris Bubic, LHP (Stanford) He pitched 130 innings in 2021 and 2022, then went down with Tommy John surgery in 2023. He made a strong return in 2025 only to miss the second half with a rotator cuff strain 2nd Round (#58th overall): Jonathan Bowlan, RHP (Memphis) Bowlan finally has pitched more than three innings in a year reaching 44 1/3 innings pitched as a reliever in 2025. All five have made contributions to the major-league team, but not quite at the level anyone expected or at least hoped. Singer was meant to be the new Number Two in the rotation, but he has not lived up to the hype acting as an innings eating Number Three or Four guy. Kowar, Lynch, and Bubic have all dealt with a myriad of injuries in their time with the club while Bowlan took a little longer to debut. With Singer already traded away in an attempt to fill the hole at second base with Jonathan India, Lynch, and especially Bubic, have managed to generate enough results to garner interest on the trade market this off-season. Bubic has been the hot name given his 2.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 116 innings pitched before going down with the rotator cuff injury. He’s in the last year of arbitration before free agency with an estimated salary of $6.0 million per MLB Trade Rumors. The Royals have a major need for a corner outfielder and JJ Piccolo has mentioned a willingness to trade from their current stock of starting pitching to fill this need akin to the Singer-India trade. The Royals were not terribly far from the playoffs in 2025 finishing six games back from the division-winning Cleveland Guardians and five games back from the second American League Wild Card spot. The big stain on the season was a horrific June when they went 8-18 losing six in a row twice and eight of their last nine that month. They also did not play well against Cleveland and Detroit, the top two teams, going 5-8 and 4-9 against them, respectively. This could suggest to some that they are not in as good of a position as they might think, but owner John Sherman is set to spend a similar amount on payroll this year in an effort to return to the postseason. If I’m JJ Piccolo, I’m looking to move Bubic. The Royals were dead last by Wins Above Average at both left and right field in 2025 with a -2.6 and -3.9, respectively, per Baseball Reference. Drew Waters and John Rave rotated between the two while they tried to get Jac Caglianone’s bat in the lineup via right field to spark the sputtering offense to little effect. Mike Yastrzemski, who had the second most plate appearances in right field, is no longer with the team, so the Royals desperately need to make an addition here in the corner outfield. Projections for Bubic from Steamer and Fangraphs Depth Charts have him pitching 155 innings with 9 Wins, a 3.79 ERA, and rate of 8.6 strikeout/9 innings which is good for about 2.5 Wins Above Replacement. Trade Option 1 - St. Louis Cardinals Royals Get: Lars Nootbaar, Left Field 2025 Stats: .248 AVG/.345 OBP/.409 SLG; 1.7 WAR 2026 Steamer Projection: 444 PA - 52 R, 13 HR, 48 RBI, 6 SB Cardinals Get: Kris Bubic, LHP and Angel Zerpa, LHP Bubic 2026 Steamer Projection: 155 IP - 9 Wins, 3.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 148 SO; 2.5 WAR Zerpa 2026 Steamer Projection: 61 IP - 3 Wins, 3.60 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 56 SO, 0.4 WAR Nootbaar has two years of control left, entering his second year of arbitration in 2026 with an estimated salary of $5.7M per MLB Trade Rumors. Even though these two teams are intrastate rivals, they may be able to hold their nose for this deal as it is purely need-for-need as the Cardinals are desperate for starting pitching after dealing Sonny Gray and the Royals need their corner outfield upgraded. Nootbaar had a noticeable down year in 2025 and dealt with an intercostal and rib injury that made him miss 18 games. This was likely bothering him before he officially went on the IL at the end of June as he had a batting average of .169 in June, .219 in July, then popped back up to.284 in August. His barrel percentage (how often the batter hits the ideal launch angle and exit velocity), exit velocity, and strikeout rate stayed consistent from 2024, but he hit balls in the air at a much higher rate getting under it 30.2 percent of the time compared to his career 23.9 percent rate and 19 percent rate in 2023 and 2024. Nootbaar still had an above average year for plate discipline and quality of contact overall, two things that the Royals strive for with their hitters. Notably he had a 11-percent walk rate (80th percentile of MLB) and a 50-percent hard-hit rate (87th percentile in MLB). He also strikes out 20% of the time, right around MLB average, and maintains an above average bat speed which leads to higher quality contact. Zerpa has been mostly a reliever with a couple of spot starts for the Royals as needed. He sports a sinker-slider combo to generate a 99th percentile ground ball rate of 63.7%. His fastball velocity sits at 96 MPH from the left side and is still only 26 years old. He won’t hit free agency until 2029. Trade Option 2 - Chicago Cubs Royals Get: Owen Caissie, Left Field, Jefferson Rojas, Second Base Owen Caissie 2025 Stats: .237 AVG/.315 OBP/.405 SLG; 0.5 WAR 2026 Steamer Projection: 269 PA - 31 R, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 3 SB Jefferson Rojas 2025 (High-A, AA): 471 PA - 67 R, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 19 SB .236 AVG/.343 OBP/.387 SLG Cubs Get: LHP Kris Bubic, C Blake Mitchell, RHP Felix Arronde Kris Bubic, LHP 2026 Steamer Projection: 155 IP - 9 Wins, 3.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 148 SO; 2.5 WAR Blake Mitchell, Catcher 2025 (CPX and High-A): 255 PA - 28 R, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 12 SB .218 AVG/.390 OBP/.320 SLG Felix Arronde, RHP 2025 (High-A): 128.2 IP - 5 Wins, 2.80 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 101 SO Caissie and Rojas are two of the Cubs’ Top 5 prospects and fill two needs for the Royals at left field and second base. Now, Caissie is the only one ready to slide into the lineup on opening day in 2026 as Rojas will likely be major league ready in 2027, but Rojas is only 20 years old and has at least a 50 Future Value scouting grade - good for about 2 Wins Above Replacement much better than the negative WAR that Jonathan India and Michael Massey were able to provide. The Royals signed India to a one-year contract for 2026 to fill the second base gap for at least one more year. Caissie is MLB Pipeline’s top prospect for the Cubs with 30-homer power and producing well against older competition throughout his time in the minors. The 23-year-old had a small part in 2025 in the majors only appearing in 12 games and striking out 40% of the time in 27 plate appearances, but there’s always an adjustment period. The great power comes from a long swing that does elevate his strikeout rate even clocking in close to 30% in the minors. His modest fielding will keep him in a corner outfield spot, right where the Royals need him. Rojas will be turning 21 next year and has spent most of his time at shortstop in the minors. As he adds strength, he will be more likely to shift over to second base, especially with Bobby Witt Jr. ahead of him and the Royals need for at least league average at the position. Scouts love his swing and will need to make some adjustments to breaking balls, as do all prospects. He doesn’t strike out a ton (a hallmark of Royals baseball) and will not be hitting lots of home runs, but all the Royals need him to do is get on base and play good defense. Blake Mitchell is the Royals top prospect aside from the soon-to-graduate Carter Jensen. Drafted 8th overall out of high school in 2023, many Royals fans were shocked to see such a risk taken. A broken hamate sidelined him for a portion of the year, only playing in 60 games, but he showed his likely three-true outcome path in the majors hitting for low average and a high walk and strikeout rate. He has good power and a strong arm but can struggle to throw runners out. With Salvador Perez and Jensen ahead of him, it’s time to trade from a position of strength. He should be knocking on the Cubs’ door in 2027. Arronde had a great year in High-A, improving on his total innings, Wins, and ERA from 2024. His arsenal includes a fastball that sits around 94mph, an average slider, and a great split-changeup. He’s still young and needs to add strength but has shown the durability for being a starter, likely to slot in at a number 3 or 4. If he doesn’t improve a ton on his slider, he’s a great closer candidate in a few years with that changeup. Teams always need starting pitching and there are several trade candidates out there for the Royals to pursue. If they choose not to go the trade route and hang on to their excess starting pitching, it could be a safer option to sign a cheaper free agent akin to Mike Yastrzemski to hold the line one more year before giving a chance to Gavin Cross or Carson Roccaforte. The winter meetings are coming up soon, perhaps there is room for a deal or two. Should the Royals deal Kris Bubic this offseason after his return and All-Star performance? Do either of these packages make sense? View the full article

The Kansas City Royals currently live in the enviable position of having “excess” starting pitching. As you may have heard, though, “You can never have too much pitching”. The Royals certainly clung to this old adage during the 2018 MLB draft when they selected pitchers with their first five picks and eight of their first ten picks. Those first five picks were: 1st Round (18th overall): Brady Singer, RHP (Florida) He was traded for Jonathan India last offseason. 1st Round (33rd overall): Jackson Kowar, RHP (Florida) He is now with the Mariners and dealing with injuries. 1st Round (34th overall): Daniel Lynch IV, LHP (Virginia) He pitched 131 innings in 2022; now dealing with injuries and became a reliever. 1st Round (40th overall): Kris Bubic, LHP (Stanford) He pitched 130 innings in 2021 and 2022, then went down with Tommy John surgery in 2023. He made a strong return in 2025 only to miss the second half with a rotator cuff strain 2nd Round (#58th overall): Jonathan Bowlan, RHP (Memphis) Bowlan finally has pitched more than three innings in a year reaching 44 1/3 innings pitched as a reliever in 2025. All five have made contributions to the major-league team, but not quite at the level anyone expected or at least hoped. Singer was meant to be the new Number Two in the rotation, but he has not lived up to the hype acting as an innings eating Number Three or Four guy. Kowar, Lynch, and Bubic have all dealt with a myriad of injuries in their time with the club while Bowlan took a little longer to debut. With Singer already traded away in an attempt to fill the hole at second base with Jonathan India, Lynch, and especially Bubic, have managed to generate enough results to garner interest on the trade market this off-season. Bubic has been the hot name given his 2.55 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 116 innings pitched before going down with the rotator cuff injury. He’s in the last year of arbitration before free agency with an estimated salary of $6.0 million per MLB Trade Rumors. The Royals have a major need for a corner outfielder and JJ Piccolo has mentioned a willingness to trade from their current stock of starting pitching to fill this need akin to the Singer-India trade. The Royals were not terribly far from the playoffs in 2025 finishing six games back from the division-winning Cleveland Guardians and five games back from the second American League Wild Card spot. The big stain on the season was a horrific June when they went 8-18 losing six in a row twice and eight of their last nine that month. They also did not play well against Cleveland and Detroit, the top two teams, going 5-8 and 4-9 against them, respectively. This could suggest to some that they are not in as good of a position as they might think, but owner John Sherman is set to spend a similar amount on payroll this year in an effort to return to the postseason. If I’m JJ Piccolo, I’m looking to move Bubic. The Royals were dead last by Wins Above Average at both left and right field in 2025 with a -2.6 and -3.9, respectively, per Baseball Reference. Drew Waters and John Rave rotated between the two while they tried to get Jac Caglianone’s bat in the lineup via right field to spark the sputtering offense to little effect. Mike Yastrzemski, who had the second most plate appearances in right field, is no longer with the team, so the Royals desperately need to make an addition here in the corner outfield. Projections for Bubic from Steamer and Fangraphs Depth Charts have him pitching 155 innings with 9 Wins, a 3.79 ERA, and rate of 8.6 strikeout/9 innings which is good for about 2.5 Wins Above Replacement. Trade Option 1 - St. Louis Cardinals Royals Get: Lars Nootbaar, Left Field 2025 Stats: .248 AVG/.345 OBP/.409 SLG; 1.7 WAR 2026 Steamer Projection: 444 PA - 52 R, 13 HR, 48 RBI, 6 SB Cardinals Get: Kris Bubic, LHP and Angel Zerpa, LHP Bubic 2026 Steamer Projection: 155 IP - 9 Wins, 3.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 148 SO; 2.5 WAR Zerpa 2026 Steamer Projection: 61 IP - 3 Wins, 3.60 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 56 SO, 0.4 WAR Nootbaar has two years of control left, entering his second year of arbitration in 2026 with an estimated salary of $5.7M per MLB Trade Rumors. Even though these two teams are intrastate rivals, they may be able to hold their nose for this deal as it is purely need-for-need as the Cardinals are desperate for starting pitching after dealing Sonny Gray and the Royals need their corner outfield upgraded. Nootbaar had a noticeable down year in 2025 and dealt with an intercostal and rib injury that made him miss 18 games. This was likely bothering him before he officially went on the IL at the end of June as he had a batting average of .169 in June, .219 in July, then popped back up to.284 in August. His barrel percentage (how often the batter hits the ideal launch angle and exit velocity), exit velocity, and strikeout rate stayed consistent from 2024, but he hit balls in the air at a much higher rate getting under it 30.2 percent of the time compared to his career 23.9 percent rate and 19 percent rate in 2023 and 2024. Nootbaar still had an above average year for plate discipline and quality of contact overall, two things that the Royals strive for with their hitters. Notably he had a 11-percent walk rate (80th percentile of MLB) and a 50-percent hard-hit rate (87th percentile in MLB). He also strikes out 20% of the time, right around MLB average, and maintains an above average bat speed which leads to higher quality contact. Zerpa has been mostly a reliever with a couple of spot starts for the Royals as needed. He sports a sinker-slider combo to generate a 99th percentile ground ball rate of 63.7%. His fastball velocity sits at 96 MPH from the left side and is still only 26 years old. He won’t hit free agency until 2029. Trade Option 2 - Chicago Cubs Royals Get: Owen Caissie, Left Field, Jefferson Rojas, Second Base Owen Caissie 2025 Stats: .237 AVG/.315 OBP/.405 SLG; 0.5 WAR 2026 Steamer Projection: 269 PA - 31 R, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 3 SB Jefferson Rojas 2025 (High-A, AA): 471 PA - 67 R, 11 HR, 59 RBI, 19 SB .236 AVG/.343 OBP/.387 SLG Cubs Get: LHP Kris Bubic, C Blake Mitchell, RHP Felix Arronde Kris Bubic, LHP 2026 Steamer Projection: 155 IP - 9 Wins, 3.79 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 148 SO; 2.5 WAR Blake Mitchell, Catcher 2025 (CPX and High-A): 255 PA - 28 R, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 12 SB .218 AVG/.390 OBP/.320 SLG Felix Arronde, RHP 2025 (High-A): 128.2 IP - 5 Wins, 2.80 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 101 SO Caissie and Rojas are two of the Cubs’ Top 5 prospects and fill two needs for the Royals at left field and second base. Now, Caissie is the only one ready to slide into the lineup on opening day in 2026 as Rojas will likely be major league ready in 2027, but Rojas is only 20 years old and has at least a 50 Future Value scouting grade - good for about 2 Wins Above Replacement much better than the negative WAR that Jonathan India and Michael Massey were able to provide. The Royals signed India to a one-year contract for 2026 to fill the second base gap for at least one more year. Caissie is MLB Pipeline’s top prospect for the Cubs with 30-homer power and producing well against older competition throughout his time in the minors. The 23-year-old had a small part in 2025 in the majors only appearing in 12 games and striking out 40% of the time in 27 plate appearances, but there’s always an adjustment period. The great power comes from a long swing that does elevate his strikeout rate even clocking in close to 30% in the minors. His modest fielding will keep him in a corner outfield spot, right where the Royals need him. Rojas will be turning 21 next year and has spent most of his time at shortstop in the minors. As he adds strength, he will be more likely to shift over to second base, especially with Bobby Witt Jr. ahead of him and the Royals need for at least league average at the position. Scouts love his swing and will need to make some adjustments to breaking balls, as do all prospects. He doesn’t strike out a ton (a hallmark of Royals baseball) and will not be hitting lots of home runs, but all the Royals need him to do is get on base and play good defense. Blake Mitchell is the Royals top prospect aside from the soon-to-graduate Carter Jensen. Drafted 8th overall out of high school in 2023, many Royals fans were shocked to see such a risk taken. A broken hamate sidelined him for a portion of the year, only playing in 60 games, but he showed his likely three-true outcome path in the majors hitting for low average and a high walk and strikeout rate. He has good power and a strong arm but can struggle to throw runners out. With Salvador Perez and Jensen ahead of him, it’s time to trade from a position of strength. He should be knocking on the Cubs’ door in 2027. Arronde had a great year in High-A, improving on his total innings, Wins, and ERA from 2024. His arsenal includes a fastball that sits around 94mph, an average slider, and a great split-changeup. He’s still young and needs to add strength but has shown the durability for being a starter, likely to slot in at a number 3 or 4. If he doesn’t improve a ton on his slider, he’s a great closer candidate in a few years with that changeup. Teams always need starting pitching and there are several trade candidates out there for the Royals to pursue. If they choose not to go the trade route and hang on to their excess starting pitching, it could be a safer option to sign a cheaper free agent akin to Mike Yastrzemski to hold the line one more year before giving a chance to Gavin Cross or Carson Roccaforte. The winter meetings are coming up soon, perhaps there is room for a deal or two. Should the Royals deal Kris Bubic this offseason after his return and All-Star performance? Do either of these packages make sense? View the full article

There were big stops in key situations throughout the 2025 season as a result of John Schneider turning the ball over to the bullpen, but there might have been an equal number of hiccups. The 2025 bullpen was arguably overworked during the regular season, and it showed during the postseason. Schneider’s faith in the backend dwindled to a small number of arms as the postseason progressed. In fact, he had two starters come out of the ‘pen in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Mariners. Like in every successful season, the Jays relied upon clutch hitting and relief pitching. While the Jays’ bats had their ups and downs during 2025, most of the criticism was placed on the bullpen. As Ross Atkins and the front office evaluate their options, they have some big decisions to make when it comes to the later innings. Jeff Hoffman is one of the biggest enigmas. He was phenomenal at times, but over the course of a season, evidence would suggest that he doesn’t have the velocity or the fastball movement to be a dominating closer. Set-up man? Maybe. His struggle to locate pitches was an ongoing issue and is one of the reasons the Jays have been publicly looking at other options. Overall, the bullpen was considerably better than the previous year (when it all but imploded), yet it still ended 2025 as a mid-tier group by several metrics and encountered inconsistency throughout the postseason. If the Jays want to make another push to the postseason, the bullpen will need to be a more dominant, resilient unit. The 2025 bullpen finished the year 16th in ERA (3.98), 14th in WHIP (1.28), 12th in saves (42), and a strong fifth in strikeouts (644). Several relievers were pivotal at different times. Hoffman, who was signed to anchor the late innings, pitched a career-high 71 appearances, which could account for some of his late-season and postseason woes. Seranthony Domínguez, who is now a free agent, offered dominant right-on-right matchups with a microscopic opponent OPS. Mason Fluharty emerged down the stretch, flashing the poise to retire elite hitters in ultra-high leverage. Yariel Rodríguez found more consistent success as a reliever than as a starter, suggesting the bullpen maximizes his value. And you can’t say enough about Louis Varland, who became Schneider’s Swiss Army knife in October, appearing in virtually every scenario, even as an opener. The bullpen also had some late-season and postseason additions and subtractions, as starters Chris Bassitt, Kevin Gausman and José Berríos saw action. Even Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber both pitched out of the bullpen in Game 7 of the World Series. With that said, the Dodgers also deployed their starters out of the bullpen because of their bullpen woes. Bullpen arms come and go. In 2024, the Jays’ bullpen featured names like Jordan Romano, Nate Pearson, Tim Mayza, Mitch White and Trevor Richards. They all underperformed, and as a result, the season was a disappointment. The 2025 edition fared better. The lesson for the Jays’ front office should be that bullpens are volatile, and success depends on churning the bottom, stockpiling multiple viable high-leverage candidates and leaning into swing-and-miss. Toronto did much of this last season and must double down in 2026. In 2025, the revolving door included Tommy Nance, Paxton Schultz and Justin Bruihl. If they stick around, they could be joined by Jake Bloss (more known as a starter), Lazaro Estrada and Rule 5 pick-up from last year, Angel Bastardo. Can’t imagine any will get a permanent spot in the bullpen, but they might be a stopgap if injuries occur. A sustainable bullpen is not built solely through free agency. The Jays have internal candidates who should be able to contribute meaningful innings. Some should be available by Opening Day, and some are a work in progress and might be available by mid-season. By leveraging these internal arms, the Jays can control costs a bit and be a bit more flexible in the make-up of their roster. With the signing of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, it might place Berríos in an awkward position when it comes to the starting rotation. Right now, it seems like Berríos could head to the bullpen or onto the trade block. He voiced his displeasure about what he perceived as a demotion to the bullpen at the end of last season. The Jays also have Eric Lauer and Rodríguez as viable swingmen. Lauer proved his value as a starter and reliever in 2025, delivering starter insurance and effective bulk relief. Rodríguez seemed to stabilize as a reliever last season and looks destined to be seventh/eighth-inning leverage because of his command consistency and velocity. While Jays’ fans have long heard about Ricky Tiedemann, the hard-throwing lefty who has had a series of injuries during his rise through the minor leagues, this might be the season he takes the next step. He could usurp Brendon Little (if Little can’t find his stuff again) as the bullpen's top lefty and provide the team with options. Other arms in the system include two more lefties, Adam Macko and Trenton Wallace, who both pitched in Triple-A last season and can offer multi-inning relief. Free agency and trades are where the magic might end up happening. Edwin Díaz could be the back-end solution, especially now that Devin Williams has signed with the Mets and Ryan Helsley has signed with the Orioles. Jays are also rumoured to be interested in signing Pete Fairbanks. Some other notable names in the free agent pool include Robert Suarez, Shawn Armstrong, Kenley Jansen, Hoby Milner, Tyler Rogers, Kirby Yates, Luke Weaver, Mark Leiter Jr., David Robertson, and Sean Newcomb. More likely, if the Jays aren’t successful in getting any of the bigger names, they might target a return of Domínguez. Alternatively, free agents Jakob Junis, Hunter Harvey, Steven Matz or Caleb Ferguson might fit the bill. Modern bullpen management considers a metric called leverage index (LI) to quantify the pressure of a given plate appearance. In recent years, the Jays have been focusing on analytics, especially when it comes to their pitching staff. This includes approaches such as pre-mapping the bullpen plan by identifying opposing lineup clusters where the setup ace is best deployed, dynamic substitutions where certain pitchers could be brought in to face segments of the lineup that include same-sided hitters, and a concept called flexible closer usage, meaning the closer might be brought in for four or even five outs instead of three. Schneider has evolved as a manager and seems to be leaning into analytics. His bullpen usage last season was one of the reasons for the Jays’ success. When he walks to the mound in 2026, he might have new options to consider. View the full article

It wasn’t just the roster that saw changes occur prior to the Winter Meetings, as the front office acquired new talent as well. According to Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Cubs director of pitching Ryan Otero is leaving the Cubs and joining the Boston Red Sox's front office. Otero will be a special assistant to Craig Breslow. This move is a reunion for Otero and Breslow, as the duo worked together during the latter’s time in Chicago. While serving as an assistant general manager and the senior vice president of pitching, Breslow’s, right-hand man was Otero. After Breslow left, Otero was promoted to the role of pitching director for the organization. His transition to Boston should go smoothly considering the past relationship between the two. Breslow spoke highly of Otero earlier in the year, saying "his ability to speak very technically, and then also in everyday language that resonates with players and coaches, was something I was drawn to... And so, I was like, this is a guy that I need to pull close and give significant responsibility to." The addition of Otero, while in a different position, should help offset the loss of Justin Willard, who was hired by the New York Mets to be their new pitching coach. View the full article

The MLB Draft Lottery is only in its fourth season, but many Twins fans are still not familiar with it because the Twins have not been in the lottery since its inaugural season in 2022. Draft experts Jamie Cameron and Jeremy Nygaard provide an overview of what the MLB Draft Lottery is and what Twins fans should know ahead of the live event on Tuesday, December 9. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox, as currently constructed, need corner infield help badly. Of the players currently on the 40-man roster, three were expected to provide important roles throughout 2025, but due to injuries only one made it through the entire season, that being Romy González. He played in a career-high 96 games at first base, second base and a brief appearance at third base. Triston Casas and Marcelo Mayer were not as fortunate, as they played 29 and 44 games (87 if we include the 43 games at Worcester), respectively. While the potential is there for both young players, based on the past few years, there is a debate over whether they can stay healthy through an entire 162-game season. When they are healthy, they have shown proof of being starter-caliber players. With that, we’re going to take a look at the current state of the Red Sox's corner infield depth, going over those on the 40-man roster and those who could contribute next year in the event of an injury. Boston Red Sox 1B Starter: Romy González (96 games, .305/.343/.483 .826 OPS, 23 2Bs, 3 3Bs, 9 HRs, 53 RBIs) González is being placed here as the starting first baseman due to the fact we don’t know if Casas will even be ready for the start of the 2026 season. That’s no knock against González; he is just better suited as a super-utility player since he can play all over the infield and is relatively still new to first base (he’s played a total of 78 games there, all coming since joining the Red Sox in 2024). There’s also the possibility of González being the starter at second base, contingent on how the rest of the offseason unravels. Either way, he needs to be in the lineup each time a left-hander starts for the opposing team due to his .331/.378/.600 slash line against them. Should the Red Sox bring in a true first baseman, González will be able to properly serve his utility role for manager Alex Cora and get at-bats from various positions. 3B Starter: Marcelo Mayer (44 games, .228/.272/.402 .674 OPS, 8 2Bs, 1 3B, 4 HRs, 10 RBIs) Much like with González, Mayer is being placed here as the current starter due to Alex Bregman’s foray into free agency and the team lacking another player to plug in at the hot corner. Of course, much like González, he could also be the starter at second base instead. In his short time with Boston, Mayer proved he was ready defensively, mostly playing third base which he handled with east after playing the position just five times between Portland and Worcester. He also appeared at second base and was able to handle the position well. Offensively, it was a different story, as he flashed some power and showed he could currently be league average against right-handers, but against left-handed pitching he struggled to a .154/.185/.231 line. Mayer is still young and has time to learn — his promotion to Boston last year was rushed due to Bregman’s injury — and he should fare better against major-league pitching in 2026. Potential Backups: Triston Casas (29 games, .182/.277/.303 .580 OPS, 3 2Bs, 3 HRs, 11 RBIs) To say 2025 was a rough season for Casas would be an understatement. After getting off to an extremely cold start, the first baseman began to heat up slightly before a ruptured left patellar tendon ended his season in May. This is the second straight season where a serious injury cost him significant time (and the fourth of the last five season where he played under 105 games). However, when Casas is healthy and right. there’s no denying how important his bat can be. Just entering his age-26 season, should Casas get back to the player he looked like 2023 (24 home runs, .856 OPS), he could strengthen this lineup. Nick Sogard (30 games, .260/.317/.344 .661 OPS 8 2Bs, 9 RBIs) Sogard is a fascinating player, as he'd make plenty of teams’ 26-man roster easily with his skill set of playing all over the field and making quality contact. Unfortunately for Sogard, due to his two remaining minor-league options, he’ll likely be shuttled between Worcester and Boston just as he has been for the past two seasons. While Sogard can be solid defensive at multiple positions and has an average hit tool, his power could hold him back as his exit velocities are below average and he only has 12 career extra-base hits in 173 plate appearances. Nate Eaton (41 games, .296/.348/.383 .731 OPS, 4 2Bs, 1 HR, 4 RBIs) Eaton signed with Boston on a minor-league deal prior to the 2025 season and played well enough in Worcester to warrant a call-up to Boston after Rafael Devers was traded. While he didn’t produce many extra-base hits, Eaton managed to set career highs for exit velocity, hard-hit rate and barrel percentage, though he was mostly used as a late-game replacement or pinch runner. Eaton also allows the team to play loose with substitutions, as he can play all three outfield positions and third base. Tristan Gray (30 games, .231/.282/.410 .693 OPS, 5 2Bs, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs) Gray, who was recently acquired for Luis Guerrero, is an interesting depth option for the team. Unlikely to make the team out of spring training the infielder will most likely spend a lot of time with Worcester. Much like Sogard and Eaton, Gray provides the Red Sox with defensive versatility thanks to his ability to play all four infield positions. But unlike the other two, he also has power behind his swing, having what would have been one of the fastest bat speeds on the team in 2025. Gray does have a swing-and-miss issue, but if he makes contact, it's loud. Triple-A Worcester: Vinny Capra (47 games (White Sox/Brewers), .125/.157/.177 .334 OPS, 2 2Bs, 1 HR, 6 RBIs) Capra, who signed a minor-league deal on Thanksgiving, provides the Red Sox with another dispensable veteran depth option should the team need a player for a short term. Capra has the ability to play not just third base but also second base and shortstop, giving the Sox a plug-and-play infielder. Offensively, he is not very good, if we're being blunt. In 142 career plate appearances, he has a batting line of .133/.181/.188 while striking out more times than he has hits (34 strikeouts to 17 hits). But he’s the kind of player the team has targeted before for minor-league depth, a veteran presence who can play multiple positions. Mikey Romero (111 games (Portland Sea Dogs/Worcester Red Sox) .245/.300/.452 .751 OPS, 33 2Bs, 4 3Bs, 17 HRs, 76 RBIs) Romero is a former first-round draft pick based on his potential ability as a hitter, but injuries have kept him off the field for his first few seasons. He did play a career-high amount of games this past season, for what it's worth. Also, Romero began a position change in 2025, playing more third base than shortstop, especially after his promotion to Worcester in July. Romero showcased average in-game power coming into this past season and a healthy offseason allowed him to hit career highs in doubles and home runs. He can make good contact against right-handers but struggles against left-handers and has a history of chasing changeups out of the zone. Defensively, second base may end up being his best position due to his arm strength, and even then, he may not be much more than an average defender. Nathan Hickey (128 games, .234/.325/.408 .733 OPS, 23 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 17 HR, 75 RBIs) While technically listed as a catcher on multiple depth charts, it’s currently due to the fact there are not many options at Triple-A at this point for the Red Sox. Hickey, who was drafted as a backstop, appeared mostly at first base or designated hitter after moving off of catcher in 2024. Defensively, he has taken rather well to the position, having made just four errors across 90 games there the past two seasons. Offensively, he has good raw power but swings-and-misses a bit. Hickey also is patient and knows the strike zone but whiffs considerably on pitches in the zone. He'd be a last-resort option for the Red Sox at first base. View the full article

In 2002 (the first-year reliable data from Fangraphs is available), the average fastball velocity of all MLB pitchers was 89.0 mph. Driven by training enhancements, exercise science, scouting emphasis and changes in pitch design, it has consistently increased over the years. Last season, it stood at 94.0 mph. In an age where it has become axiomatic that higher velocity inevitably leads to success, Tyler Rogers stands out as a complete anomaly. Rogers’s pitches aren’t just slow. They are slowest. His rarely-thrown four-seam fastball is the lowest velocity four-seamer in the entire league at 83.2 mph. His sinker, which he threw nearly 75% of the time in 2025, came in at an average of 83.5 mph. He combines that sinker primarily with a slider that has the velocity of a slow curveball at 72.6 mph. For comparison, the average changeup in MLB in 2025 was 85.9 mph. Yes, the average changeup in 2025 was more than 3 mph faster than Rogers’s fastball. Unlike his twin brother Taylor Rogers, a conventional throwing left-handed reliever currently with the Cincinnati Reds, Tyler has thrown from an ultra-low, submarine arm slot since high school, a style reminiscent of Royals team Hall of Famer Dan Quisenberry- but even lower. Rogers’s release point is just barely over six inches from the ground, almost certainly the lowest in baseball history. That throwing motion limits velocity but compensates with deception, movement and durability. The extreme low arm slot is far easier on fragile elbows and shoulders. Rogers has not spent one day on the injured list in his big-league career. After being drafted in 2013 in the 10th round out of Austin Peay by the San Francisco Giants, Rogers, despite generally good numbers, toiled in the minors for seven plus seasons before debuting in 2019 at the age of 28 and finally becoming a bullpen mainstay for the Giants in 2021. In recent years, ERA has fallen out of favor to FIP, which typically better predicts a pitcher’s future success than ERA by focusing on outcomes largely within their control such as strikeouts, walks, and home runs. In theory, if you miss bats, you will be more successful. Rogers again, is a complete anomaly. He does one thing better than anyone else in MLB. He misses barrels and hard contact while not missing bats. His K% was just 16.1% in 2025. His career xFIP (expected Fielding Independent Pitching) over 424 IP is nearly a full run higher than his ERA (2.76 ERA/3.74 xFIP). In every season in which he has pitched over 28 innings, his xFIP has been significantly higher. He is able to be successful in spite of his inability to miss bats because of his extreme ground ball percent (62.1% in 2025), low HR/9 (career 0.59), low BB% (2.3% in 2025), low HardHit% (32.9 vs league avg 47.8%) and low WHIP (0.94 in 2025). Rogers’s 131 Stuff+ for his sinker in 2025 is elite. Remember, he throws that pitch nearly 75% of the time. He induced an average of 18.2 inches of arm-side run (99th percentile) on it and combines that with a -10.5 inch vertical break. Alternatively, the slider tunnels from the exact same release point, and look exactly the same from the hitter's viewpoint until about 15 feet from the plate when it moves in the opposite direction. He is simply the most effective pitcher in MLB who does NOT have swing-and-miss stuff. He does what modern sabermetricians say is not repeatable, and he’s done it for five straight seasons. One of the ways a small market team can make up ground on the big guys like the Dodgers, who hand out massive long-term contracts like candy, is by building an elite bullpen. Bullpens are more important than ever with starting pitchers giving max effort for fewer innings per start than in the past. The 2014-2015 Royals are a prime example of how a dominant bullpen can be a difference maker for a small market team. Relievers are, by comparison to most other positions, cheaper. Rogers’s consensus projected contract is 2-3 years at 20-25 million ($8-9 million AAV). The Royal’s bullpen is already in decent shape with a returning closer in Carlos Estevez, and high leverage swing man Lucas Erceg. John Schreiber returns along with lefty Angel Zerpa. While there are some intriguing options to round out the pen including Alex Lange and Luinder Avila, adding Rogers along with another lefty would greatly improve the length and strength of the pen. Rogers's splits for left-handed hitters vs right-handed hitters are remarkably similar. Although he is entering his 35-year-old season, his velocity independent history of success, and his remarkable durability alleviate concerns over his age. He is more likely than just about anyone to be pitching effectively late into his 30s. If Rogers is able to repeat his 2025 WAR of 1.3, it would amount to a considerable bargain. For the cost-conscious Royals, this is a no-brainer. View the full article

A look at the improvements Carter Jensen made to not only make himself the top prospect in the Royals organization, but one of the most exciting young catchers in the game. View the full article

Cardinals' utility man Brendan Donovan isn’t just another name on the trade block. If fans were impressed by Ernie Clement last season, Donovan has the potential to outperform that output and then some from the other side of the plate. A career .287 hitter with a .353 on-base percentage, he brings elite plate discipline (13% strikeout rate) and defensive versatility. He can play second base, third base and left field, giving the Jays insurance if injuries strike, or if Bo Bichette negotiations don’t pan out. More importantly, he’s a left-handed bat in a lineup that still leans right. His skills are ideally suited for this team and for October, when pitching gets nasty and contact hitters become gold. Donovan’s name has been mentioned in nearly every trade conversation featuring contending teams, but his fit and the pieces to pry him from St. Louis are there for the Blue Jays. With two years left of team control at $14 million, even the cost falls well within Toronto’s budget. His tools are the likes that are highly sought after these days. He has elite plate discipline, high contact rates and can play just about anywhere. In addition, his skills at extending at-bats and ability to get on make him the type of Swiss Army knife that could make a difference with or without Bichette on the roster. Last season, his first season as an all-star, Donovan had a wRC+ of 118, a WAR of 2.7, and an OPS vs RHP of .790 in 118 games. His average exit velocity is 88mph (ok for a contact hitter), his hard-hit rate is 38%, but he makes up for that with his sprint speed, which is above average. One of the Jays’ biggest weaknesses during the 2025 season was left-handed contact hitters. Daulton Varsho and Addison Barger were literally hit-or-miss. For that reason, the lineup was too boom-or-bust, especially versus southpaws. When home runs dried up, so did the offense. That’s where Donovan fills a big need. St. Louis is cleaning house and working on a rebuild. It started with Sonny Gray to the Red Sox, and rumours are persisting about Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Donovan and others. Ross Atkins and the Jays’ front office have made deals with the Cards in the past, including trading for Jordan Hicks and Génesis Cabrera in separate deals back in 2023. This time around, the price would be steeper for a player of Donovan’s skills. The price might be as high as pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann, but with the team’s win-now window, that might just be a reality. Potential trade packages for Donovan could include Ricky Tiedemann (LHP), Joey Loperfido (OF), Gage Stanifer (RHP prospect) or Bowden Francis (SP), Addison Barger (INF/OF), and 2025 top pick JoJo Parker (SS prospect). If the Jays could land Donovan, he could slide into the leadoff or two-hole in the lineup, preceded or followed by Bichette or Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Anthony Santander, Alejandro Kirk, Daulton Varsho, Ernie Clement, Addison Barger and Andrés Giménez. That would be a pretty potent offense for David Popkins to work with. With Donovan at or near the top, the lineup becomes awfully dynamic. He lengthens at-bats, balances the lineup, and gives John Schneider flexibility to mix and match. If the Jays can’t re-sign Bichette, then Donovan is the next best thing. His ability to work counts, spray line drives and set the table for the rest of the lineup is exactly what the team will need to succeed. If he enters a lineup with Bichette, then those skills will work to the Jays’ advantage by forcing opposing teams to go to their bullpens earlier in games. ESPN predicts the likelihood of Donovan being traded as 75%, and has a long list of other teams interested in his services. Championship teams often make one defining move. The Jays have already made their mark this offseason with the signing of Dylan Cease, but why stop there? It isn’t always the big names that end up making the biggest splash. In 2016, the Cubs added Ben Zobrist. In 2021, the Braves grabbed Eddie Rosario. These weren’t headline-grabbing superstars, but they were versatile, clutch hitters who helped put their teams over the top. Donovan fits that same mold. He’s not going to hit 40 home runs. He will grind out at-bats, move runners, and make the smart play. If the price is Tiedemann, then so be it. Not every pitcher in the Jays’ system will be Trey Yesavage. With the signing of Cease, the Jays can afford to trade one of their pitching prospects. Prospects don’t always pan out. You only have to think back to Alek Manoah, who was drafted 11th overall in 2019. He had a handful of great seasons, then fizzled. Donovan has proven that he can hold his own. As we learned last season, down the stretch and into the postseason, important games come down to pitching duels and slim margins. Donovan’s contact-first approach is a weapon. He’s not here to hit massive home runs, but he will keep innings alive, force mistakes, and create chaos on the bases. Trading for Donovan would also address two unknowns as the off-season continues. It fills the possible void if Bichette leaves, or it complements Bichette’s right-handed, contact-oriented bat with a left-handed contact-oriented bat. He and his on-base skills would help lengthen the lineup. Either way, it is win-win for the Jays. Even from a positional perspective, Donovan’s defensive versatility enables the Jays to play around with the lineups. It also provides them with speed on the bases. Last year’s Jays had a median age of 31.1. At 29, once the season starts, Donovan sits in a range that would suggest he’d fit well in the clubhouse. The only possible flag against Donovan is whether or not he is durable. Foot and groin injuries sidelined him for more than 30 games in 2025. That can be a risk with any player, especially those at or approaching 30 years of age. With that said, anytime a team has a chance to add an all-star, they should consider it. If the Jays can swing a deal with the Cards, the message to MLB and the fanbase is the 2026 Blue Jays mean business. With that said, the Jays need to get in line quickly because it sounds like nearly every contending team will be on the phone with St. Louis trying to add Donovan to their roster. View the full article

The Twins have an interesting offseason ahead of them. So far, they've only made moves around the edges of a roster that appears to be in for significant change. While rumors around Pablo López, Joe Ryan, and Byron Buxton swirl, I wanted to take a look at a move the Twins could make to improve the lineup within the self-imposed budget constraints Twins fans have become all too familiar with. With the obvious roster holes the Twins have after trading almost half of the roster at this past year’s trade deadline, one move they could make to lengthen the lineup a bit is to sign Miguel Andujar. A trade deadline acquisition himself, Andujar played with the Athletics and the Reds in 2025. While this may not be the splashiest of moves, it’s the type of move the Twins front office could make without breaking the bank. Andujar played in just 94 games this year. An oblique strain landed him on the injured list early in the season, and then a quad injury in August effectively ended his 2025 campaign. When healthy, Andujar performed well, batting .318/.352/.470, which was good for a 125 OPS+. Even for a player who is strictly a corner infielder/outfielder, this will provide value to any lineup, especially one with as many left-handed hitters as the Twins have. Andujar has hit lefties quite well throughout his career, so he could spell one of Kody Clemens, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, or one of the many other left-handed-hitting corner defenders on the roster. Andujar played mostly third base and corner outfield, but has played some first base in his career, as well. Stat Vs LHP VS RHP OPS .986 .759 wOBA .421 .329 wRC+ 171 108 ISO .189 .139 While Andjuar does not walk much (5% walk rate in 2025), he also strikes out less often than most batters. He did so in just 14.4% of his plate appearances in 2025, and 15.5% in the past three seasons combined. The league average is about 22.2%. With Andujar’s ability to play either corner infield spot, or in the corner outfield, he would provide Derek Shelton and company the ability to mix and match, and provide insurance if any of the planned corner bats either underperform or sustain an injury. It might not be a flashy signing, but Andujar could prove to be a nice addition for Derek Falvey and the front office, who are clearly working with a limited budget. He played on a one-year, $3-million deal this past year in his final year of arbitration, so the Twins should be able to add him without breaking the bank. I think a one-year deal in the ballpark of what they signed Carlos Santana to two offseasons ago would get the job done. If it only costs them $5-7 million to secure his services, he would be a bargain, as long as they then utilize him the way they should. View the full article

Jack and Spencer discuss the latest reports about the Brewers' payroll situation, Freddy Peralta 's future, and potential trade candidates. 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 2025 Winter Meetings are nearly upon us! The annual four-day event begins officially on December 8 in Orlando, Flordia, though most teams will begin arriving by Sunday, Dec. 7. There's a lot that tends to go down at the Meetings every year, so let's break down the schedule, and the biggest rumors and noise surrounding the San Diego Padres heading into the offseason's biggest event. Padres' Offseason Thus Far The Friars' offseason has been defined more by loss rather than gain. Dylan Cease signed a mega-contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, Robert Suarez opted out of his contract, and Ryan O'Hearn, Michael King, and Luis Arraez all remain free agents. In terms of additions, the team did reunite with Kyle Hart on a one-year contract, and they've signed relief pitcher Ty Adcock to a one-year deal. Thus far, it's been mostly quiet in San Diego. They protected a pair of prospects from the Rule 5 Draft (Garrett Hawkins, Miguel Mendez), non-tendered some relievers (Omar Cruz, Sean Reynolds), and generally prepared the 40-man roster for what should be another busy offseason. There's a lot than needs to be done to make Craig Stammen's first year on the bench a successful one, and that action should begin at the Winter Meetings. 2025 Winter Meeting Schedule Location: Orlando, FL December 8 marks the first official day of the meetings, and it should be a busy one. There's already been a number of notable moves made this offseason, from the Dylan Cease signing to the New York Mets and Texas Rangers' blockbuster trade involving Marcus Semien and Brandon Nimmo. The big expectation is that at least two of the big three Japanese stars (Munetaka Murakami, Kazuma Okamoto, and Tatsuya Imai) will sign at the Meetings, as their posting windows will close within the next month and change. December 9 will be when the league's annual MLB Draft Lottery takes place, though by virtue of making the playoffs in 2025, the Padres won't find themselves in contention for the No. 1 overall pick. December 10 will feature the Rule 5 Draft, in which teams can selected unprotected prospects from other organizations. In order to keep drafted players, teams must keep them on the active 26-man roster (or the 60-day IL) throughout the remainder of the following season; otherwise, the prospects' original team can take them back. In terms of recent Rule 5 picks, the Padres haven't had a ton of success, with their most notable selection being Stephen Kolek, who was traded at the deadline for Freddy Fermin. Years ago, the team did pick up valuable contributors like Everth Cabrera (2008) and Shane Victorino (2002). The Winter Meetings will officially end on December 11, though most teams will depart from Orlando before the finish line is crossed. Still, the groundwork laid in Florida will lead to a cascade of signings and trades through the New Year. Padres Winter Meetings Rumor Roundup When will the Seidlers sell the franchise? Admittedly, this is the thing that looms over everything in Padres Land right now. The team's glut of huge, long-term contracts and declining veterans aren't likely to interest a lot of buyers, so it's possible A.J. Preller gets one more green light to go all-in on 2026, and then the team holds a huge fire sale prior to/after the impending 2027 lockout. As things stand, there's simply not a lot of extra money ready to be funneled into baseball operations, and the farm system is dry. It'll be tough to get free agents to sign with so many long-term questions hanging over the franchise. Will the Padres bring in a legitimate rotation member? With King and Cease out the door -- not to mention Yu Darvish's elbow surgery -- the Padres simply have to add starting pitching in order to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. To put it bluntly: Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove aren't cutting it. They certainly don't have the resources to sign a Framber Valdez or trade for a Tarik Skubal, but could Tatsuya Imai or one of the Kansas City Royals' many starters be in play? Preller probably won't pull off a Juan Soto-esque blockbuster this time around, but if anyone can make something happen, it's him. Can the team get first base help and clear salary at the same time? This will be difficult to pull off, but with Arraez and O'Hearn likely to find new teams this winter, the Padres need someone to man the cold corner in 2026 (and beyond). The aforementioned Royals have Vinnie Pasquantino, who hit 32 home runs in 2025, holding down the fort right now. Could the Padres somehow pull off a blockbuster for him and a starter while offloading a salary like Jake Cronenworth's? It would take all of the prospect talent left in the system, but if 2026 is the last dance for this core, perhaps Preller would pull the trigger. Any more bullpen reinforcements incoming? Peculiarly, both of the padres' big-league signings thus far (Hart and Adcock) are relief arms, though Hart may be pressed into starting duty next year due to necessity. With rumors of Mason Miller and/or Adrian Morejon potentially stepping back into the rotation to fill some gaps, might the Padres continue to seek cheap bullpen help to round out the pitching staff? Or perhaps a reunion with Suarez or an agreement with Edwin Diaz could give the team enough bravado to try Miller out in a starting role. View the full article

With the Chicago Cubs seemingly out of the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes, they are setting their sights on another highly sought-after free agent. PJ Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic are reporting that the Chicago Cubs had a "renewed interest" in Alex Bregman. They pursued the superstar third baseman last year before he signed with the Boston Red Sox. It's been reported that the Cubs' ownership group had greenlit a four-year, $115 million contract with opt-outs a year ago; however, it's not clear what budget they've okayed for 2025. MLBTR predicts Bregman will net $160 million over six years. Bregman finished the year with an OPS of .821 across 114 games. He hit 18 home runs and scored 64 runs, while adding one stolen base. His advanced metrics include a wOBA of .356 and a wRC+ of 125, indicating an above-average performance relative to the league. Bregman produced a total of 0 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and 1 Outs Above Average (OAA). The veteran infielder was acquired by Boston as a free agent in February 2025. In all, his season was worth 3.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). How much should the Cubs pay for Bregman? Let us know in the comments! View the full article