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The Twins have spent the last few seasons trying to convince the baseball world that their competitive window is still open. Their message has always depended on having their two cornerstone stars in the middle of everything. That plan took its first major hit when Carlos Correa agreed to waive his no-trade clause and return to Houston at this summer’s trade deadline. The ripple effects from that decision may now be touching Byron Buxton in ways the Twins hoped they would never face. Correa’s exit made all the sense in the world. Once the idea of Houston crept back into his head, it was almost impossible to uproot. His family is in the area. The Astros offer a more straightforward path to October, even if they fell short in 2025. The move to third base was expected to lessen the wear and tear on his body, after years of problems with his lower back and plantar fasciitis. It made too much sense, and when a player of Correa’s stature sees a version of his future that looks brighter elsewhere, it is only natural to follow it. The seed was planted, and it grew until there was no stopping it. Minnesota told itself that this was a singular situation. Correa was unique. This was not a sign of something bigger. Now, cracks in that belief have started to show. Earlier this week, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that Buxton has emerged as one of the biggest trade candidates of the winter. That alone is jarring, but the real noise came from Passan’s line that Buxton is willing to waive his no-trade clause, and not just for Atlanta, the team he watched growing up in Georgia. Buxton has not confirmed this publicly, and until he speaks, there will be speculation on how genuine that willingness truly is. Still, even the possibility marks a notable shift. This is a player who has repeatedly said he wants to be in Minnesota for the long haul and has long been viewed as fiercely loyal to the only big-league organization he has ever known. Last month, I wrote about how the Pohlads may have pushed Buxton to break his moral code, and perhaps that is still true, but Correa’s exit may also have pointed him to greener pastures. It's not hard to understand why that loyalty may be softening. Buxton is coming off arguably the best season of his career, and he looks and feels healthy heading into the offseason for a second consecutive year. He knows exactly how short an athlete’s window can be, and he is undoubtedly aware of the current state of the Twins. Their payroll is dropping. Their roster faces more questions than answers. Their long-term outlook is cloudy, at best. Then, he looks at Correa. He sees a close friend and former teammate, thriving in a competitive environment with real October expectations. He sees a player who freed himself to chase wins, stability, and long-term relevance. That image can be powerful. It can plant the same idea that once took hold of Correa. And if the idea is truly in Buxton’s mind, the Twins may not be able to root it out. That is the uncomfortable reality for Minnesota. Correa’s departure was not simply one star leaving. It may have opened the door to another star reconsidering his loyalty. If the Twins can't show Buxton a future where contention is more than a hopeful projection, they risk watching their franchise centerpiece walk the same path Correa did. The Twins believed Correa’s exit was an isolated storm, but it may have been the first breeze carrying seeds of doubt into their clubhouse. Buxton has always been the player they trusted to anchor their future, yet even the most loyal stars can start to question where their path leads. If Minnesota cannot show him a future that blooms into real contention (rather than more uncertainty), those seeds may grow into a weed that will spread throughout the organization. Did Correa’s exit push Buxton toward the door? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

This time last year, the Toronto Blue Jays were in the midst of determining what 2025 would look like. Was it time to go all in? Or start rebuilding? Negotiations with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were stalling, and the front office was trying to put forward a brave face. They were adamant that the 74-win 2024 season was an anomaly. Fast-forward 365 days, and Jays are talking like a team that understands that the future is now. The team heads into the 2026 season with a singular mission: to finish what they started in 2025. After a 94-win campaign that culminated in a heartbreaking loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh game of the World Series, the Jays have doubled down on their commitment to winning now. This is not a rebuilding year, nor a transitional phase; it’s an all-in push for a championship. The front office is showing a willingness to spend aggressively, even at the cost of crossing the Competitive Balance Tax (CBT) threshold. With a payroll projected north of $264 million, the Blue Jays are firmly entrenched in the second tier of CBT penalties. For a franchise that was literally inches from winning the World Series (for the first time since 1993), the road to a championship is similar to that of the last 30 years. Pay now, win now. The big question mark this offseason is Bo Bichette. His 2025 season demonstrated that he was back to form as a hard-hitting middle-of-the-lineup hitter. Even on one leg in the World Series, he nearly helped the team win the series. While the Jays remain in the mix to re-sign him, rumors have swirled about potential pivots to Kyle Tucker or Japanese free agent Munetaka Murakami if Bichette departs. Either move would reshape the lineup and signal Toronto’s willingness to think outside the box. It is unlikely that any or all of the following will return in 2026: Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, Ty France, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. However, the Jays have internal depth and financial flexibility to handle their departures. The 2026 40-man roster is building up to be an interesting blend of established players, high-priced free agents, and emerging prospects. It’s a team built for a division that continues to be tough. Here’s how the roster is coming together and what it means for 2026. Projected Lineup Assuming Bichette returns, the Jays’ 2026 starting lineup would look something like this: George Springer (DH) Bo Bichette (SS) Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (1B) Anthony Santander (LF) Alejandro Kirk (C) Ernie Clement (3B) Daulton Varsho (CF) Addison Barger (RF) Andrés Giménez (2B) Bench options include Myles Straw, Joey Loperfido, Davis Schneider, and Nathan Lukes, offering flexibility and matchup advantages. Starting Rotation Toronto’s rotation will be one of the best in the AL East next season: Kevin Gausman Dylan Cease Shane Bieber Trey Yesavage José Berríos Depth options include Eric Lauer, Bowden Francis, and minor leaguer Ricky Tiedemann, ensuring the Jays can weather injuries without a significant drop-off. By projected fWAR, Toronto’s rotation ranks second in the AL East (12.7), trailing only Boston (14.3). Bullpen Outlook The bullpen remains a work in progress. The Blue Jays agreed to terms with right-handed Cody Ponce on December 2, though it's unclear what his role will be. It is also unclear how he will fit into the 40-man roster as someone will need to be removed. Brandon Little, Justin Bruihl or Lázaro Estrada are most likely to be traded or designated for assignment to make room. Yimi García Louis Varland Braydon Fisher Yariel Rodríguez Jeff Hoffman Eric Lauer Mason Fluharty Brandon Little Tommy Nance Paxton Schultz Lázaro Estrada Justin Bruihl Angel Bastardo Cody Ponce The Jays have been rumoured to be exploring options, including free agents Edwin Díaz and Pete Fairbanks. Although the team doesn’t have a big repository of top prospects in the minors, there has been talk of potential trades. Many of the trade options hinge on whether the Jays can re-sign Bichette. If not, they’ll be seeking an infielder and perhaps more pitching depth. Catcher Alejandro Kirk Tyler Heineman Kirk and Heineman are slated to return behind the plate in 2026. The Jays tendered the switch-hitting Heineman a contract to prevent him from becoming a free agent. The third catcher on the Jays’ 40-man roster is Brandon Valenzuela, who was acquired last season in a trade with the San Diego Padres for Will Wagner. At the time, the 24-year-old switch-hitter was the 26th-ranked prospect in the San Diego system. Infield Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Andrés Giménez Ernie Clement Addison Barger Leo Jiménez Depending on Bichette, there won’t be a lot of changes here. The Jays may try to talk Bichette into transitioning to second, or not. Barger and Schneider will serve as backups in the infield and outfield to allow for rest days. If Bichette doesn’t re-sign, then the infield will most likely need to add a piece via trade or free agency. Technically, a healthy Santander would roam right field, enabling Barger to play the infield and shift Clement to second with Giménez at short. Light-hitting Leo Jiménez, who saw limited action last season, could be called up in case of injury. Outfield The Jays have a surplus of MLB-worthy outfielders. This could support trading one or more to address the team’s infield or relief pitching needs. Jonatan Clase Joey Loperfido Nathan Lukes Anthony Santander Davis Schneider George Springer Myles Straw Daulton Varsho Addison Barger (listed as an infielder on the roster) Prospects to Watch The Jays’ farm system ranks amongst the top half of all MLB systems. The meteoric rise of Trey Yasavage is not the norm, but the Jays do have several players to keep an eye on: Arjun Nimmala (SS) Infielder with plenty of tools, but early in development. Projected to get to the Majors by 2028. JoJo Parker (OF) Power-speed combo, could debut late in 2026, but more likely in 2029. Gage Stanifer (RHP) pitched in Double-A last season. Probably two years away from the Majors. Ricky Tiedemann (LHP) Faced numerous injuries over his brief career, but has top-level stuff. RJ Schreck (OF) Roamed the outfield last season in Triple-A. Bit of a logjam at the major league level, so might be traded, move up with Lukes, Straw, or Barger, or dealt. These prospects provide both insurance and trade capital for a team in win-now mode. The 2026 Toronto Blue Jays are being built to win. The big question mark is Bo Bichette. If he chooses to walk, the Jays can use those dollars to add pieces via free agency or trade. Baseball is unpredictable, and the margin for error in the AL East is razor-thin. Boston, New York, and Baltimore are all reloading for 2026. Even Tampa Bay is rumoured to be exploring a trade to re-acquire Zach Eflin. Either way, one thing is sure: the Blue Jays are all-in, and 2025 might just have been the start of something extra special. View the full article

In his first solo podcast of the 2025-26 Miami Marlins offseason, Ely Sussman begins by analyzing Clayton McCullough's comments about Connor Norby preparing to play the outfield and Griffin Conine learning first base. Then, he reacts to Ryan Helsley and Devin Williams signing free agent contracts, and makes the case that Emilio Pagán may be the best option left on the reliever market for the Marlins. You can find The Offishial Show on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Our audio programming also includes Fish On First LIVE, Fish Unfiltered, Swimming Upstream and more. Pagán served as primary closer for the Cincinnati Reds in 2025. He struck out 30.0% of all batters faced across 68 ⅔ innings pitched and finished the season on a particularly high note with 10 consecutive scoreless appearances. About to enter his age-35 season, Pagán has had only one extended injured list stint during his professional career—a right lat strain in 2024. Thanks to a splitter that has progressively spun less and added vertical break, Pagán dominated left-handed batters last season. The pitch accrued plus-six run value, per Baseball Savant, generating an ideal mix of whiffs and soft contact. Swim Around the Diamond At the end of every episode of The Offishial Show, I will be highlighting and recommending Marlins-related content that was posted recently outside of FOF. Here's what I picked this time: Aram Leighton's top 15 Marlins prospects (Just Baseball) 2026 ZiPS Projections: Miami Marlins (FanGraphs) WBC-style rosters comprised of current/former Marlins players (Son Los Marlins) Inside Major League Baseball's fan council featuring SuperSub Ryan Schlesinger (The Athletic) Follow Ely (@RealEly) and Fish On First (@FishOnFirst) on Twitter. Join the Marlins Discord server! Complete Miami Marlins coverage here at FishOnFirst.com. View the full article

Following their acquisition of Sonny Gray, it hasn't been difficult to imagine the Boston Red Sox doubling-down and adding another premier starter to their rotation this offseason. The 2026 campaign represents the final one prior to (what many expect to be) a long lockout that could put the 2027 season in jeopardy. There's real, tangible value in operating under economic certainty, even if only for one year. Trading for Gray -- and requiring the St. Louis Cardinals to pick up half of his remaining salary -- was the start of going all-in on next year, not the end of it. That being said, where exactly the Red Sox turn after Gray depends on your perspective. I made it clear that I believe Gray to be the No. 2 starter this team has been searching for since last year's Winter Meetings. Others have made it clear they do not share that opinion. Depending on which side of the ledger you fall on, you either believe the Red Sox need another depth option to fill in one of the primary jobs behind Brayan Bello, or that they need a true co-ace for Garrett Crochet. As a Gray truther, I'll cross the line on my own party and stand with those wanting another frontline addition. Gray is a true one-year rental at 36 years old, and it could behoove Boston's front office to find a longer-term partner for Crochet. One could make the case that Bello may still yet grow into that role, or perhaps one of the team's many exciting young arms (Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Kyson Witherspoon, etc.) could leap others on the depth chart. But that's an idea best harbored for a post-lockout world; in the here and now, there needs to be another upper-echelon starter in Beantown by Opening Day. I'm not here to tell you who that may be. I maintain my belief that Freddy Peralta is the quintessential Red Sox trade target, though perhaps trading valuable prospect capital for two rental starters in the same offseason isn't the best way of doing business. What I am here to do is explain why, despite my (overzealous) belief in Gray, I think this team should be focusing exclusively on front-of-the-rotation arms. It helps that there's already so much depth in place. Tolle and Early really should be given the first crack at the No. 5 gig in spring training, and it helps that fellow high-upside arms Kyle Harrison and Luis Perales are already on the 40-man roster. That also doesn't include a trio of players with past MLB success that should be returning from injury at some point in 2026: Patrick Sandoval, Tanner Houck, and Hunter Dobbins. Those seven alone should easily be able to cover whatever innings are open following Crochet, Gray, and Bello, but even that group fails to mention the best of the bunch: Kutter Crawford. I'll slow my own roll for a second and clarify that by "best", I don't mean "most talented" or "possessing the most impressive track record." Instead, I simply mean that, of the octet of options laid out in the previous paragraph, I find it most likely that Crawford will be able to hold onto a rotation spot throughout the duration of next season. Of course, that will require Crawford to overcome his bizarre wrist injury that he suffered while moving furniture in the confines of his own home. He was on track to return from patellar tendinopathy in his right knee at some point after the trade deadline, and yet, the usually-reliable starter missed the entire campaign after undergoing surgery on his throwing wrist in July. As far as freak accidents go, that's certainly one of the them. I'd hardly call Crawford -- who made 56 starts between 2023-24 -- injury-prone, and I'd wager a guess that the braintrust in Boston feels the same way. If we can suppose that Crawford will return to his pre-injury form, the Red Sox should be able to add another starter to the end-of-the-rotation mix, and a damn good one at that. Though he's never been particularly elite at any one thing, the 29-year-old right-hander is dependable. He tossed 183 2/3 innings when he was last on the mound in 2024, firing off a 3.85 xERA and 4.65 FIP that just about perfectly bisected his 4.36 ERA. He struck out over 23% of hitters while walking just 6.7%, though his primary blemish was allowing 34 home runs in 33 starts. He was much better in Fenway Park, surrendering a .296 wOBA at home compared to a .314 mark on the road. He also allowed eight fewer home runs despite facing 81 additional batters in Boston. That checks out when digging deeper — batters only went to the opposite field against Crawford 24.4% of the time in 2024, which makes it difficult for lefty hitters to attack the Green Monster. That's not a matter of luck, either. It's wrought on by conscious decisions made with his repertoire, highlighted by a pair of fastballs and a solid sweeper. Image courtesy of Baseball Savant As we know, the Red Sox love pitchers who can toss a big horizontal sweeper, and Crawford fits that mold. It was his best offering to righties last time he was healthy, and it yielded a .214 xBA and .295 xwOBA overall across 522 offerings in 2024, to go along with a tidy 26.3% whiff rate. In conjunction with that earlier note on the righty being better at home, most will note that Crawford worked reverse splits in his breakout campaign. Left-handed hitters slashed just .207/.272/.402 (.293 wOBA) against him, compared to a .240/.296/.436 (.316 wOBA) slash line for righties. A lot of that has to do with his excellent splitter and knuckle curveball, pitches that yielded batting averages below the Mendoza Line. Crawford tended to reserve those offerings for late in the counts against left-handed batters, seeing as both pitches generated put-away rates above 24%. Simply put, this is an arsenal that works in harmony. The raw "stuff" isn't necessarily elite, but there's a lot of synergy between each offering and when Crawford likes to throw them. There's genuine variance in the movement profiles of each pitch, and the same is true for their respective velocities. Hitters may be able to hit him hard when they guess right, but that's a one-in-five proposition when every pitch is working. If healthy, we already know Crawford can handle the workload. It helps that he also has a big-league caliber fastball in his aptly-named cutter, which produced a .216 batting average against and 26.5% whiff rate in 2024. With so much pressure being put on the front of the rotation to produce in 2026, it shouldn't be a surprise if Crawford settles right back into his home as one of the league's most-dependable backend starters next season. View the full article

The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korean Baseball Organization have posted their star third baseman, Sung Mun Song. He now has until December 21 to sign with an MLB club. If he doesn't, he will return to the Heroes for 2026, but it looks as though Song will join the slow but steady stream of Korean hitters coming to the United States in their prime. The 29-year-old is coming off a season wherein he hit .315 with a .917 OPS in 144 games. He hit a career-high 26 home runs and stole 25 bags which was also his best mark yet. He had an equally impressive 2024, in which he hit .340 and led the Heroes in RBIs (with 104) and home runs (with 19). The left-handed hitter is a bit of a late bloomer. His first excellent season was that 2024 campaign, nine years after he made his debut as a teenager in 2015. He's looking to join former teammates Ha-Seong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee, and Hyeseong Kim in the American majors. He's two years the latter two players' senior, but a year younger than Ha-Seong Kim. Song has some serious power and speed, but his offensive game as a whole remains in question. He offers some defensive versatility, as he has played first and second base in addition to his primary spot at the hot corner, and will likely be viewed as a potential bench option in the majors. This is a player who likely won’t be chased by the first class contenders. If Song chases playing time instead of a ring, he might find what he is looking for with teams like the Angels, Athletics, White Sox, or Marlins. There have not been any credible rumors on the Cubs’ interest in Song, but they make sense as a possible suitor. Song likely would not hop over Matt Shaw as the starting third baseman on the depth chart, but if Shaw does struggle early on, Song would make for an interesting contingency plan. That he bats lefty also suggests some matchup value; he could spell Shaw against some right-handed starters and strengthen the position for the team by creating a semi-platoon. The only other reserve infielders on the 40-man roster right now are prospects James Triantos and Pedro Ramirez, so the Cubs do need to add an infielder or two. They signed veteran utility man Scott Kingery to a minor-league deal Tuesday, but Kingery is unlikely to play a significant role for any big-league team, in 2026 or any season thereafter. In 2025, Shaw was handed the starting third base job with no real competition. This is not a slight to Jon Berti, Gage Workman, Vidal Bruján or 41-year-old Justin Turner, but we saw all regular season and playoffs how unprepared the Cubs were for any potential growing pains with Shaw. Compared with signing an unexciting backup infield option, Song provides more upside. He was one of the best hitters in the KBO in each of the last two seasons, and would add a fun extra storyline in 2026. Early last season, we saw Lee take at least a brief turn one of the best hitters in baseball. If Song produces a well-timed, scorching-hot month or so, that would go a long way toward improving a lineup that is likely to lose Kyle Tucker—and he should come at a very affordable price. View the full article

Remember Garrett Mitchell? That question sounds glib, and almost preposterous. Seriously, though: it's not crazy to ask whether even intense Brewers fans think about Mitchell, these days. He was selected as the 20th overall pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2020 MLB Draft, out of UCLA. After rocketing through just 132 games at three levels in the minors over two seasons, Mitchell made his big-league debut in August 2022. He started slowly, collecting just four hits in his first 29 at-bats. Then he caught fire, and batted a Hurricane Hazle-like .469/.500/.625 the rest of the way, to finish the year at .311/.373/.459 across 61 at-bats. The Brewers thought they finally had a star center fielder who could anchor the Milwaukee outfield for the next 10 years. Not so fast, sports fans. Mitchell injured his left shoulder sliding into third base in a mid-April 2023 contest against Seattle, resulting in surgery for a torn labrum. His truncated season lasted all of 19 major-league games and eight minor-league rehab contests. Misfortune struck early in 2024, as Mitchell suffered a fractured left index finger in a late-March ramp-up ahead of Opening Day. He sat out 10 weeks before a brief rehab stint, and returned to the Brewers on July 1. Mitchell played 69 games and batted .255/.342/.469 over 196 at-bats. He showed glimpses of power and speed, slamming eight round-trippers while swiping 11 bags in 15 attempts. Mitchell was healthy to start the 2025 season, but suffered a strained left oblique just 25 games into the season. Two months later, he injured his left shoulder again while playing in a rehab game at Nashville. That mishap required another shoulder surgery—his second in three years. Mitchell played in only those 25 contests and batted .206/.286/.294 in 68 at-bats. Mitchell was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in the third grade, but has been dealing with the disease successfully since. He suffered leg injuries in 2019 and 2021, but seems to have gotten past those. The left shoulder issue could continue to be a concern, though. Per MLB.com, Mitchell had perhaps the best set of tools of all the players in the 2020 draft class. Overall, his grade was 55, which is considered above-average, as was his ‘hit’ tool. Defensively, his ‘arm’ and ‘field’ tools were both graded at 60, which is considered a plus tool. His 'running' tool was graded at 70, which is considered plus-plus. In short, Mitchell’s talent is not in question, and never has been. His health will determine whether he realizes his potential. Right now, he's on the bubble to even make the Opening Day roster. If he can stay on the field and flash his superior skills, he would make the decision for Brewers management very interesting. Is there room on the roster for Mitchell, Jackson Chourio, Sal Frelick, Christian Yelich, Isaac Collins, and Blake Perkins? It would take a lot of finagling, but it would be nice to see the Brewers' outfield live up to the potential that was predicted for them a few short years ago. The others are in various stages of having done so, or still have time to do so. For Mitchell, that time is running short. What do you think about Garrett Mitchell? Will he make the Opening Day roster and if so, can he reclaim his starting job? Feel free to start the conversation in the comments section below. View the full article

ESPN published a ranking of players who could be traded this offseason, and Minnesota Twins Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, and Pablo López were all toward the top of the list. In this video, I provide my reaction to this article, try to figure out what the Twins would target in return, and offer up a player I'd love to see them acquire. View the full article

The Blue Jays have agreed to terms with right-handed reliever Cody Ponce on a three-year contract, reports Ken Rosenthal. The contract is for three years and an unspecified amount. Ponce last pitched in Major League Baseball in 2021 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent the past several years in Asian baseball leagues, specifically the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2025. More to come... View the full article

As has been the case since basically day one of the offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays have been and will continue to be one of the most aggressive teams in the trade and free agent market. After landing Dylan Cease via free agency, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports that they may not be done adding to the rotation. In a recent column, Nicholson Smith reported that the team has remained "engaged with the starting pitching market" and named Michael King, Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer, and Cody Ponce as potential free-agent targets. Additionally, he identifies starters Joe Ryan of the Minnesota Twins and MacKenzie Gore of the Washington Nationals as trade targets, both of whom they discussed at the 2025 deadline. In short, it doesn't sound like anyone is out of sight when it comes to bolstering their starting rotation for 2026. Despite a current rotation of Cease, Trey Yesavage, Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Eric Lauer, the Blue Jays know starting pitching depth is essential to another World Series run. Nicholson-Smith points out that 10 of the 12 playoff teams had at least six pitchers make 10 or more regular-season starts, including their World Series teams, who had seven such pitchers. Who do you think the Blue Jays should target for their rotation? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

The Twins have quite a bit of work to do this offseason. Among the laundry list of gaping holes on the current team is first base, where they struggled to generate any meaningful offensive production last year. Minnesota’s first basemen combined for a .678 OPS in 2025, placing them 25th in MLB. With Ty France now gone, Kody Clemens sits atop the depth chart but doesn’t have nearly enough upside to get fans excited about the position heading into next season. Naturally, this means that the Twins could pursue a player in free agency and, given their frugal ways, are likely out of the running for Pete Alonso and even Ryan O’Hearn. However, Rhys Hoskins could be just affordable enough for Minnesota to be interested. Unfortunately, his sticker price is one of the only things he has going for him for 2026. He most recently completed a two-year stint with the Brewers, which, despite being a highly anticipated signing at the time, was immensely underwhelming on all fronts. For a total of $30 million ($34 million if you count the $4 million buyout of his mutual option), Milwaukee received a first baseman with a 102 OPS+ and 0.7 rWAR, hardly a strong return on investment. There was inherent risk following a long injury layoff in 2023, but even with 221 games under his belt, he never seemed to return to the hitter he was with the Phillies. The most drastic drop was undoubtedly in his ability to hit for power. Across six seasons in Philadelphia, he had a slugging percentage of .492, while he managed a slugging percentage of just .418 while with Milwaukee. Although this is a steep decline, by 2025, both his average and maximum exit velocities were back in the same ballpark (teehee) as his best years in Philadelphia. This means that he hadn’t really lost the raw power he's had his whole career, but it points to something more insidious. Instead, it seems the reason for this apparent discrepancy is that his quality of contact varied depending on the pitches he was seeing. In 2025, he pummeled fastballs but struggled immensely against breaking balls. Here are some of his batted ball metrics when separated by pitch type. # of pitches Average Exit Velocity BA SLG wOBA Fastball 715 92.7 mph 0.281 0.556 0.402 Breaking 545 85.5 mph 0.179 0.253 0.209 Offspeed 169 88.5 mph 0.194 0.226 0.254 As you can see, there’s a huge spread between the average exit velocity on fastballs and breaking balls. An average exit velocity of 92.7 mph is on par with Corey Seager’s season numbers, whereas an average exit velocity of 85.5 mph would be on par with Sal Frelick’s season numbers. This crucial vulnerability, along with returning injury issues, is what caused his OPS to decline from .877 in May to just .532 in June as opposing pitchers began to exploit his shortcomings. Unless he makes major adjustments, expect this steady diet of breaking balls and offensive slump to continue, especially as a more varied pitch mix is becoming vogue. Another symptom to check is his bat speed. Unfortunately, we only have bat-tracking data starting in 2024, which doesn’t provide enough data to definitively say whether he’s in the midst of a gradual decline. At 32 years old, his bat speed isn’t going to get any faster. In the two seasons for which we do have data, he was around the 40th percentile. It isn’t the reason for his diminished production at the plate, but it sure isn’t helping either. Offensively, he still does some things well. His plate discipline is as good as ever, and he has yet to post a walk rate below 10% for any season in his career. He still makes excellent swing decisions, posting an elite chase rate of just 19.9% last year. Finally, his batted-ball profile was still elite last season, with 34.5% of his batted balls pulled in the air, more than double the MLB average of 16.7%. But again, these positive batted ball results come almost exclusively against fastballs. Of the 25 total extra base hits he had, 19 of them came against fastballs, including all but one of his home runs. Based on the way that things have been going for him recently, Rhys Hoskins should be seen as more of a depth piece or placeholder than a starting option capable of moving the needle. Sure, the Twins don’t exactly have the most appealing options at either position, but does it really make sense to spend additional money on a player who could be at most a side-grade? If anyone knows not to throw good money after bad (or throw good money at all), it’s Minnesota’s front office. It remains to be seen whether the Twins will spend 2026 in rebuild mode, but even if they were focused on competing, it would make more sense to prioritize reloading the bullpen that was torn down at last year’s trade deadline over getting a first baseman in decline. At this point, signing anyone may be enough to cause excitement, but recent data suggests that a Rhys Hoskins contract could be more of a bearish signal than a bullish one. View the full article

Last weekend, rumors spread from the Boston Globe that the Royals may be interested in trading away Cole Ragans to the Red Sox for the right package. Royals GM JJ Picollo didn't mention Ragans specifically in his interview with Alex Speier of the Globe. Still, he did hint that they would be open to trading an established pitcher away for a lineup-changing outfielder. With big salary amounts owed to Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo, and injury concerns with Kris Bubic, Ragans may be the Royals' best starting pitching trade asset. The former Rangers first-round pick finished fourth in the AL Cy Young race in 2024 after posting a 3.14 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 32 starts and 186.1 IP. Last year was a bit of a down year, as he struggled with injuries, posting a 4.67 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in 61.2 IP. However, his xERA was 2.67, which ranked in the Top 4% of the league. Furthermore, he posted a 38.1% K rate and a 30.4% K-BB%, and showcased stellar stuff and strike metrics in his TJ Stats summary. Without a doubt, in terms of stuff, skills, and strikeout ability, Ragans is the most valuable starting pitcher in the Royals' rotation. Additionally, he's cost-controlled, having agreed to a three-year extension last offseason worth $13.25 million total. The deal includes next year and 2027, giving him one year of arbitration eligibility before he hits free agency in 2029, according to Spotrac. Any team that acquires Ragans would not just gain a Cy Young-caliber pitcher but also one with financial predictability, unlike Bubic, who will be a free agent after next season. Thus, the Royals should be expecting a significant trade package in return for Ragans. While the Royals need an outfielder, a one-for-one swap for most outfielders would be a massive overpay by Kansas City. For a small-market franchise with regular playoff aspirations, such a deal could be debilitating to the progress Picollo has made since taking over for Dayton Moore after the 2023 season. What should the Royals be looking for in a deal? Well, let's look at Ragans' value, the Royals' needs, and a couple of theoretical moves that could make sense for Kansas City. What's Ragans' Value on the Trade Market? When looking at Ragans' value, I think two things could be utilized for us as baseball fans: statistics and Baseball Trade Value's "surplus" measurement. In terms of statistics, there's no question that Ragans has become the "ace" of the Royals' rotation, not easy to do given a rotation that includes veterans such as Wacha and Lugo. Since coming over from Texas in 2023 in the Aroldis Chapman trade, Ragans has made 57 starts and pitched 319.2 innings with the Royals. In that sample, he has a 3.32 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP, a 2.79 FIP, an 11.5 K/9, and a 3.60 K/BB ratio. When looking at starting pitchers since July 17th, 2023, Ragans ranks 11th in fWAR (9.2), despite sporting the lowest IP total (314.2 IP) of any starter in the Top-15. Thus, Ragans has certainly put up the metrics to become one of the most valued starting pitching assets on the trade market, beyond Detroit's Tarik Skubal, who's a back-to-back AL Cy Young winner. When it comes to his value on Baseball Trade Values, it's essential to know what is factored into that value, not just for Ragans, but for all Major League players. According to BTV, it is necessary first to calculate the "field value," which includes the following factors: WAR Projections Inflation Years of Control Injury Risk Roster Risk The next factor is salary, which is needed to calculate "surplus" value, defined by BTV as follows: Thus, based on those factors, where does Ragans rank in comparison to other Royals players? According to BTV, Ragans sports the second-highest surplus value with a 79.4 mark. The only one higher is Bobby Witt Jr. with a 200.7 mark. Therefore, the 27-year-old lefty is one of the Royals' most prized assets, in addition to their most prized pitcher on the 40-man roster. What Are the Royals' Needs? The Royals need hitting and help in the outfield, plain and simple. Even in the interview with the Globe, Picollo pointed out that they need to upgrade the corner outfield in 2026, and the Royals would be willing to trade away pitching to accomplish that goal this offseason. However, another area of need for the Royals is to deepen the farm system, especially with the recent graduation of Jac Caglianone and the soon-to-be graduate Carter Jensen. The Royals' system has come a long way under Picollo and new scouting director Brian Bridges. However, for the Royals to be a consistent small-market playoff contender, like Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and Milwaukee, they need to ensure that their farm system isn't left bare at any point. That was a significant reason Moore struggled to keep his job, despite leading the Royals to two pennants and a World Series title during his tenure. The Royals should explore deals not just to acquire an MLB-ready outfielder, but some prospect talent as well, in any possible trade, especially considering the surplus value Ragans holds. Proposed Trade #1: Cole Ragans to Boston for OF Jarren Duran, SP Kyson Witherspoon, and OF Jhostynxon Garcia Duran has been a target for the Royals for a while, as rumors swirled that Kansas City tried to acquire him at the deadline before settling on Mike Yastrzemski (which didn't turn out too badly). Duran proved to be quite valuable for the Red Sox last season, posting a 3.9 fWAR with a 111 wRC+, 16 home runs, and 24 stolen bases in 696 plate appearances. Over the past three years, Duran has accumulated 13.2 fWAR for the Red Sox, which leads all Red Sox players in that time frame, according to Fangraphs. That said, according to BTV, Duran's surplus value is 49.5, significantly lower than Ragans'. A one-for-one trade would not be worth it for Kansas City, based on BTV's model. Therefore, the Red Sox would need to throw in some prospect capital to make the trade a fair one for the Royals. Two prospects that could make sense are Witherspoon and Garcia, a starting pitcher and outfielder, respectively, in the Red Sox farm system. Witherspoon was the Red Sox's top draft pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma. In his final season with the Sooners, he posted a 2.65 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 31.8% K rate, and 25.9% K-BB% in 16 starts and 95 IP. Thus, it's no surprise that the Red Sox were willing to give him a $5 million signing bonus at pick No. 15 (which was slightly below slot). Witherspoon did not pitch professionally after being drafted, but he could be an excellent project for the Royals' pitching development team and move quickly through the Royals' farm system in 2026. His BTV surplus value is 17.7. Garcia, known as "The Password" by Red Sox fans due to his hard-to-pronounce first name, is also an intriguing prospect that could give the Royals some depth on the 40-man, which lacks MLB-ready outfielders. The 22-year-old outfielder was mediocre in his initial MLB exposure (82 wRC+ and 55.6% K rate in nine PA), but a glut of outfielders in Boston blocked him. In 489 plate appearances in Triple-A Worcester, he slashed .267/.340/.470 with a 116 wRC+, 21 HR, 75 RBI, and seven stolen bases. When looking at his TJ Stats summary from Triple-A, Garcia showcased excellent barrel rates and solid exit velocity on batted balls. However, like many Royals hitters in their system, he struggled with plate discipline, whiffs, and strikeouts. Adding Duran, Witherspoon, and Garcia together yields a total surplus value of 75, making it a fair trade by BTV's standards, as shown below. Now, I'm not sure if the Red Sox would give up a recently drafted starting pitcher with considerable upside and a flawed but still talented outfielder who is just 23, along with Duran. That said, if the Royals are willing to trade their second-most valuable asset in their organization, they need to make sure they get a considerably fair return in the process. If they can't, they should continue to hold onto Ragans and look for other options. Proposed Trade #2: Ragans to San Diego for OF Fernando Tatis Jr. Remember how I talked about how the Royals should look to kill two birds with one stone by getting an established outfielder and prospects in return for Ragans? Well, this trade blows that idea out of the water. That said, if the Royals can only get a one-for-one deal with Ragans, they might as well shoot high and acquire Tatis in an agreement that BTV's model accepted. Surprisingly, Tatis may be more available than some baseball fans would like to think. His BTV surplus value is 83.3, slightly higher than Ragans'. However, he also commands a super long-term deal, one of many that San Diego has on their payroll (Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts being the others). He also only posted an .807 OPS, down from his .833 mark in 2024. Thus, the Padres may view a possible Ragans-Tatis trade as an avenue to improve their starting pitching (they lack depth after No. 1 starter Nick Pivetta, especially after Dylan Cease signed with the Blue Jays this offseason) while shedding some short-term payroll. Still, he posted a 6.1 fWAR in 2025, and his Statcast percentiles showed that Tatis is one of the most naturally talented hitters in the league. Now, the Royals would like to trade Ragans for Tatis in an instant. However, it may be a tougher deal to stomach for Padres GM AJ Preller, especially since Tatis is the face of the Padres franchise. While Ragans would immediately improve the San Diego rotation, fans would likely revolt in response to losing a player who has been so key to the Padres' turnaround after years of mediocrity and inconsistency. Nonetheless, it's an avenue to explore, as a 1-for-1 trade of Ragans for Tatis would at least check a lot of boxes for both teams in terms of on-field production and needs. View the full article

Since 2017, MLB has awarded compensation picks to teams based on a combination of revenue, market size, and record in two separate rounds. Fifteen teams receive these picks in two groups (one of seven teams, one of eight). Comp Round A takes place between the compensation picks following the first and second rounds. Comp Round B takes place immediately following the second round. Teams alternate between Comp Round A and Comp Round B selections depending on the year. In 2025, the Twins used their Comp Round A selection on Alabama RHP Riley Quick. In 2026, they will have a Comp Round B pick. The order of those selections was released today. The Twins were awarded the final selection in Comp Round B. In 2025, that pick was 74th overall and carried a slot value of $1,111,000. While this isn't great news, it won't have a massive effect on the Twins' bonus pool. The difference between the slot values of the first pick in Comp Round B and the last pick in 2025 was $209,400. We can expect slot values for draft picks to increase by between 4% and 9% in a given year. Let's hope the Twins' bad luck is behind them, with the Draft Lottery scheduled for December 9th. The Twins currently have the second-best odds of landing the first overall pick. The outcome of the lottery will have a massive impact on the Twins' ability to spend (and have access to the best talent) in the 2026 MLB Draft. View the full article

On Tuesday afternoon, MLB announced the order of the two Competitive Balance rounds of the 2026 MLB Draft, as highlighted by Sam Dykstra of MLB Pipeline on Bluesky. For those unaware, the Competitive Balance rounds in the MLB Draft can be described as follows, according to MLB.com's Joe Trezza: The Royals rank 28th in MLB franchise value, ahead of only the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins, according to Forbes. Thus, Kansas City not only tends to receive draft picks in the Competitive Balance round, but it also tends to receive an excellent draft position in those rounds. Here's a layout of the two rounds, according to Trezza. The Royals draft behind only the Guardians, who rank 25th in Forbes' franchise valuations. Competitive Balance round picks are the only draft picks that are allowed to be traded by MLB teams. In 2022, the Royals utilized their CB pick in a deal with Atlanta that netted them outfielder Drew Waters, pitcher Andrew Hoffmann, and infielder CJ Alexander. In 2024, they acquired reliever Hunter Harvey from the Nationals in a trade package that included their CB pick and third-base prospect Cayden Wallace. While the Competitive Balance rounds are set, the whole draft order will not be set until December 9th, when the MLB Draft Lottery takes place, during the Winter Meetings. The Royals have 0.84% odds to win the top pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, according to Trezza. The 2026 MLB Draft is set to take place July 12th-13th in Philadelphia, home of the All-Star game next season. Photo Credit: © Brett Davis-Imagn Images View the full article

The 2025 MLB trade deadline will be remembered as one of the most dramatic in Twins history. Faced with a roster that hovered in the middle of the American League standings and weighed down by injuries and inconsistency, the front office chose to reset the roster. Big names were moved; prospects poured in; and fans spent the rest of the summer debating whether the Twins had waved a white flag or executed a savvy long-term play. Now, with multiple months of returns and development to examine, we can revisit each trade with clearer judgment. Did the Twins win the 2025 deadline, or did they sow the seeds of regret? Below is a trade-by-trade look at the deadline that redefined the franchise. SS Carlos Correa to the Astros for RHP Matt Mikulski and $70 million in salary relief This was the headline deal. Moving Correa was less about talent and more about financial flexibility, after uneven seasons with the Twins. Mikulski has already been released from the organization, but it was never about getting a player in return. This was a straight salary dump. Even if Correa found his footing again (pun intended) in Houston, the Twins were heading in a new direction, and their exceptionally expensive shortstop was out of the team’s long-term plans. It would have been great if the Twins had reinvested the savings into payroll for 2026, but it looks like the Pohlads could pocket the money, which makes it a loss. Verdict: Loss OF Harrison Bader to the Phillies for OF Hendry Mendez and RHP Geremy Villoria Bader’s time in Minnesota was short and filled with streaks of strong defense and better-than-expected offense. He was on an expiring contract, and the Twins were able to cash him in for two intriguing prospects. Mendez posted a .891 OPS in the Arizona Fall League, after slashing .299/.399/.439 at Double A in 2025. Villoria is more of a wild card, since he is only 16 years old and spent the season in the Dominican Summer League (3.68 ERA, 1.23 WHIP). Bader helped Philadelphia in their playoff push, but this return fits Minnesota’s timeline. Verdict: Win RHP Jhoan Duran to the Phillies for C Eduardo Tait and RHP Mick Abel Trading one of the most electric relievers in baseball was always going to sting. Minnesota hopes Abel rebounds well with the Twins development group. Tait was arguably the best prospect traded at the deadline, and looks like the team’s catcher of the future. He reached High-A Cedar Rapids as an 18-year-old and posted a .738 OPS in 2025. Duran continues to dominate, but the Twins badly needed upper-level pitching and long-term catching depth. This is a rare case where both sides benefited equally. Verdict: Push RHP Chris Paddack and RHP Randy Dobnak to the Tigers for C Enrique Jimenez Paddack never found his footing after returning from surgery, and Dobnak’s role had evaporated. Paddack became a free agent this winter, and the Tigers declined Dobnak’s club option. Jimenez is improving as a defensive catcher and slashed .256/.371/.476, including a .983 OPS after the trade. Turning two expendable arms (and a bit of lingering monetary obligation) into a potential long-term option behind the plate is solid business, especially for a team that has struggled with catcher development in recent years. Verdict: Win UTL Willi Castro to the Cubs for RHP Ryan Gallagher and RHP Sam Armstrong Castro’s versatility made him a popular Twin, but the club took the opportunity to turn a utility piece into two arms with a bit of upside. Gallagher reached Double A as a 22-year-old and posted a 4.07 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP in 121 2/3 innings. Armstrong’s slider grades out well on some models, so he could be a long-term bullpen arm. Neither is a sure thing, but these are the types of lottery tickets that can pay off. Verdict: Win LHP Danny Coulombe to the Rangers for LHP Garrett Horn Coulombe was excellent in Minnesota, but the front office sold high on a veteran reliever with an expiring contract. Horn is an intriguing lefty who added velocity in 2025 while moving from rookie ball to High A. In 14 starts, he posted a 3.27 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP and a 32.5% strikeout rate. If he can’t make it as a starter, the Twins could develop him into a lefty weapon out of the bullpen. Verdict: Win RHP Griffin Jax to the Rays for RHP Taj Bradley This was one of a few shockers. Jax had become the steady hand in the bullpen, but the Rays needed stability and offered up Bradley in return. Minnesota immediately moved Bradley into the starting rotation with the hope that a new organization could help him reclaim the command and confidence that made him a premium prospect. If he sticks in the rotation, the upside outweighs the loss of Jax, but that’s a big question at this point. Verdict: Loss RHP Brock Stewart to the Dodgers for OF James Outman This seemed like a strange trade at the time. On paper, Stewart has more value, but his medicals are likely poor due to his long-term injury history. Stewart was a veteran with some upside, and the Dodgers were searching for bullpen help. However, he was limited to four appearances before injuries sidelined him again. Outman gives Minnesota a controllable outfielder, but he has minimal upside. Verdict: Loss (for both teams) RHP Louis Varland and Ty France to the Blue Jays for LHP Kendry Rojas and OF Alan Roden For many fans, this was a tough pill to swallow. Varland had the Minnesota backstory and went on to be a key part of Toronto’s World Series run, including setting the MLB record for playoff pitching appearances. In return, the Twins received Rojas, a lefty with starter traits who could be a breakout prospect for the team next year. Roden is a contact-oriented outfielder with elite plate discipline (.423 OBP at Triple A). Both fit Minnesota’s emphasis on control and development. Rojas will provide long-term value, and that’s why this trade leans towards the Twins. Verdict: Slight Win So, Did the Twins Win the 2025 Deadline? Surprisingly, yes. For a deadline that felt painful and symbolic of a step backward, the longer view shows a pattern of smart asset management and targeted upside hunting. Minnesota added pitching depth, athletic position players, and future roster flexibility. They gave up veterans who had plateaued or who fit better with contenders. The 2025 deadline was not about winning the division that season. It was about strengthening the system and setting up a multi-year competitive window. Now that the early returns have arrived, the front office played the long game and is starting to see the benefits. The final verdict is that the Twins quietly won the 2025 deadline and positioned themselves for a more sustainable future—but that they could win it much more resoundingly by investing some of their financial savings in the 2026 club. Do you agree with the verdicts on the above trades? Which trade do you wish the Twins had avoided? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Now official, Dylan Cease won't be returning to the San Diego Padres in 2026 after signing a $210 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Where can the Friars turn to replace their ace? View the full article

The Blue Jays kicked off their offseason with a bang, agreeing to terms with Dylan Cease last week. So, obviously, it’s about time that I get greedy and start looking at the next way I want them to improve the roster heading into 2026. In light of this recent Jon Morosi tweet suggesting the Jays at least checked in, I think it’s only fitting that I dive into the Diamondbacks’ All-Star second baseman, Ketel Marte. Broadly, in terms of fit, it’s pretty easy to picture Marte as the everyday second baseman for the Jays in 2026. With the starting rotation already addressed, and with Bo Bichette currently out testing the free agent market, one of the two middle infield spots looks to me like the most glaring hole on the roster. Andrés Giménez will factor in on an everyday basis, and there’s no doubt that should Bo walk (and even if he were to re-sign), the Jays would be more than comfortable having Giménez start about 150 games at shortstop. Ernie Clement is essentially the only other name in the middle infield mix at the moment, and he’s a guy whose value comes from his utility and being able to bounce around the infield, not to mention that he was actually a below-average hitter in 2025, finishing the regular season with a 98 wRC+ overall, and just a 75 wRC+ against righties. I would say it’s pretty likely that plan A for the Jays is to just bring back Bichette, but it’s far from a guarantee that that’s what ends up happening. With $210 million committed to Cease already this offseason, the fact that the Jays will be bidding against other teams for Bichette's services, and the uncertainty around where Bo sees himself playing on the diamond, it’s not a bad idea to start formulating backup plans, and it makes sense that the Jays have checked in on Marte. Aside from the obvious positional fit, Marte is as pure a hitter as they come. Since 2023, he has led qualified second basemen in OPS, wRC+, home runs, and fWAR. It’s not very hard to come up with an argument calling him the best offensive second baseman in baseball so far in the 2020s, without even mentioning that he’s a switch-hitter with fairly even splits. It’s almost not worth mentioning the defense when it comes to a hitter this talented, but in Marte’s case, he’s considered about an average defender at second base. I almost feel guilty comparing Marte to Bichette, but looking at results over the past four seasons, it’s pretty easy to see Marte has been the better player. I provide this Stathead player comparison graphic since 2022 understanding the risk it causes to my reputation as a baseball analyst and general ball-knower: Marte has been worth over 4.0 FanGraphs WAR in each of the last three seasons, including 2024, when he was worth 6.4 and finished third in NL MVP voting. Bichette has only finished with more than 4.0 fWAR twice in his career, and not since 2022. There aren’t a ton of directions the Jays could go this offseason that would upgrade their middle infield over what Bichette has provided, but bringing in Marte is probably one of those directions. If you want to talk money, DiamondCentric projects Bichette to make $175 million over seven years this offseason – that's $25 million per season – while Marte has $102.5 million left on his deal (including some deferred money), which runs through 2031, his age-37 campaign. It’s important not to forget that Bichette is a full five years younger than Marte, and re-signing him just about guarantees four or five solid seasons should he stay healthy. Already 32, Marte’s immediate future is a little bit less certain. This article is not meant to be a comparison between Bichette and his potential replacement, but I think it’s important to recognize that Ross Atkins’ goal is to make the 2026 Jays better than the 2025 Jays. Given the term and team-friendly nature of Marte's current deal, the acquisition cost for the Diamondbacks star could get ugly, and we know that the Jays’ system isn’t exactly stacked with blue chip prospects, so it’s hard to say if a trade would even be possible. Still, it’s a lot of fun to imagine Ketel Marte’s bat hitting in front of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the Blue Jays’ lineup. View the full article

Ketel Marte has been the best second baseman in baseball over the last two seasons, producing 6.8 bWAR in 2024 and 4.4 bWAR (in a reduced workload) in 2025. He slugged 28 home runs in just 480 at-bats, and overall, he was one of the most potent bats in baseball. He was a slightly above-average defender at the keystone, to boot, further enhancing his value to a team set up like the Brewers are. With trade season upon us (and rumors of Marte's unhappiness within the Diamondbacks), could the Brewers pounce on a potentially era-defining move? Can it Fit Defensively? Any acquisition of Marte would mean Brice Turang sliding over to shortstop, putting some dent in the premium infield defense of 2025. Turang has proved to be an excellent second baseman, but some arm strength concerns and slightly unexpected range-based metrics at second base in 2025 hint that he may not be the above-average shortstop some hoped he could be. Combine that with some concerns about whether Turang's shoulder can handle the longer throws over 162 games, and perhaps this defensive alignment isn't as viable in practice as it is on paper. This is something the front office would need to have some certainty about, before executing a trade of this magnitude. How Valuable Is Ketel Marte? Marte is 32 years old, probably entering the last of his prime seasons. However, his all-around skill set in the batter's box is something to behold. Marte shows great plate discipline, rarely chasing outside the strike zone. He shows strong bat-to-ball skills that give him both strikeout and walk rates far better than the league averages. He also generates ample hard contact. While he crushes fastballs, he has an expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) over .360 in each of the last two seasons against breaking pitches. His contract carries him through his age-37 season and is heavily backloaded, with five years and $96 million guaranteed and a player option for $11.5 million in 2031. That already reflects some escalation from when he signed the deal less than a year ago, because he eclipsed 550 plate appearances in 2025. That boosts his salary in each remaining year of the deal by $1 million, and he can increase his salaries for following years by up to $2.5 million each year if he stays healthy and plays every day. Thus, there's a good chance this balloons into a nine-figure commitment. However, there are also substantial deferrals in the deal, which brings the real cost back down even as the nominal payouts threaten to rise significantly. All told, it's a very team-friendly deal for a player of Marte's caliber. The only other discussion point around this is that Marte has incurred the ire of his teammates with repeated requests for days off. Ken Rosenthal reported on that in the wake of Marte being away from the team without permission for two days coming out of the All-Star break. The Brewers are constructed to outwork their opponents, grinding harder day to day and fighting for every inch available. How Marte fits into that is anybody's guess, and the front office would surely need to do enough background research to know whether he would disrupt things before pulling the trigger on a deal. What Would a Trade Package Look Like? With Marte locked up for at least five more years and Turang under team control for another three, it opens some possibilities in the short term for the Brewers. They may be able to sell high on Cooper Pratt—whose bat has struggled to create impact in the minor leagues—and wait on the arrival of Jesús Made. They have a plethora of strong prospects, all of whom (except Made) could be used to chase Marte. A package could look somewhere along the lines of this: Luis Peña (#2 Brewer Fanatic prospect) Robert Gasser (#7 Brewer Fanatic prospect) Brock Wilken (#11 Brewer Fanatic prospect) The Brewers would be trading away a strong defensive shortstop with power that many scouts consider untapped, in Luis Peña, one of the hottest prospects in baseball; Robert Gasser, a left handed arm who showed well during a small sample so far in the major leagues; and Brock Wilken, an upside third baseman with thump who could profile similarly to Eugenio Suárez at his peak upside. It's an enticing deal for both parties, costing a lot of capital for the Brewers, but with monumental improvements to their offensive production in the short and medium term. It would give their lineup a dynamic a bit closer to those of the other elite teams in the National League, and the players they might trade to make it happen (while very valuable) could be drawn from places where the team enjoys a surplus. Would you take this deal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below! View the full article

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly looking to shore up their Keystone by kicking the tires on a three-time National League All-Star second baseman. Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently ranked Ketel Marte as the third-best trade candidate on the market. Nightengale identifies pitching as a need for the Arizona Diamondbacks, of which the Red Sox have plenty after acquiring Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals last week. Marte has five years left on a deal he signed last spring, totaling $116.5 million, with $46 million in deferrals. Marte, 32, posted a +5 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and a +3 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2025. Offensively, he scored 87 runs with 28 home runs and four stolen bases. He carried an .893 OPS, .381 wOBA, and a 145 wRC+; he's a plus player on both sides of the ball. Do you think the Red Sox should trade for Marte? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

The calendar has officially rolled over into December, meaning the Major League Baseball offseason should begin to really rev up. We've seen some compelling, unexpected signings and trades so far this offseason, but the blockbuster moves we're all waiting for haven't quite dropped yet. The Chicago Cubs aren't expected to re-sign Kyle Tucker, but there are other moves made that can improve next season's roster. Let's project a few of them, and the Opening Day roster that could take shape around them. Pitchers (13) Shota Imanaga - SP Matthew Boyd - SP Cade Horton - SP Ranger Suárez - SP Jameson Taillon - SP Colin Rea - RP Javier Assad - RP Ben Brown - RP Porter Hodge - RP Phil Maton - RP Luke Little - RP Daniel Palencia - RP Ethan Roberts - RP As you'll notice above, the Cubs' reported interest in left-hander Ranger Suárez is strong enough to place him into this first Opening Day roster prediction. Suárez has been linked to Chicago throughout the entire offseason, and he would be a welcome addition to a Cubs staff that already boasts three left-handed starters. The only other new name on the list is the recently signed right-handed reliever Phil Maton. Justin Steele is unlikely to be ready until at least May, but he's very much a factor, too. Catchers (2) Carson Kelly Miguel Amaya Expect no changes behind the plate for Chicago after the non-tendering of Reese McGuire. Barring any injuries (or an unexpected turning of the corner by Moisés Ballesteros, defensively), it should be Kelly and Amaya holding it down behind the plate for all 162 games next season. Infielders (5) Michael Busch- 1B Nico Hoerner - 2B Dansby Swanson - SS Matt Shaw - 3B Luis Urías - UTIL We're staying small here. Luis Urías would be a minor addition, but an important one. He can play either second or third base (and first, if the situation demands it). A righty batter, he's a possible platoon partner for Michael Busch, as well as a backup to Matt Shaw and Nico Hoerner. Hoerner himself serves as the backup for Dansby Swanson, although now that infielder Pedro Ramirez is on the 40-man roster, he could also become part of the equation. Outfielders (5) Ian Happ Pete Crow-Armstrong Seiya Suzuki Owen Caissie Rob Refsnyder Rob Refsnyder is a name that's been thrown around a bit to fill a need for an excellent platoon option against left-handed pitchers. The other four outfielders listed here are as expected, and they will play a majority of the games during the season. Designated Hitter (1) Moisés Ballesteros No surprise here, as Ballesteros showed his ability to handle major-league pitching during his limited time last season. With no more Tucker in the lineup and Suzuki likely to play more outfield in 2026, the DH role should belong at least partially to Ballesteros. There you have it: our best guess at the Opening Day roster for 2026, when Chicago takes the field against the Washington Nationals. These predictions could obviously change with time and signings, and we'll make sure to update that when our second prediction comes out. View the full article

It was a quiet move that barely broke through the list of transactions on the Major League Baseball website, but the San Diego Padres have made another depth signing for a depleted pitching staff in former New York Yankees prospect Sean Boyle. It's a minor-league deal, but one that could have at least some bearing on the 2026 campaign. Boyle is a full year removed from a 2023 Tommy John surgery, spending the entirety of the '25 season with the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He made 28 appearances (23 starts) and pitched to a 4.61 ERA (4.63 FIP) with a 20.5 percent strikeout rate and 8.7 percent walk rate. The results could be classified as barely-better-than-average, but it is worth noting that he threw more innings than any arm the Padres had in El Paso last season. There also may be a touch more upside to be realized than he demonstrated in 2025. While never a marquee prospect with the Yankees, Boyle did crack their list of Top 30 prospects in 2023. His MLB Pipeline writeup that year included the following: Based on that, Boyle is (in a sense) a 2.5-pitch pitcher. He offers the sweeper that can take the shape of a cutter while throwing a two-seam fastball that induces groundball contact. There isn't an overpowering component in his arsenal, but his pre-surgery numbers are indicative of a pitcher with higher upside on the strikeout side even if the command has left a little to be desired. As such, this other bit from his writeup is less surprising: There's a tightrope element to his game that isn't ideal. But each side of the scouting report does speak to a player who can be a regular contributor either as a backend starter or as more of a bulk type in relief, especially given the idea that his stuff will play against hitters of both handedness. Said stuff, even if not overpowering, should, on paper, combine with his proclivity for volume to provide a sense of stability in whatever role Boyle finds himself in. That is absolutely something this Padres team could use. The rotation itself is still depleted. Nick Pivetta is the only starter guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster. While Joe Musgrove may not be far behind and the team could opt to look at someone like Mason Miller for a starting gig, this is a team in dire need of arms to eat innings. It remains to be seen if Kyle Hart can fill such a role in Year 2 with the organization. Boyle, despite his lack of experience at the top level, appears capable of providing just that. It's another unexciting move for an organization starved for some stability following the confirmed departure of Dylan Cease and imminent one of Michael King. But, like the re-signing of Hart, it's one that is entirely necessary considering where the team stands on the mound at present. View the full article

The Chicago Cubs wisely scooped up strikeout artist Phil Maton for their depleted bullpen, but their need for velocity and more relievers still stands out like a sore thumb on the roster. View the full article

Sweet Lou, Comrade Cody, and Ol Gregg have a Twins offseason blueprint, and they're gonna share it with you! Is it better than whatever the clowns at Destination: The Show have cooking? And what has Royce Lewis been up to since our last show? Won't someone check on Royce! Listen using Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-twins-off-daily-podcast/id1741266056 Listen using Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4tb78XlurcPTYYSsARdbD7 Listen using iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-twins-off-daily-podcas-167548600/ Listen using Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/nvclbt0w Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@twinsdaily View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have gotten off to an unsurprisingly slow start in the offseason. To this point, their most notable move is tendering a contract to Trevor Larnach, who many thought might be non-tendered. However, this morning, Jeff Passan of ESPN ignited the burner on the hot stove with an update on Byron Buxton. In ranking the players who could be traded, Passan ranked Buxton as the fifth-best player behind Tarik Skubal, Ketel Marte, Freddy Peralta, and Hunter Green. Passan added, "Buxton is willing to waive his no-trade clause - and not just for Atlanta..." To this point, Buxton has not stated anything publicly to confirm or deny this report. If it's true, this is a notable shift in Buxton's mindset, who, on multiple occasions, has said he wants to stay with the Twins. However, at the back end of his prime and with the state of the organization, it's hard to blame him for the change. Buxton, coming off a career year, played in 126 games in 2025. He finished with 35 home runs, 97 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases. He posted an impressive .878 OPS, a .367 wOBA, and a 135 wRC+. Defensively, Buxton is starting to slow down in center field with -5 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and +3 Outs Above Average (OAA). Do you think the Twins should trade Buxton? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

Finally squashing the big-name free agent narrative, the Toronto Blue Jays' signing of ace pitcher Dylan Cease positions them at the forefront of the AL East for a long time. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox's trade for Sonny Gray reinforced the rotation without breaking the bank, giving the team multiple paths to improving more throughout the winter. View the full article