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The Kansas City Royals are shifting titles and responsibilities in their front office. Brooks Sherman, formerly the president of business operations, is now president of real estate and development. His primary responsibility will be looking for a new ballpark location. In his place, Anne Rogers of MLB.com is reporting that the Kansas City Royals have named Cullen Maxey the President of Business Operations. In a statement, Royals chairman/CEO John Sherman said, "...this is a day that helps change our organization and prepares us for the future." Maxey was previously the Executive Vice President, Business Operations and Chief Revenue Officer with the Arizona Diamondbacks for 16 seasons. In Arizona, Maxey was part of the leadership team responsible for the planning and construction of the $200 million Salt River Fields Complex. He also led the team that transitioned the Diamondbacks' broadcast from the regional sports network model to a team-managed multi-platform distribution. Most notably for fans, he was one of the key figures behind "value item pricing" at the concession stand. His efforts led the D-backs to have the lowest Fan Cost Index in MLB for many consecutive years. While the impact of front office roles can be hard to measure, how do you think Maxey and Sherman's new roles will impact the Royals organization? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

While the Boston Red Sox will be extremely busy this offseason revamping their roster via free agency and the trade market, they'll also be monitoring the progress of injuries across the organization. On Monday, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow provided offseason injury updates from the General Manager meetings in Las Vegas, NV. Roman Anthony, who finished 3rd in AL Rookie of the Year voting, is "completely asymptomatic" after missing the final 22 games of the season and playoffs with a left oblique strain. He added that it's business as usual for Anthony, who "should start swinging in a couple of weeks..." Triston Casas, who suffered a devastating knee injury in May, is rehabbing in Fort Myers, FL. Breslow was not willing to put a timeline on Casas, but added, "Triston is anticipating being ready for spring training." Injury aside, Casas has been the subject of trade speculation and was noncommittal when asked whether he would be the team's first baseman in 2026. This led Casas to make a very cryptic post on Instagram. Marcelo Mayer's "been making great progress to the point that he was pushing to get back in time if we had continued deeper into the postseason", said Breslow. Mayer had wrist surgery in August. He also provided updates on pitchers Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins. Fitts is throwing and is going into the offseason with no limitations", according to Breslow. Dobbins has begun a full throwing program after ACL surgery in August. He is expected to be ready by Spring Training. Mostly good news on the injury front for the Red Sox, but what do you think will happen with Casas? Do the Red Sox need a contingency plan in case he's not ready or is traded? Let us know in the comments! Note: this information was readily available across X, though most information was taken from Christopher Smith's article on MassLive. View the full article

During the GM Meetings in Las Vegas, Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix speaks with MLB Network's Brian Kenny about Gabe Kapler's promotion, Sandy Alcantara's future, Kyle Stowers' breakout and more.View the full article

Every offseason, we offer our You’re The GM! tool to build your ideal Twins roster. This year, we’ve updated and streamlined the tool a bit to improve the experience. The idea behind this feature is to give fans a chance to play the role of General Manager (or CBO or PoBO… you get the idea) for their favorite team, the Minnesota Twins. It’s meant to give fans the opportunity to discuss (and, let’s be honest, argue) how they would approach the long, dark MLB offseason. This tool is intended to be informal and fun, so we’ve left it as open as possible. There is a payroll “budget” that loosely resembles the Twins' 2025 payroll, but there is no penalty for going over that number. It’s a guideline, nothing more. Second, you can submit as many blueprints as you like throughout the offseason. As the offseason landscape changes, users often return multiple times over the winter and create new blueprints. Before we get into the breakdown of the tool, you can save your blueprint and come back to it at any time. The only restriction is that you must register an account on the site to create a blueprint (so we can save a draft for you and also post the blueprint for others to discuss). Let’s get into the tool itself. It has four quadrants that work best if addressed in a counter-clockwise order (this tool works much better on a desktop due to its complexity, but it will work on mobile devices if need be). Top Left: The 26-Man Roster We have created a rough guideline for the Twins' 26-man roster today. The roster is flexible; you can add or remove players as you see fit. We’ve also included either guaranteed salaries or, in the case of arbitration and contract options, the recommendations of MLB Trade Rumors. This section is where you build your roster and make changes based on the following two sections. As you make changes to players and salaries, the total payroll number (right side of the screen) will change, allowing you to track your budget on the fly. The bottom field in both columns is for any dead money you assume during the course of your offseason. Acquiring dead money should be uncommon, but we want to give users the option to take on dead salary if it suits their purposes. Bottom Left: Arbitration & Trade Decisions Here, you will find a selection of arbitration options and internal options (usually from the 40-man roster or minor leagues) to assist in building your offseason roster. On the right-hand side of this column, you will see Trade Candidates, a list of the 40 players most likely to be traded this offseason, per MLB Trade Rumors. To help you get up to speed with these candidates, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on trade candidates. Bottom Right: Free Agents Here, you will find the top 50 free agents, again per MLB Trade Rumors. These are sorted by position to facilitate quickly finding your desired free agent and include the recommended salary for that player. Because this is a blueprint for a single year, we only include their projected salary for the coming season, not the number of years or anything else. To help you get up to speed with these free agents, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on the best 50 free agents available this winter. Top Right: Dead Money, Your Total Payroll, & Commentary The only unalterable field on the page is Dead Money; it is players to whom the team has committed money but has no reasonable way to get out of the contract. Below that, you will see the recommended budget, your current total, and the percentage you are over or under that budget. Again, keep in mind the budget is only a guideline, and you can go above it as much as you like… But defend your choices, coward! The following field is Title, which gives other users an idea of what to expect with your blueprint (e.g., Be Unreasonable, Sign Kyle Tucker!). When your blueprint posts for other users, it will read “Your Username’s 2025 Payroll Blueprint: Be Unreasonable, Sign Kyle Tucker!”. The following field is Your Comments & Explanation, a long-form field meant to type out the rationale behind your decisions. Here is the place to fully explain your trades (including which players are leaving the Twins to bring in new players), why you targeted specific free agents, and any promotions from the minors you advocate or any options you declined to extend to a specific player. This is often multiple paragraphs; you can write up as much detail as you desire. That’s it, you’re done! At this point, you can either publish your blueprint to the forums or save it for later if you feel it’s incomplete. Thank you for joining us at Twins Daily. I hope you enjoy playing the role of general manager, at least for a moment! Start Your Payroll Blueprint Now View the full article

Last week, the Brewers declined their team option on first baseman Rhys Hoskins. They now enter another offseason needing to carefully evaluate their options at the position. They've been looking for a new first baseman almost every offseason, for a long time. Ever since Prince Fielder signed a nine-year, $214-million deal with the Detroit Tigers in January 2012, it’s been a revolving door at first base in Milwaukee. The issue may be larger than most realize. The Brewers have not had the same first baseman for 100 or more games in back-to-back seasons since Fielder was on the team, from 2005 to 2011. Fielder filled the lineup card’s first-base slot in 930 of his 998 games with Milwaukee and was the most consistent bat in their lineup over that time. Fielder helped the team end a streak of playing at or below .500 for 14 consecutive seasons in 2007, when he stepped into league-wide stardom by hitting a career-high 50 home runs. The next season, he, CC Sabathia, J.J. Hardy, Ben Sheets, and the 2008 squad dominated down the stretch to get the Brewers to their first postseason in 26 years. All told, Fielder put together an impressive seven-year stretch in Milwaukee. He accumulated 16.8 bWAR, 230 home runs, and 656 RBI, and posted a .282/.390/.540 slash line, a 13.4% walk rate, and an 18.5% strikeout rate. Those are hard numbers to come by for first basemen today. Since the beginning of the 2012 season, the Brewers have tried 16 different players as regulars at first, and no one has seemed to stick. Hoskins is just the latest example. The Brewers had hoped he could cure what has ailed them at the cold corner, but Hoskins only played 94 games at first in 2024 and 82 this season. At the plate, things didn’t hum as well as Hoskins or the Brewers had hoped. He put up decent power numbers in 2024, with 26 home runs and 82 RBI, but saw his slash line drop to career-low marks in all three categories: .214/.303/.419 and a 99 OPS+ in 131 games. This year, Hoskins played in only 90 games, as he battled recurring discomfort in his left thumb during the second half of the year. His numbers were only somewhat better, and Andrew Vaughn rendered him virtually obsolete during his stint on the shelf. So what gives? Is this just the curse of Fielder’s departure to play for the team with whom his father made his name, or is there something more to it? The most games any player has played at first in a single season since Fielder’s departure was Chris Carter in 2016, with 155. The most games they’ve gotten from any player at first in multiple seasons over the last 15 years is the 269 played by Jesós Aguilar, from 2017-2019. Here’s the full list of players with a minimum of 45 games at first for the Brewers since 2012, broken down by season. Corey Hart, 2012, 103 games Yuniesky Betancourt, 2013 - 68 games Juan Francisco, 2013 - 67 games Mark Reynolds, 2014 - 91 games Lyle Overbay, 2014 - 83 games Adam Lind, 2015 - 138 games Chris Carter, 2016 - 155 games Eric Thames, 2017 - 108 games Jesus Aguilar, 2017 - 77 games Jesus Aguilar, 2018 - 132 games Eric Thames, 2019 - 105 games Jesus Aguilar, 2019 - 60 games Justin Smoak, 2020 - 31 games Jedd Gyrko, 2020 - 30 games Daniel Vogelbauch, 2021 - 59 games Keston Hirua, 2021 - 49 games Rowdy Tellez, 2021 - 46 games Rowdy Tellez, 2022 - 139 games Rowdy Tellez, 2023 - 76 games Carlos Santana, 2023 - 50 games Rhys Hoskins, 2024 - 94 games Jake Bauers, 2024 - 76 games Rhys Hoskins, 2025 - 82 games Andrew Vaughn, 2025 - 64 games Jake Bauers, 2025 - 40 games The Brewers have tried several things to fill the gap left by Fielder. They’ve moved fan favorites like Hart from their original position in the outfield to first. They brought in successful journeymen on one-year deals (Reynolds, Gyorko, and Carter), only to let them walk again in free agency the next offseason. Aguilar ended up as one of the best waiver claims by the Brewers in the last decade, only to be traded when Thames resurged from a down 2018 season. Hiura looked to be holding down second base for a long time, only to flame out quickly at the plate and at first base, making room for Tellez. The only thing the Brewers haven’t tried is to sign a free-agent first baseman to a long-term deal to lock the position down for several years at once. As the roster currently stands, Vaughn and Bauers look to be penciled in as the solutions for 2026, in a modified platoon that gives Vaughn a bigger share than a typical righty in such an arrangement After seeing their first attempt at a two-year deal to fix their issue at first base fail, the Brewers will be unlikely to sign any similar veteran to a long-term deal. Vaughn and Bauers will be free agents after the 2027 season, so there is still plenty of time left for one of them to be the first Brewers first baseman to play 100 or more games at the position since Fielder. There are also corner infield prospects who may make a case further down the road. Andrew Fischer, ranked as the Brewers' 6th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline, joined the organization in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft. Luke Adams, a 12th-round pick from 2022, ranks as their 8th-best prospect on the same list. First base is a position where most major-league teams see a revolving door from year to year. For example, since the division rival Cubs traded away their longtime first baseman, Anthony Rizzo, to the Yankees in 2021, they only had four players play 45 or more games at first before handing Michael Busch the full-time role in 2024. The Boston Red Sox, a team more willing to spend big on first basemen in free agency, have only had 12 players play 45 or more games in a season for them since 2012, with Mike Napoli (2013-2014) and Mitch Moreland (2017-2018) both having 100 or more games for them in consecutive seasons at first base. But the Brewers are in a unique position since Fielder’s departure. To go from one of the most consistent players at one position for seven years, then 15 consecutive seasons with a new face playing the most games there is unheard of. Maybe the player to end this streak is already on the parent club, coming up through the farm system, or a free agent they’ll take a chance on after all. But for now, it looks as though the player who will get the most starting time at first over the next few years is in the organization right now, and it’s just a matter of someone playing well enough to keep the starting role. View the full article

Over the weekend, MLB announced the annual winners for their "Platinum Glove" award, which highlights the single best defensive player in each league. While the Chicago Cubs took home the MLB's team award, they did not have a winner for the individual award; instead, this award for the National League went to Fernando Tatis Jr., who plays right field on the San Diego Padres. I won't shame the guy—he was tied for the league lead in DRS, but Pete Crow-Armstrong probably has a bit of an argument for winning the award outright over Tatis and probably feels a little slighted. Not only did he tie with American League winner Bobby Witt Jr. in Statcast's Outs Above Average for the league lead (24), but he did so at a more defensively demanding position than Tatis. The Cubs' defender lead the world in terms of five-star catches as well. Regardless, this isn't a piece meant to bash the Padres' All-Star, but rather to celebrate the man they call PCA. So, come take ride with me through my five favorite catches on the season made by the Cubs' center fielder. June 4, 2025: Look out for the wall, Pete! TkE5TmJfWGw0TUFRPT1fQkZNSEFnWUVVUVlBQ0FNS1VRQUhCQUJYQUFBR1VWSUFCd0VCVVFwWEFBcGNCd2NB.mp4 I don't care what Statcast says, this is my favorite (and what I'd argue is the most impressive play) of the season that Pete Crow-Armstrong made. Sure, it's still considered a "Five-Star" catch (MLB defines these as catches that only 25% of fielders would make) and this catch had only a 10% catch probability, but Statcast would tell you he had tougher plays to make (and those plays will find their way into this article, so you can be the judge as well). Well, me and the probabilities are going to have a little beef because I think this catch was impossibly hard. First, this play takes Pete Crow-Armstrong a long way; this was his longest distance traveled that registered as a "five-star" catch on the season. But I don't think distance alone should matter, so other context needs to be added. Not every direction an outfielder travels is equal; it's a lot easier to come in than travel back for a ball. This play forces him to turn his back to the plate, and it's a lot harder to track over your shoulder. Lastly, this doesn't take place in a familiar ballpark Crow-Armstrong, as the Cubs make only one yearly trip to Washington. It's actually probably a good thing that it didn't take place in a familiar ballpark— this ball would have been a home run at Wrigley. Plus, he's got to contend with the impact of a padded wall, and still, despite all of that, comes down with the ball. When you add it all up; I think that's an incredible catch. Sorry, Statcast, we just won't agree here. June 17, 2025: Pete Crow-Armstrong saves the day against Milwaukee akQ5Z0FfWGw0TUFRPT1fVjFKV1VnQUhWMVlBV2xjRVh3QUhBRlVDQUFOUVV3TUFDMUlIVVFkVVYxWUVDQUlD.mp4 With the benefit of hindsight, we know that the Cubs didn't win the National League central, but on June 17, it was the Cubs who entered the night with a 5.5-game lead in the division. In a taught one run game, set-up man Caleb Thielbar is tasked with holding on to the lead. Despite a rocky first few appearances, the southpaw has had a great bounce-back season to date, and would need to handle the bottom of the Milwaukee order in the top of the eighth. With one out, Thielbar throws a 93mph heater that probably catches just a little too much of the strike zone, and Brewers' second baseman Brice Turang smokes a line drive to center field. Thankfully for the Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong is in center. According to Statcast, he had to cover 71 feet in just 3.8 seconds. So, despite the exit velocity and angle of the hit only scoring ax expected batting average of .280, the defensive positioning of the Cubs' defender added to the difficulty on the play. With only a 5% chance to complete the catch, the swift-footed Crow-Armstrong lays out and gets to the ball before it touches green. Thielbar clearly knows what he just saw, giving a grin of unbelievability. In the end, the Cubs would tack on a fifth run and would win by two, but this play was pivotal in stretching their division lead a little further. June 28, 2025: This is why Pete Crow-Armstrong is special: bmJNNkRfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1Z3bFRWd0VBQUFNQVhBUUdWd0FIQkFKU0FBQUJCMU1BVjFFTUNRVUdBd0pjQVFVSA==.mp4 When we think of spectacular defensive plays, I think the ones that we tend to gravitate towards and remember are the ones where a player goes all out and either makes a diving catch or runs into a wall; the play has to finish with something that really stands out. What we forget is that one of the reasons a player has to dive is because they couldn't complete the play standing up (speaking from experience, most of the diving plays I've made in my adult league is because I am objectively slow as hell). This is why this play is so good from Crow-Armstrong—he didn't need to go to ground. He made the play look routine. Be honest with yourself: You probably didn't realize that Statcast gave the Cubs' center fielder a 5% catch probability on this one. You probably don't remember this one from the 2025 season. To make this play happen, Pete Crow-Armstrong had under four seconds to travel 68 feet. Not only did he get there, he got there standing up and made it look easy. You'd never come away thinking this was one of his most difficult plays from the eye test. All of this is what makes this a special play, even if I like the play against the Nationals more from a personal standpoint. July 4, 2025: Pete Crow-Armstrong's July 4 Fireworks WU9rbDJfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X1VsQlFWUUlFVkZBQUNRUUhWd0FIVTFkZkFBQUNBRmdBVmdZQkExQlRWQWNCVWd0VQ==.mp4 July Fourth is a day in which we celebrate many things; democracy, personal freedoms, hot dogs and, on this iteration of the national holiday, it was also a celebrate of great defense. The Cubs were still leading the division and their hated rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, were in town on a Friday afternoon. Frankly, this is the perfect setup for a July Fourth. The Cubs have the surprisingly-effective Colin Rea taking the mound at home. With one out, Cardinals' shortstop Mason Wynn smokes a 105mph line drive off the bat. With an expected batting average of .740 and with a 77th percentile sprint speed, Wynn had to feel like he would be standing on second base pretty easily. Not so fast, my friend. Covering 66 feet in just 3.7 seconds, the center fielder gets a great break on this one. Unlike the play against the Astros, this play is not taking Crow-Armstrong in, but to his glove side. This makes this play a bit trickier; he'll have to move laterally more than north-south. Despite Statcast giving him, yet again, only a 5% chance to make the play, it once again falls harmlessly in Crow-Armstrong's glove for an early out. The Cubs would end up winning 13-3, but taking away an early extra-base hit gave the Cubs a strong platform to explode offensively later. September 1, 2025: Pete Crow-Armstrong helps the Cubs come back TkE5TWJfWGw0TUFRPT1fQlFoVFZGd0ZYd1FBV1ZSUUFBQUhWQU5UQUFOUld3UUFWMVlDVkFzR0NWRlVCd0JR.mp4 The Cubs' young center fielder had an up-and-down year at the plate, looking like the likely NL MVP favorite through the first few months while also looking completely lost in the batter's box during stretches at the end of the season. Thankfully for the Cubs, Crow-Armstrong managed to find ways to impact the game even if he wasn't hitting, and on a chilly day in September he proved as much. The Cubs are down by two against the Braves as the game, and the day, turns to dusk. Aaron Civale, recently acquired off the scrapheap, has given the Cubs a platform to make a comeback; they were down as many as four but have found a few runs to make it tighter. Ozzie Albies, who has a bit of a history of being a Cub killer, steps to the plate, works a full count, and then blisters a 97mph line drive off the relief pitcher. Pete Crow-Armstrong shows off his wheels once again, traveling 92 feet in 4.2 seconds. With a Statcast catch probability of 10% and an expected batting average of .300, it's pretty likely that this ball lands in the gap and the Braves will have a runner in scoring position. Once again, the Cubs' defensive wizard defies probability and makes a wonderful sliding catch. While the play in Washington might be my favorite play of the year, Aaron Civale almost steals the show here for best reaction. The Cubs would eventually come back and win this game 7-6. Maybe the Cubs win regardless of Crow-Armstrong's heroics here—Albies could have been stranded at second and the game may not have changed. But it's plays like this that show what kind of an impact Crow-Armstrong can have in the outfield. Which catch was your favorite? Was there a play I chose not to highlight here? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

In the last couple of days, it's been reported that the Boston Red Sox could be looking to upgrade from outfielder Jarren Duran and will prioritize a frontline starter behind ace Garrett Crochet. Jon Morosi of MLB Network is reporting that sources have indicated that the Kansas City Royals are seeking outfield reinforcements and that the Boston Red Sox are potential trade partners. The Red Sox have been rumored to be looking for an upgrade over outfielder Duran, while MLBTR also identifies Wilyer Abreu as a trade candidate. Duran, who has an $8 million club option, carried an OPS of .774 with 16 home runs and 24 stolen bases across 696 plate appearances in 2025. Abreu, controllable through 2029, played in only 115 games, yet the 26-year-old still mashed 22 home runs to go along with six stolen bases. The Red Sox are looking to upgrade their pitching rotation, which makes a deal between the two even more sense. The Royals have solid options as rotation upgrades in Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic. Ragans appeared in 13 games in the 2025 season, pitching 61 2/3 innings for the Royals. He posted a 4.67 ERA (3.00 FIP) with a strong K-BB rate of 29.7%. Bubic was an All-Star in 2025, throwing 116 1/3 innings with a 2.89 FIP and a 16.2% K-BB rate. Do you think the Red Sox should trade for Ragans or Bubic? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

The Kansas City Royals have revamped their hitting staff, hiring Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames in recent days. Now, they're setting their sights on the lineup itself, specifically on the outfield. Jon Morosi of MLB Network is reporting that sources have indicated that the Royals are seeking outfield reinforcements. Morosi (and many others) add that the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels are potential trade partners. The Red Sox have been rumored to be looking for an upgrade over outfielder Jarren Duran, while MLBTR also identifies Wilyer Abreu as a trade candidate. Duran, who has an $8 million club option, carried an OPS of .774 with 16 home runs and 24 stolen bases across 696 plate appearances in 2025. Abreu, controllable through 2029, played in only 115 games, yet the 26-year-old still mashed 22 home runs to go along with six stolen bases. The Red Sox are looking to upgrade their pitching rotation, which makes a deal between the two even more sense. For the Angels, Taylor Ward and Jo Adell are two names that teams asked about at the trade deadline. Though there haven't been any rumors suggesting they're on the block, they could also be in the market for starting pitching help. Do you think the Royals should trade for Duran, Abreu, Ward, or Adell? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

We're looking for contributors to write Padres content over the offseason! First, feel free to reach out via email at brock.beauchamp@padresmission.com or reply to this article. Writing Articles If you’ve ever wanted an audience for your Jays takes, this is the perfect place. While we generally lean into analytics and analysis, we also take a “come as you are” approach to baseball and give writers a lot of leeway to write about the game in a way that interests them. That could manifest in historical pieces, previews, or regular series. It’s a matter of finding your niche in the fandom and carving out a space for it. Making Videos We're also looking for videographers! Most of our content is on the shorter side (3-7 minutes), though we have space for plenty of different formats and ideas. Like the writing side of the site, we usually lean into analytics, but it's not the only path we're open to exploring. It is also noteworthy that we pay our content creators. It’s certainly not enough to quit your day job. So don’t do that. However, it might be enough to show that we value your time, talent, and effort. If you know someone who might be interested in creating Padres content as a side job, please share this with them! View the full article

The Kansas City Royals made a minor trade to add pitching depth, acquiring Mason Black from the San Francisco Giants for minor league prospect Logan Martin. Black, a third-round pick in 2021, was designated for assignment by the Giants. He has yet to live up to his draft hype, but in the minors from 2022 to 2024, he posted a 3.77 ERA with 378 strikeouts in 320 innings, quickly advancing to Triple-A. Black, once seen as a top prospect, made his MLB debut on May 6, 2024. He pitched 14 1/3 innings before being sent down, then was later recalled to throw a first-season total of 36 1/3 innings, posting a 31:15 strikeout-to-walk ratio but allowing a .309 opponent batting average. This season, he pitched just four innings with a 6.75 ERA. Added to the Royals' 40-man roster, Black still has one remaining option year. The Royals can keep him in Triple-A Omaha, giving him time to work out his kinks. A new location may help the 25-year-old return to the strong production he showed early in his minor league career. The Royals might also test how Black performs in a relief role. Regardless, they paid a minimal price for a pitcher with MLB experience. View the full article

Since its inception in 2006, the World Baseball Classic has been one of my favorite events. Much like college baseball, it gives fans an exhilarating alternative to traditional MLB action, and it offers unique opportunities for some players who will never play in the American majors. Believe it or not, there are a few Twins who will probably be extended an invitation to participate in the 2026 WBC. Arms that can throw multiple innings are worth their weight in gold when it comes to off-season, tournament-style baseball. There are some notable injuries to the United States starting pitching pool (Zack Wheeler and Gerrit Cole certainly won't be suiting up, for instance) that I think will leave a window of opportunity for Joe Ryan to represent his country again, but this time in the World Baseball Classic. (For those who don't remember, Ryan pitched for the U.S. during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, winning a silver medal.) With Paul Skenes already penciled in as the ace, Team USA's best options thereafter are Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, Hunter Brown, Max Fried and Bryan Woo. In my eyes, the remaining names become a bit more of a toss-up, with Nick Pivetta, Andrew Abbott, and Nathan Eovaldi among a large group. Usually, there is a solid grouping of arms that just want to prepare for the grind of 162 games and elect not to participate in the WBC, so we could see Ryan get a well-deserved invitation. Next, we have Pablo López. He has proudly represented Team Venezuela in the past, with Twins legend Johan Santana also representing his country as the pitching coach. López is in position to be a staple on his national team. However, with three different injuries having broken up his 2025 campaign, López might need to focus on getting his body in a good place for the grind of the long season ahead. I would imagine he will get the invitation, at least, and whether he takes it will give us an early indication on his health heading into 2026. Lastly, Byron Buxton should have an opportunity to represent his country this spring. Pete Crow-Armstrong was the only American center fielder to record a higher WAR in 2025, and he had 31 more games in which to do so. This comes down to his health and his desire to represent. In terms of talent and production in the outfield, I want to see Corbin Carroll in left field, Aaron Judge in right field and Minnesota’s Buxton holding it down in center. Regardless of how the roster shakes out, I can’t wait for the WBC. The event always delivers, showcasing some of the game's best talents—and it produces some playoff-esque baseball. We will certainly see some Minnesota Twins represent their country to varying levels, and I will be sitting front and center to take in the action. View the full article

Major League Baseball's GM Meetings are underway in Las Vegas this week. Though it's rare for any moves to come to fruition during the week, it undoubtedly provides teams with an opportunity to start conversations around potential targets. Boston Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow wasted no time stoking the hot stove. As has been speculated by baseball beat writers and reporters early in the offseason, Breslow identified a number two start and middle-of-the-order power bat as the team's top two priorities this offseason. On the pitching front, rumors have continued on Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan, whom the Red Sox made a last-ditch attempt on at the 2025 trade deadline. Though he's obviously better than a number two, they could swing bigger if the Detroit Tigers do, in fact, put Tarik Skubal on the block. Additionally, rumors have been swirling regarding Milwaukee Brewers starter Freddy Peralta, though Bob Nightengale recently refuted that he would be made available. On the free agent market, they could target players like Dylan Cease, Michael King, Framber Valdez, Tatsuya Imai, Ranger Suarez, Zac Gallen, Brandon Woodruff, Shota Imanaga, and Chris Bassitt, among others. It's worth noting that King, Valdez, Suarez, Gallen, Woodruff, and Imanaga were tendered qualifying offers. On the offensive side of the ball, Kyle Tucker (who might be the "upgrade" the team is looking for over Jarren Duran), Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso all represent potential options. Of course, they also look to bring back Alex Bregman and have been linked to Bo Bichette. There are many potential options to address the needs identified by Breslow. Who do you think the Red Sox should add? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

There are some extremely talented collegiate pitchers at the top of the 2026 draft class. We’re used to seeing teams lean into drafting college arms in the middle and late rounds, where the pitching talent outlasts the hitting talent. In recent seasons, though, we’ve seen a trend of elite college starters moving quickly to become major-league contributors, with Trey Yesavage being the best recent example. The Twins have roughly 60% odds to land a top-3 pick. At this stage, if they maintain that position, I’d guess drafting a college arm is unlikely. If they fall somewhere between 4 and 7, however, all bets are off. Below, you’ll find a profile for the three top college arms in the draft (each of whom I’d consider top-15 type prospects in this draft today). For each prospect, you’ll find their name, primary position, college, hitting and throwing hands, and their age on draft day 2026. You’ll find a summary of their 2025 performance. Pitchers are listed alphabetically by last name. Jackson Flora, RHP, UC Santa Barbara, 6’4", 185 lbs., R/R, 21 75 IP, 3.60 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 27.8 K%, 5.5 BB% Flora is a right-handed pitcher out of UCSB, whose combination of size, athleticism, and stuff could make him the first arm off the board next July. He’s an elite mover, with great flexibility, explosiveness, and an incredibly quick, whippy arm action. There is some inconsistency in his delivery, with a few too many moving parts. This hasn't impeded his ability to throw strikes, however. Flora has demonstrated good command of the fastball/slider combination that headlines his arsenal. Stuff-wise, there’s plenty to like, too. Flora’s fastball sits in the 95-98-mph range, with outstanding carry and a flat approach angle. If he locates it up in the zone, it’s a nightmare pitch to try and square up. Flora has two distinct slider shapes—one acting more as a cutter, and one a sweeper, on which he generates up to 20 inches of horizontal break. The warts here are landing on another effective pitch (he throws a changeup and curveball very sparingly, and neither is yet a reliable offering) and keeping the ball on the plate. If Flora shoves in 2026, he can cement his contention to be the first arm off the board. Cam Flukey, RHP, Coastal Carolina, 6’6", 205 lbs., R/R, 21 101.2 IP, 3.19 ERA, 2.68 FIP, 28.5 K%, 5.8 BB% Flukey has a strong case to make for the most improved arm in college baseball in 2025, spearheading Coastal Carolina’s run to the College World Series. It’s a great pitcher’s frame, with a ton of projection remaining. Flukey operates from a high three-quarters slot, with a long, deep arm action that seems to provide some deception in his delivery. The fastball has a chance to be outstanding, but has yet to produce the type of swing-and-miss you’d want to see from it. It sits at 95 mph, but has been up to 98 mph with 19 inches of induced vertical break, albeit from a steeper angle. Flukey also throws a 12-6 curveball in the high 70s, which generated a whiff percentage close to 50% in 2025. That pitch will need to add some firmness when he transitions to pro baseball. There’s a slider in the mix, too (which he threw for strikes over 70% of the time), and a split-change that generated plenty of misses. It feels like Flukey is just scratching the surface of how to leverage his arsenal. If he can thrive with a more balanced pitch mix in 2026, he has the polish and projectability to be a top-10 pick. Liam Peterson, RHP, Florida, 6’5", 200 lbs., R/R, 21 69.1 IP, 4.28 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 31.5 K%, 10.5 BB% Peterson was a top-three-rounds caliber prospect ahead of a loaded 2023 draft, but got to campus at Florida and now has a great chance to be a top-10 overall pick. It’s a big-league frame already,, with premium athleticism and good extension in a delivery that he has worked to make more compact since arriving in Gainesville. Peterson’s fastball is a weapon. It’s been up to 99 mph, flashing 20 inches of carry at the top of the zone. He made strides with his control of the pitch in 2025, and triple-digits velocity readings seem likely in 2026. It’s paired with a slider (with a ton of downward bite) that he throws for strikes over 60% of the time. Peterson also has a changeup, thrown almost exclusively to left-handed hitters, which averages around 15 inches of drop. Both Peterson’s secondary offerings generated miss rates north of 40% from hitters in 2025. There could be three plus pitches in this profile. The focus in 2026 will be throwing enough strikes. Peterson cut his walk rate by 4% in 2025, but at 10.5%, it could stand to come down a little more to cement him in consideration for a top pick in July. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox are looking to be aggressive this offseason, and the stove is already getting hot for the team. While MLBTR previously listed Jarren Duran (and Wilyer Abreu) as one of the top 40 trade candidates this offseason, Bob Nightengale of USA Today suggests that it is a focus of the team this offseason. Yesterday, Nightengale reported that the Boston Red Sox "believe they need an upgrade over Jarren Duran and that he needs a fresh start." He took it even further by stating that "it would be a massive surprise if he's in Fort Myers come spring training. Duran, who is controllable through 2028, has been a polarizing figure throughout his career. From multiple controversial comments to up-and-down performances, the 29-year-old has been the subject of trade rumors in the past, and those rumors may continue this offseason. In 2025, he carried an OPS of .774 with 16 home runs and 24 stolen bases across 696 plate appearances. Do you think the Red Sox should move Duran before Opening Day 2025? Join the conversation in the comments! View the full article

During spring training, Pat Murphy was exuberant about Logan Henderson's future—and he was far from alone. Henderson turned heads throughout camp, and there was considerable hope among the Brewers fan base that he would quickly be promoted into the big-league rotation. A fourth-round pick in 2021, he has been on fans' radar screens a long time, and indeed, he seemed to be on the cusp of a major contribution by the early stages of 2025. In a way, that proved true. Henderson made one start in mid-April and three in the middle of May for the Crew. However, the team showed surprisingly little eagerness to entrust him with a full-time role in the big leagues. He dutifully rode the Milwaukee-Nashville shuttle, but by mid-June, it looked like a breakout was going to waste against Triple-A hitters. Henderson had a 1.82 ERA and a 33.7% strikeout rate over his first 13 appearances, and his teams won 12 of the 13 contests. By the time more opportunities opened up with the parent club, though, Henderson's window of dominance had slammed shut. He simply wasn't as good, starting around mid-June. In his next eight appearances, he had a 5.35 ERA and an underwhelming 22.2% strikeout rate. He did get the call for one more start with the Crew at the beginning of August, and just in time, because he then suffered a flexor tendon strain and missed the rest of the year. He accrued big-league service time during that stint on the shelf, but wasn't available to them during the playoffs—and probably wouldn't have been their top choice at any point, anyway. There were two problems with his performance, even before the arm injury (or perhaps because of it, but before he aggravated it enough to force him out of the rotation). First, Henderson's raw stuff ticked down as the season progressed. His velocity was down about a mile per hour, by the time of that one start in August. It had trended in the wrong direction throughout June and July, too. Henderson has good fastball shape, with more rising action than a hitter expects based on his low release point and three-quarters slot. Still, that loss of velocity is a problem for him. For one thing, his swing-and-miss pitch is the changeup, and lost velocity on the heater gives hitters fractionally more time to distinguish those two offerings and make better swing decisions. For another, a little less power on a fastball at the top of the zone can be the difference between a whiff or a pop-up and a home run. Secondly, Henderson's locations shifted for the worse as the season progressed. Here's where his pitches were distributed in the first sample cited above, through mid-June: Here's the same chart for his appearances starting in mid-June: Fewer of his fastballs stayed up above the zone; more of them ran down into barrels. He lost the strike-to-ball curveball, down and away from righties. Everything trended lower and more to Henderson's glove side, which compromised both his fastball and his changeup. With both his stuff and his command going pear-shaped, Henderson struggled mightily. If he's fully healthy entering 2026, there's good reason to hope he can get back to the form that made him such a hot name in the first half of 2025. He appears to have dodged a bullet, for now, as he didn't require surgery after the strain this summer. Whether the Brewers can count on him as a significant part of their starting rotation, though, depends on factors that are even harder to gauge than usual. Entering the offseason, the team has to treat Henderson as a nice-to-have, rather than a need-to-have, for next year. Hopefully, he can end up being very nice to have, indeed. View the full article

This offseason, we’re going to get in a time machine back to 1918. I’ll be doing a series of articles examining the 1918 Chicago Cubs. I’ll have game recaps, player profiles, summaries of major events, and all sorts of stuff in between. I plan on doing these chronologically, so you can feel like you are following along in real time. Today is the introduction—the pilot, if you will. I’ll briefly summarize the 1917 season for the Cubs, I’ll take a look at the state of baseball, and more importantly, the world, at that point in time, and I’ll run down some of the bigger offseason happenings for the Cubs. Huge shoutout to Baseball Reference and FanGraphs for all sorts of statistics and transaction history, and of course, the Society for American Baseball Research, which I will cite continuously in these pieces for their ability to track down and summarize all sorts of baseball history. Chicago Cubs' 1917 Season Recap The 1917 campaign was a frustrating season for the Cubs, as they went just 74-80-3 and failed to qualify for the postseason, which back then was just the World Series. This was despite holding a 25-16 record through the month of May. The team managed to score 552 runs, which was eighth among 16 teams, though their .239 batting average, which was a much more important statistic for baseball back then, was all the way down at 14th-best. Fred Merkle, Larry Doyle, and Les Mann were their only three full-time hitters to log above-average batting lines, according to wRC+ at FanGraphs. Pitching was perhaps a slightly different story, as their 2.62 ERA was seventh-best. The staff was anchored by Hippo Vaughn, who was one of the best pitchers in baseball at that time. His 2.01 ERA was 11th-best among qualified pitchers, and his 16.0 percent strikeout rate led all of baseball. Imagine that? Most famously, Vaughn pitched a game in 1917 where both he and his counterpart, Fred Toney of the Cincinnati Reds, threw no-hitters through the first nine innings of baseball. The Reds would inch ahead 1-0 in the tenth inning after breaking up Vaughn’s no-hit bid, and Toney would go on to complete his for the Cincinnati victory. The State of Baseball and the World If you know anything about history, you might already know that this time in history was a pretty significant time for the world. Way bigger than baseball, in fact. World War I officially began in 1914, and continued all the way until almost the end of 1918. The United States of America didn’t officially join until April of 1917, and while the war didn’t have a huge effect on that season, it was a large point of discussion in the months preceding the 1918 season. It would end up being a whole lot of discussion for very few resolutions, with the Sporting News reporting at the time that the two leagues “made no departures from previous regulations whatever, so far as was disclosed to the public.” The season would proceed as normal. There would be a tax implemented on ticket prices, though that was something that was mandated by the federal government. Ten percent of admission prices would go towards the war effort, but this actually increased ticket prices by more than 10 percent. You see, if a 25 cent ticket was only increased by 10 percent, that would make it a 28-cent ticket, and, according to the New York Times in January of 1918, “The baseball committee in Washington last Monday explained to the officials that if pennies were handled at the turnstiles at the baseball parks, hopeless confusion would result and it would be an impossible task to handle the big crowds which flock to the parks on Saturdays, holidays, and on double-header days.” Thus, a 25-cent ticket became 30 cents, a 75-cent ticket became 85 cents, and so on. Regardless, baseball would go on as scheduled, with many owners arguing that the public needed a distraction from the events that were happening overseas. The Cubs' Offseason In what is regarded as one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history, the Cubs dealt Pickles Dillhoefer, Mike Prendergast, and money to the Philadelphia Phillies for Bill Kiillefer and star pitcher Grover Alexander. Killefer would take over at catcher in 1918, and Alexander was pencilled into the starting rotation. The Cubs were also on the wrong end of a bad trade, though maybe not a historically bad one. They flipped Cy Williams for Dode Paskert, also of the Phillies. Williams would go on to club 217 home runs for the Phillies from 1918 to 1930, which might not feel like a lot nowadays, but it certainly was back then. That was third in all of baseball in that time frame, per FanGraphs, even if it was a far cry from Babe Ruth’s league-leading 556 home runs over that same stretch. Paskert would take over in center field for the 1918 Cubs coming off of a 1917 season in which he hit a robust .251/.331/.363, which was above average for the time. The aforementioned Merkle and Mann were both back to reassume their positions at first base and left field, respectively. Max Flack also returned to play right field despite hitting just .248/.325/.320 in 1917. In addition, 22-year-old Charlie Hollocher’s contract was purchased from the minor leagues. He was brought in to play shortstop, a position that badly needed fortification. Vaughn returned to front the rotation, and of course, had Alexander alongside him now. The Cubs also acquired Lefty Tyler in a trade with the Braves. Tyler’s 2.52 ERA in the 1917 season ranked 32nd among 73 qualified pitchers. Those three, plus returnees Claude Hendrix and Phil Douglas, who both pitched to ERAs in the mid-2s in 1917, figured to make up a strong pitching staff. Overall, a solid group of returning players from a team that had started the previous season off well, plus the acquisition of players like Alexander, gave the Cubs and their fans reason for hope heading into opening day of 1918. This series will continue in Part II! View the full article

The Blue Jays are expected to be one of baseball's busiest teams this offseason. After coming as close as they could to winning a World Series without actually getting one, there is hunger to finish the job and bring World Series glory to Toronto, which this franchise hasn’t felt since the early ’90s The offseason comes quickly when you play baseball into November, and with the GM Meetings starting in Las Vegas this week, the time to lay the groundwork is now. The team already has some clarity for 2026, as Shane Bieber picked up his player option and will be an integral part of the rotation going into next season. The team's main area of need will still be pitching, and there is no doubt that the Jays will be adding there, but it won't be surprising if they look to add on the position player side as well. The biggest question will be what the front office does with Bo Bichette. He’s been a key contributor to the team over the last half-decade. General manager Ross Atkins said that he would be “in his market,” suggesting that Toronto intends to stay engaged in negotiations with its franchise shortstop. With all that being said, the Jays might get creative with how they fill out their roster going into 2026, and looking into an outfield upgrade may be one way to do that. On paper, the outfield looks pretty set. Daulton Varsho will anchor center, with Anthony Santander and George Springer splitting right field and DH duties. In left field, Toronto often leaned on a Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider platoon last year, a setup that will likely continue unless one of them is moved. With Addison Barger and Myles Straw also on the roster, it’s already a crowded picture. Now, the Blue Jays have liked a certain type of player in recent years. They value defence and run prevention tremendously, and with the DH spot already filled, it's hard to see the team acquiring a player who would be a negative in the field. Moreover, their offensive style involves putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts, and it's hard to see the Blue Jays going away from that. Finally, with so many players talking about how much of a family this team is, I don't think they would want to ruin clubhouse chemistry either. MLB Trade Rumors recently came out with their top 50 free agents (with contract estimates). So, let's take a look at the top outfielders on the list and see if there is a match to be made. OF Kyle Tucker - 11 Years, $400M Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette are perhaps the two biggest names on the free agent market this winter. Although Tucker isn't on the same level as an Aaron Judge or Juan Soto, he’s not that far behind, and since 2021, he’s put up between 4.0 and 5.0 fWAR every year. That includes 2024, when he only played 78 games and then missed three months with a shin contusion. He battled injuries again in his lone season with the Cubs. There is no question, though, that any team will get better by adding Tucker. His career 81.7% contact rate lines up with what the Blue Jays like to do, and in the field, he’s just okay. Baseball Savant has him at a 0 run value for 2025, with a decent arm but not as much range. If the front office wants to go “all-in” and make a push to win the World Series at all costs in 2026, then Tucker may be the guy, but if the Blue Jays do end up re-signing Bichette, it seems unlikely they will spend for two high-end offensive free agents, so odds are Tucker would be signing elsewhere. OF/1B Cody Bellinger - 5 Years, $140M Another winter, another round of free agency for Cody Bellinger. The former MVP has had a lot of ups and downs during his career and is now just turning 30 years old. Last season, he had an .813 OPS with 29 home runs, and added 13 stolen bases with it. On paper, Bellinger seems like a much better fit for the Jays. He’s a plus defender in both corner positions and can hold his own in center field. And with Ty France becoming a free agent, having a guy who can stand at first base can be relevant too, as they will need a backup to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. With the bat, John Schneider would get another left-handed hitter to go along with Varsho and Barger in the lineup, which could add more versatility to the team. Last season, Bellinger's contact rate jumped to a career high 84.2%, and he actually hit better against left-handed pitchers (180 wRC+) than right-handed pitchers (105 wRC+). Pair that with the fact he doesn’t have a qualifying offer attached to him, as long as he passes the character concerns test, then there could be some serious interest here. OF/DH Kyle Schwarber - 5 years, $135M Kyle Schwarber's power is undeniable. A 56-home run, 150 OPS+ season doesn't come out of nowhere, and if he were to come to Toronto, he automatically would become the Blue Jays' most prolific power hitter since Jose Bautista. As fun as having that power bat would be in Toronto, I don’t think Schwarber will end up wearing Blue Jay Blue come late March. For one, he’s extremely limited as a defender. He only appeared in eight games in the outfield last year, which means he’s limited to DH only, and unless the Blue Jays make a change with Springer or Santander, there likely isn’t room for him on the roster. What's more, while most teams would love to add a 50+ home run bat to their team, the sub-70% contact rate Schwarber had last year doesn’t line up with how this team runs its offence. If the Blue Jays are going to add an impact outfielder, odds are they will look elsewhere. Honourable Mentions: Ryan O'Hearn, Willi Castro, Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, Mike Yastrzemski None of these names are high-impact, All-Star-type players, but all of them still contribute, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Blue Jays add one to the bench this season. O’Hearn played some corner outfield and first base and hit both lefties and righties well last season. Castro is also incredibly versatile and was productive in the first half of last season, while Hays can crush left-handed pitching (.949 ops in ‘25) and would be a good platoon partner. Yastrzemski can do the same against right-handers. Mullins is a long way from his 30-homer, 30-steal season, but he can still play a good center field and steal some bags in the process. Don't be surprised if the team looks to add one of these players as the free agency process continues. The good news is the Blue Jays thrive on versatility. Barger and Schneider regularly see work in the infield, and there is a chance Santander could see some time at first base, which could open up some playing time, so there are paths the Blue Jays could take to make things work. Realistically, Toronto adding a top-tier outfielder seems unlikely. Bellinger might be the best fit, and Tucker would absolutely be the biggest splash, but with Bichette’s contract looming and pitching a clear priority, the Blue Jays' focus will likely be elsewhere. Still, just like the game on the field, the offseason can be unpredictable, and the front office's best move may be the one that surprises everyone. View the full article

The Blue Jays are expected to be one of baseball's busiest teams this offseason. After coming as close as they could to winning a World Series without actually getting one, there is hunger to finish the job and bring World Series glory to Toronto, which this franchise hasn’t felt since the early ’90s The offseason comes quickly when you play baseball into November, and with the GM Meetings starting in Las Vegas this week, the time to lay the groundwork is now. The team already has some clarity for 2026, as Shane Bieber picked up his player option and will be an integral part of the rotation going into next season. The team's main area of need will still be pitching, and there is no doubt that the Jays will be adding there, but it won't be surprising if they look to add on the position player side as well. The biggest question will be what the front office does with Bo Bichette. He’s been a key contributor to the team over the last half-decade. General manager Ross Atkins said that he would be “in his market,” suggesting that Toronto intends to stay engaged in negotiations with its franchise shortstop. With all that being said, the Jays might get creative with how they fill out their roster going into 2026, and looking into an outfield upgrade may be one way to do that. On paper, the outfield looks pretty set. Daulton Varsho will anchor center, with Anthony Santander and George Springer splitting right field and DH duties. In left field, Toronto often leaned on a Nathan Lukes and Davis Schneider platoon last year, a setup that will likely continue unless one of them is moved. With Addison Barger and Myles Straw also on the roster, it’s already a crowded picture. Now, the Blue Jays have liked a certain type of player in recent years. They value defence and run prevention tremendously, and with the DH spot already filled, it's hard to see the team acquiring a player who would be a negative in the field. Moreover, their offensive style involves putting the ball in play and avoiding strikeouts, and it's hard to see the Blue Jays going away from that. Finally, with so many players talking about how much of a family this team is, I don't think they would want to ruin clubhouse chemistry either. MLB Trade Rumors recently came out with their top 50 free agents (with contract estimates). So, let's take a look at the top outfielders on the list and see if there is a match to be made. OF Kyle Tucker - 11 Years, $400M Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette are perhaps the two biggest names on the free agent market this winter. Although Tucker isn't on the same level as an Aaron Judge or Juan Soto, he’s not that far behind, and since 2021, he’s put up between 4.0 and 5.0 fWAR every year. That includes 2024, when he only played 78 games and then missed three months with a shin contusion. He battled injuries again in his lone season with the Cubs. There is no question, though, that any team will get better by adding Tucker. His career 81.7% contact rate lines up with what the Blue Jays like to do, and in the field, he’s just okay. Baseball Savant has him at a 0 run value for 2025, with a decent arm but not as much range. If the front office wants to go “all-in” and make a push to win the World Series at all costs in 2026, then Tucker may be the guy, but if the Blue Jays do end up re-signing Bichette, it seems unlikely they will spend for two high-end offensive free agents, so odds are Tucker would be signing elsewhere. OF/1B Cody Bellinger - 5 Years, $140M Another winter, another round of free agency for Cody Bellinger. The former MVP has had a lot of ups and downs during his career and is now just turning 30 years old. Last season, he had an .813 OPS with 29 home runs, and added 13 stolen bases with it. On paper, Bellinger seems like a much better fit for the Jays. He’s a plus defender in both corner positions and can hold his own in center field. And with Ty France becoming a free agent, having a guy who can stand at first base can be relevant too, as they will need a backup to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. With the bat, John Schneider would get another left-handed hitter to go along with Varsho and Barger in the lineup, which could add more versatility to the team. Last season, Bellinger's contact rate jumped to a career high 84.2%, and he actually hit better against left-handed pitchers (180 wRC+) than right-handed pitchers (105 wRC+). Pair that with the fact he doesn’t have a qualifying offer attached to him, as long as he passes the character concerns test, then there could be some serious interest here. OF/DH Kyle Schwarber - 5 years, $135M Kyle Schwarber's power is undeniable. A 56-home run, 150 OPS+ season doesn't come out of nowhere, and if he were to come to Toronto, he automatically would become the Blue Jays' most prolific power hitter since Jose Bautista. As fun as having that power bat would be in Toronto, I don’t think Schwarber will end up wearing Blue Jay Blue come late March. For one, he’s extremely limited as a defender. He only appeared in eight games in the outfield last year, which means he’s limited to DH only, and unless the Blue Jays make a change with Springer or Santander, there likely isn’t room for him on the roster. What's more, while most teams would love to add a 50+ home run bat to their team, the sub-70% contact rate Schwarber had last year doesn’t line up with how this team runs its offence. If the Blue Jays are going to add an impact outfielder, odds are they will look elsewhere. Honourable Mentions: Ryan O'Hearn, Willi Castro, Austin Hays, Cedric Mullins, Mike Yastrzemski None of these names are high-impact, All-Star-type players, but all of them still contribute, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Blue Jays add one to the bench this season. O’Hearn played some corner outfield and first base and hit both lefties and righties well last season. Castro is also incredibly versatile and was productive in the first half of last season, while Hays can crush left-handed pitching (.949 ops in ‘25) and would be a good platoon partner. Yastrzemski can do the same against right-handers. Mullins is a long way from his 30-homer, 30-steal season, but he can still play a good center field and steal some bags in the process. Don't be surprised if the team looks to add one of these players as the free agency process continues. The good news is the Blue Jays thrive on versatility. Barger and Schneider regularly see work in the infield, and there is a chance Santander could see some time at first base, which could open up some playing time, so there are paths the Blue Jays could take to make things work. Realistically, Toronto adding a top-tier outfielder seems unlikely. Bellinger might be the best fit, and Tucker would absolutely be the biggest splash, but with Bichette’s contract looming and pitching a clear priority, the Blue Jays' focus will likely be elsewhere. Still, just like the game on the field, the offseason can be unpredictable, and the front office's best move may be the one that surprises everyone. View the full article

Every offseason, we offer our You’re The GM! tool to build your ideal Cubs roster. This year, we’ve updated and streamlined the tool a bit to improve the experience. The idea behind this feature is to give fans a chance to play the role of General Manager (or CBO or PoBO… you get the idea) for their favorite team, the Chicago Cubs. It’s meant to give fans the opportunity to discuss (and, let’s be honest, argue) how they would approach the long, dark MLB offseason. This tool is intended to be informal and fun, so we’ve left it as open as possible. There is a payroll “budget” that loosely resembles the Cubs' 2025 payroll, but there is no penalty for going over that number. It’s a guideline, nothing more. Second, you can submit as many blueprints as you like throughout the offseason. As the offseason landscape changes, users often return multiple times over the winter and create new blueprints. Before we get into the breakdown of the tool, you can save your blueprint and come back to it at any time. The only restriction is that you must register an account on the site to create a blueprint (so we can save a draft for you and also post the blueprint for others to discuss). Let’s get into the tool itself. It has four quadrants that work best if addressed in a counter-clockwise order (this tool works much better on a desktop due to its complexity, but it will work on mobile devices if need be). Top Left: The 26-Man Roster We have created a rough guideline for the Cubs' 26-man roster today. The roster is flexible; you can add or remove players as you see fit. We’ve also included either guaranteed salaries or, in the case of arbitration and contract options, the recommendations of MLB Trade Rumors. This section is where you build your roster and make changes based on the following two sections. As you make changes to players and salaries, the total payroll number (right side of the screen) will change, allowing you to track your budget on the fly. The bottom field in both columns is for any dead money you assume during the course of your offseason. Acquiring dead money should be uncommon, but we want to give users the option to take on dead salary if it suits their purposes. Bottom Left: Arbitration & Trade Decisions Here, you will find a selection of arbitration options and internal options (usually from the 40-man roster or minor leagues) to assist in building your offseason roster. On the right-hand side of this column, you will see Trade Candidates, a list of the 40 players most likely to be traded this offseason, per MLB Trade Rumors. To help you get up to speed with these candidates, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on trade candidates. Bottom Right: Free Agents Here, you will find the top 50 free agents, again per MLB Trade Rumors. These are sorted by position to facilitate quickly finding your desired free agent and include the recommended salary for that player. Because this is a blueprint for a single year, we only include their projected salary for the coming season, not the number of years or anything else. To help you get up to speed with these free agents, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on the best 50 free agents available this winter. Top Right: Dead Money, Your Total Payroll, & Commentary The only unalterable field on the page is Dead Money; it is players to whom the team has committed money but has no reasonable way to get out of the contract. Below that, you will see the recommended budget, your current total, and the percentage you are over or under that budget. Again, keep in mind the budget is only a guideline, and you can go above it as much as you like… But defend your choices, coward! The following field is Title, which gives other users an idea of what to expect with your blueprint (e.g., Be Unreasonable, Sign Kyle Tucker!). When your blueprint posts for other users, it will read “Your Username’s 2025 Payroll Blueprint: Be Unreasonable, Sign Kyle Tucker!”. The following field is Your Comments & Explanation, a long-form field meant to type out the rationale behind your decisions. Here is the place to fully explain your trades (including which players are leaving the Cubs to bring in new players), why you targeted specific free agents, and any promotions from the minors you advocate or any options you declined to extend to a specific player. This is often multiple paragraphs; you can write up as much detail as you desire. That’s it, you’re done! At this point, you can either publish your blueprint to the forums or save it for later if you feel it’s incomplete. Thank you for joining us at North Side Baseball. I hope you enjoy playing the role of general manager, at least for a moment! Start Your Payroll Blueprint Now View the full article

When the Minnesota Twins selected Jose Miranda out of Puerto Rico in Competitive Balance Round B of the 2016 MLB Draft, they believed his advanced bat could someday make him a fixture in their infield. It took several seasons for Miranda to emerge as a legitimate prospect, but when he finally did, his breakout was loud enough to make everyone in baseball take notice. The problem is, that peak proved fleeting. A Star in the Making Miranda’s path through the minors was slow and steady. After spending two summers in rookie ball, he gradually climbed the ladder, reaching Double A by the end of 2019. He wasn’t protected on the 40-man roster that winter, and every team in baseball passed on him in the Rule 5 Draft. Those decisions aged poorly when he erupted in 2021. That season, Miranda led all of Minor League Baseball in hits and posted a .973 OPS, while launching over 30 doubles and 30 homers between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul. His contact-first approach suddenly came with power, and his walk rate improved without sacrificing his elite ability to put the ball in play. Miranda struck out in just 12.5 percent of his plate appearances, rarely missing fastballs and routinely producing hard contact. It was the type of offensive development the Twins’ system hadn’t seen in years. Scouts praised his compact swing and balanced approach, though some wondered if his aggressive tendencies would eventually be exploited. Still, it was hard to overlook a player who could make that much contact with that much authority. Finding His Place Miranda’s defense never matched his offensive profile. He moved between third base, second base, and first base, but his limited range and average arm strength left questions about his long-term position. The Twins didn’t seem to care. They believed the bat would play anywhere, and by 2022, he was proving them right. In his rookie season, Miranda hit .268 with 15 home runs and 66 RBIs across 125 games, providing stability to a lineup ravaged by injuries. The Twins saw him as part of their young core, alongside players like Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, and Royce Lewis. Even after a step backward in 2023, he bounced back with a strong 2024 season that included tying a major-league record by recording hits in 12 straight at-bats. His confidence appeared to have returned, and his bat looked like it belonged. The Collapse Then came 2025. Miranda’s season began with a spot on the Opening Day roster, but unraveled almost immediately. Through 12 games, he batted just .167 with 13 strikeouts in 36 plate appearances. His timing was off, his contact quality evaporated, and the plate discipline that once fueled his breakout vanished. The Twins demoted him to St. Paul, where things somehow got worse. Shortly after his demotion, he had a freak accident at Target while carrying a case of bottled water. One has to wonder if that injury impacted him throughout the year. Across 90 games with the Saints, Miranda slashed .195/.272/.296 with 57 strikeouts. His once-reliable contact ability seemed to disappear entirely. What had once been a plus bat-to-ball skill turned into a liability, as he continued to swing at pitches out of the zone and struggled to make solid contact when he did connect. It was a shocking collapse for a player who, just a year earlier, had looked like one of the team’s most reliable hitters. In total, Miranda’s four-year Twins career ended with a .263 average, 28 home runs, and a 101 OPS+. What Comes Next Miranda’s fall from promising cornerstone to organizational afterthought culminated last week with the Twins dropping him from the 40-man roster. At 27, he’s still young enough to rebound, but the margin for error has shrunk considerably. He will need to rediscover his approach at the plate and prove that his 2021-22 breakthrough wasn’t a mirage. For the Twins, Miranda’s story raises uncomfortable questions about player development and sustainability. How did a player with such natural contact ability and offensive instincts fade so quickly? Was it a matter of mechanical flaws, mental pressure, or organizational missteps? The answer is probably a mix of all three. Miranda’s rise and fall is one of the most abrupt turnarounds in recent Twins history. He once symbolized the promise of homegrown offensive talent, but now stands as a cautionary tale about how difficult it can be to stay on top once you get there. If Miranda finds his way back to the majors, it will be through the same perseverance that once defined his rise. But for now, his fall serves as a reminder that success in baseball can be as fragile as it is thrilling. What stands out about Miranda’s time in the organization? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The San Diego Padres had an All-Star bullpen in 2025, and it got even better at the trade deadline, when Mason Miller was acquired from the Athletics on July 31 along with JP Sears. Miller immediately elevated the late-game advantage that the Padres already had and helped to mask a lot of the issues within the starting rotation. Following the injury to Jason Adam, most pitching staffs would have felt stretched, but this addition made that fallout much less noticeable than it should have been, which says a lot when you lose an All-Star reliever. Originally drafted in the third round by the Athletics in 2021, Mason Miller had an outstanding limited season with the Padres: 22 Games 23 1/3 Innings Pitched 0.77 ERA 1.12 FIP 54.2 K% 12.0 BB% 0.39 HR/9 1.1 FanGraphs' WAR (fWAR) Stretch the scope out to his entire season and his numbers take a slight dip, which makes one wonder what could have been if he had been on the Padres for the entire season: 60 Games 61 2/3 Innings Pitched 2.63 ERA 2.23 FIP 44.4 K% 12.0 BB% 0.73 HR/9 2.0 fWAR Mason Miller, 27, is entering his first arbitration-eligible season and is estimated to earn around $3.4 million in 2026. Given his dominant closer/late-inning role and elite strikeout rate this past season, the Padres must weigh whether to style him for just the arbitration year or seek a multi-year extension to lock in cost certainty. This decision is going to be of high strategic importance for the club’s long-term bullpen architecture. In the playoffs against the Chicago Cubs, Miller was unhittable: 2 Games 2 2/3 Innings Pitched 0.00 ERA 88.9 K% (including striking out eight consecutive batters, tying the MLB postseason record) The right-hander was everything you could have hoped for when he came over at the trade deadline. He throws a 100-plus mph fastball and a sweeping slider, causing many mismatches late in games. What stands out is not just his raw velocity (he threw an average of 101.2 MPH on his fastball in 2025), but how he balances his limited arsenal. His slider gets lost behind the thunderbolts he throws with his four-seamer, and yet, that pitch was his best this season: 48.4% active spin on the slider 54.6 Whiff% on the slider (third-best among all pitches thrown in MLB) 52.4 K% on the slider (third-best among all pitches thrown) Miller was traded for with both a win-now and a win-later mentality. Closer Robert Suarez faced uncertainty down the stretch, with a player option to opt-out at the end of the season (which he has exercised). Miller is an easy fit to slide in and be his replacement in the closer role, having fulfilled that position with the Athletics before; he saved 70 games over two and a half seasons before being traded. The Padres got both younger and more affordable with this move while keeping the bullpen essentially intact despite losing the league leader in saves in 2025. With all that being said, is that what the Padres actually brought him in for? The Padres need starting pitching; Yu Darvish just had elbow surgery and will be out for the 2026 season, Michael King and Dylan Cease are free agents, Joe Musgrove is returning from a year-long layoff, and Nick Pivetta is the only reliable starter returning from last season. There have already been rumors that Miller might move out of the bullpen and become a starting pitcher. He had six starts in 2024, throwing 24 ⅓ innings and finishing with a 3.70 ERA. He won’t be able to continue to throw his 100-plus mph fastball on a regular basis, but he has already shown that his slider is the actual pitch that elevates him to elite-level status. He primarily only threw those two pitches in 2025, having also thrown a changeup, but he would most likely need to start expanding his arsenal to effectively manage batting orders multiple times through. So, the real question for the Padres becomes: Where do you put him? This could be answered with any additional moves that the team makes this offseason, though his role could also determine the contract he gets in arbitration or in an extension (starters always make more than relievers). View the full article

One of the more shocking moves of the MLB offseason thus far has been the Tampa Bay Rays declining their $11M club option on longtime reliever Pete Fairbanks. He finished his stint with the Rays throwing 256 ⅔ innings with a 2.98 ERA, saving 90 games (third in franchise history) and posting 5.9 fWAR. The free agent market for relievers is pretty loaded with Edwin Díaz and Robert Suárez leading the charge, plus high-profile bounce-back candidates like Devin Williams and Ryan Helsley. Even so, Fairbanks should demand a lot of attention coming off a 2025 season where he set new career-highs in many counting stats. The Texas Rangers drafted Fairbanks in the ninth round of the 2015 MLB Draft. During his rookie year of 2019, he was traded to the Rays in exchange for Nick Solak. That move was a clear win for Tampa Bay as Solak was barely above replacement level with the Rangers, slashing .252/.327/.372/.700 with 21 home runs, 93 RBI and a 91 OPS+ in his four seasons with the organization. He has been bouncing around the league ever since. In 2025, for the first time in a full-length MLB season, Fairbanks was injury-free. The 31-year-old posted a 2.83 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 8.80 K/9, 2.69 BB/9 and a career-high 27 saves in 60 ⅓ innings pitched (another career-high). His whiff rate made a leap from 21.8% in 2024 to 26.1% this past season, but that's only around league average for a reliever—well below where he used to be. Fairbanks' four-seam fastball averages 97.3 mph and that's his most-used pitch against both right-handed and left-handed batters. He pairs it with a mid-80s slider that has been consistently difficult to hit (batting average against of .200 or lower for four straight seasons). In September, Fairbanks added a cutter to his arsenal. In a tiny sample (42 cutters thrown), it performed like an elite pitch. Using the cutter on a regular basis moving forward could be the key to racking up more strikeouts. Knowing the player from his time with the Rays, maybe Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix will make a stronger push for Fairbanks than he has for other free agent relievers in the past. It's safe to assume that the veteran righty can be signed for an annual salary that's lower than his $11M declined option, but a multi-year deal seems likely for somebody with his good performance and closing experience. Using a combination of Fairbanks and Ronny Henriquez in save situations would be ideal. Aside from having great stuff, they give hitters much different looks to prepare for with Fairbanks being one of the league's tallest relievers (6'6") and Henriquez being one of the shortest (5'10"). The likelihood that this happens is low, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic mentioning on Tuesday that both 2025 World Series teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, are expected to be suitors for Fairbanks. But it shouldn't be ruled out considering Bendix's history of acquiring former Rays and the Marlins' widely reported interest in improving their bullpen. View the full article

Every offseason, we offer our You’re The GM! tool to build your ideal Blue Jays roster. This year, we’ve updated and streamlined the tool a bit to improve the experience. The idea behind this feature is to give fans a chance to play the role of General Manager (or CBO or PoBO… you get the idea) for their favorite team, the Toronto Blue Jays. It’s meant to give fans the opportunity to discuss (and, let’s be honest, argue) how they would approach the long, dark MLB offseason. This tool is intended to be informal and fun, so we’ve left it as open as possible. There is a payroll “budget” that loosely resembles the Blue Jays' 2025 payroll, but there is no penalty for going over that number. It’s a guideline, nothing more. Second, you can submit as many blueprints as you like throughout the offseason. As the offseason landscape changes, users often return multiple times over the winter and create new blueprints. Before we get into the breakdown of the tool, you can save your blueprint and come back to it at any time. The only restriction is that you must register an account on the site to create a blueprint (so we can save a draft for you and also post the blueprint for others to discuss). Let’s get into the tool itself. It has four quadrants that work best if addressed in a counter-clockwise order (this tool works much better on a desktop due to its complexity, but it will work on mobile devices if need be). Top Left: The 26-Man Roster We have created a rough guideline for the Blue Jays' 26-man roster today. The roster is flexible; you can add or remove players as you see fit. We’ve also included either guaranteed salaries or, in the case of arbitration and contract options, the recommendations of MLB Trade Rumors. This section is where you build your roster and make changes based on the following two sections. As you make changes to players and salaries, the total payroll number (right side of the screen) will change, allowing you to track your budget on the fly. The bottom field in both columns is for any dead money you assume during the course of your offseason. Acquiring dead money should be uncommon, but we want to give users the option to take on dead salary if it suits their purposes. Bottom Left: Arbitration & Trade Decisions Here, you will find a selection of arbitration options and internal options (usually from the 40-man roster or minor leagues) to assist in building your offseason roster. On the right-hand side of this column, you will see Trade Candidates, a list of the 40 players most likely to be traded this offseason, per MLB Trade Rumors. To help you get up to speed with these candidates, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on trade candidates. Bottom Right: Free Agents Here, you will find the top 50 free agents, again per MLB Trade Rumors. These are sorted by position to facilitate quickly finding your desired free agent and include the recommended salary for that player. Because this is a blueprint for a single year, we only include their projected salary for the coming season, not the number of years or anything else. To help you get up to speed with these free agents, we offer a direct link to the MLBTR write-up on the best 50 free agents available this winter. Top Right: Dead Money, Your Total Payroll, & Commentary The only unalterable field on the page is Dead Money; it is players to whom the team has committed money but has no reasonable way to get out of the contract. Below that, you will see the recommended budget, your current total, and the percentage you are over or under that budget. Again, keep in mind the budget is only a guideline, and you can go above it as much as you like… But defend your choices, coward! The following field is Title, which gives other users an idea of what to expect with your blueprint (e.g., Be Unreasonable, Sign Kyle Tucker!). When your blueprint posts for other users, it will read “Your Username’s 2025 Payroll Blueprint: Be Unreasonable, Sign Kyle Tucker!”. The following field is Your Comments & Explanation, a long-form field meant to type out the rationale behind your decisions. Here is the place to fully explain your trades (including which players are leaving the Blue Jays to bring in new players), why you targeted specific free agents, and any promotions from the minors you advocate or any options you declined to extend to a specific player. This is often multiple paragraphs; you can write up as much detail as you desire. That’s it, you’re done! At this point, you can either publish your blueprint to the forums or save it for later if you feel it’s incomplete. Thank you for joining us at Jays Centre. I hope you enjoy playing the role of general manager, at least for a moment! Start Your Payroll Blueprint Now View the full article

After filling out the hitting coaching staff with the hirings of Connor Dawson and Marcus Thames and non-tendering pitchers Sam Long and Kyle Wright, the Royals have been active in adding to the depth of their roster this offseason, especially on the offensive end. Royals GM JJ Picollo hasn't added any big names just yet. It's a bit too early for that, and significant transaction "talk" doesn't typically happen until the Winter Meetings in December. That said, Kansas City has added two athletic depth pieces over the past week who will likely be with the Royals in Spring Training in Surprise for camp and will battle for spots on the Opening Day roster. Let's take a look at the Royals' newest acquisitions, who also hold local ties to the Kansas City area. Royals Acquire Outfielder From Rays On Monday afternoon, the Royals announced that they traded for outfielder Kameon Misner from the Tampa Bay Rays for a player to be named later and/or cash considerations. The 28-year-old outfielder is a graduate of the University of Missouri and was selected 35th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. Misner mashed in Triple-A in 2023 and 2024, as he hit 38 combined home runs with the Durham Bulls over those two seasons. He also posted a 105 wRC+ in 2023 and a 109 wRC+ in 2024. He also stole 21 bases in 2023 and 30 bases in 2024, making him a dual power and speed threat. He had only a small MLB sample in 2024, playing in eight games. However, the Rays gave him a more substantial opportunity at the MLB level last season. Unfortunately, it didn't go well, which explains why Tampa Bay was willing to trade him to Kansas City. In 71 games and 217 plate appearances, Misner slashed .213/.273/.345 with five home runs, 27 runs scored, 22 RBI, and eight stolen bases. He also posted a .618 OPS and 71 wRC+ with the Rays. A big issue for Misner, even in Triple-A, has been the strikeouts. He sported a 29.3% K rate with Durham in 2024, and that followed him to the Majors last year, as he struck out 31.7% of the time. He also walked only 7.4% and had mediocre contact and whiff rates, according to his Statcast percentages via TJ Stats. His whiff rate ranked in the 3rd percentile, and his Z-Contact% ranked in the 6th percentile. He also posted a 7th percentile hard-hit rate and 2nd percentile LA Sweet-Spot%, which is not what one wants to see from a hitter with such low contact numbers. He did sport a Pull% in the 63rd percentile, and his 90th Percentile EV ranked in the 40th percentile, which aren't terrible marks. On a positive note, he was three outs above average defensively, according to Savant, and ranked in the 79th percentile in arm value and 85th percentile in arm strength. Thus, at the very least, Misner could be a defensive option off the bench who could fill in all three outfield spots for the Royals. Royals Sign Former Diamondbacks Infielder to Minor League Deal On Friday, the Royals signed former Arizona shortstop Connor Kaiser to a Minor League contract. Kaiser is a local product, as he attended high school in the Blue Valley School District in Kansas. Kaiser has a more humble professional pedigree than Misner. The 28-year-old infielder out of Vanderbilt was a third-round pick by the Pirates in 2018 and has only had 14 career games and 23 plate appearances at the Major League level. In the sample, he has a career slash of .091/.130/.136 with a .267 OPS. The Diamondbacks primarily kept him in Reno in 2025, and he posted average numbers in Triple-A. In 71 games and 229 plate appearances, he slashed .236/.345/.406 with a .751 OPS. He also hit six home runs, scored 32 runs, collected 31 RBI, and stole two bases. When looking at his TJ Stats profile from Triple-A, no particular tool of Kaiser sticks out. On a positive note, Kaiser didn't chase a whole lot; he swung at a lot of pitches in the strike zone, and he walked a lot. Other than that, however, he doesn't seem to offer much to this Royals team at the MLB level, especially with the glut of infielders they already have with Bobby Witt Jr., Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, and Michael Massey. The Kaiser move is likely to add to their depth in Omaha, especially after the Royals released 20 players in their system last week, including former top prospect Nick Pratto. Even though Kaiser will likely not do much at the Major League level in 2025, he is expected to compete for playing time in Surprise during Spring Training. Can Misner and Kaiser Benefit From the New Hitting Staff? The Royals have filled out their hitting coach staff this offseason with Connor Dawson from the Brewers and Marcus Thames from the White Sox. It definitely seems like the Royals want to increase their hitters' aggressiveness while minimizing the chasing that plagued them at times in 2025. According to Fangraphs, the Royals had the 11th-highest O-Swing% in baseball while ranking 17th in Swing%. That doesn't seem like a recipe for success, and their meager hitting rankings from a year ago (26th in runs scored) seem to illustrate that. However, it seems like Dawson and Thames will bring a refreshing perspective to the Royals coaching staff, especially Thames, who was known for preaching disciplined aggressiveness at the plate with hitters at his multiple stops (as I pointed out on Bluesky from a CHGO article that came out after he took over as hitting coach). One has to wonder if the Misner and Kaiser moves, while minuscule in scale, are players that could benefit from the new coaching regime in 2026. While the Royals had chase problems at the plate, the Rays were technically worse. Their 29.4% O-Swing% was the fifth-highest in baseball last season. Furthermore, their 63.7% F-Strike% was the third-highest (for comparison, the Royals had the seventh-highest rate at 62.6%). Conversely, the Brewers (where Dawson comes from) ranked 23rd in F-Strike% and 29th in O-Swing%. Thus, while the acquisitions of Misner and Kaiser will likely impact the Omaha club more than the Royals one in 2026, it will be interesting to see if either player can see a bump in plate discipline and production under this revamped Royals hitting staff. If one or both can see some progression, the Royals could be on their way not only to having an elite pitching coach staff (though the loss of Zach Bove hurts), but perhaps a hitting one as well, long term. View the full article

On Thursday, major league teams, including the Minnesota Twins, made a flurry of roster moves to start their offseason roster clean-up. Some players were removed from the 40-man roster, and when they cleared, they elected free agency. The Angels claimed Cody Laweryson. One former top prospect also became a free agent. In addition, the 60-Day Injured List doesn’t exist in the offseason. The Twins' 40-man roster is currently at 33, including 14 pitchers, two catchers, five infielders, eight outfielders, and four utility players. Over the next couple of weeks, there will be more changes. The deadline for non-tendering arbitration-eligible players is in two weeks. Just a few days earlier, on November 18, teams will have to add players to their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. As of today, the Twins could add seven more players to the 40-man roster without other moves. Most years, two to four players get added, but this offseason, the Twins have quite a few players who likely need to be added. There are just as many, if not more, players one could make a case for protecting. The following several paragraphs discuss some of the rules of the Rule 5 draft regarding eligibility, costs, requirements for a selected player, etc. If you feel you’ve got a good grasp on that information and really just want to see who I think will be added, feel free to scroll down to the subheading: The Givens. Real quick, who is eligible for the 2025 MLB Rule 5 draft? Down below, you can see every single Twins player who is eligible (as of now) for the December event. At a high level, players eligible are: not on the MLB team’s 40-man roster, if they signed after age 19 and have been in the minors for at least four years. if they signed before age 19 and have been in the minor leagues for at least five years. Specifically for next month’s Rule 5, that means: They don’t get added before or on November 18, and Players signed when they were 16-18 years old in 2021. That includes international players and most high school draft picks. Players signed after they turned 19 years old in 2022. Players who were eligible for previous Rule 5 drafts. In other words, a high school player from the 2020 draft who meets the other criteria is still eligible. Also of note, Players drafted or signed in 2019 who are not on the 40-man roster right now became free agents late last week. They are not eligible unless they sign a minor-league contract with a team before the Rule 5 draft. Digging deeper. If a Major League roster has fewer than 40 players on it, it may choose a player in the Rule 5 draft. As of writing this, the Twins have 33 players on their 40-man roster, so in theory, they could draft up to seven players in the Rule 5 draft. They won’t, but they could take one. If they do, they would need to pay $100,000 to the organization from which they selected him. The player must stay on the team’s active roster (on the injured list) for the entire season. If the team wants to send him to the minor leagues, they have to offer him back to the original team for $50,000. There is a strategy to it as well, and that’s where today’s topic becomes essential. If the Twins add seven of their players to the 40-man roster (and make no other moves before the Rule 5), they would be unable to make a selection. In addition, players added to the 40-man roster in November and those taken in the Rule 5 draft must remain on the 40-man roster until spring training. That means that if the Twins want to sign a free agent to an MLB contract between December and February, they would need to remove another player from the 40-man roster. That’s why there are some players still on the Twins' 40-man roster now, and you may wonder about the likelihood of them remaining on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason. Note that just a couple of days after players are added to the 40-man roster is the non-tender day. The Twins entered the offseason with the potential of 10 arbitration-eligible players. Roster transactions following the World Series have removed four of them from being eligible for arbitration. Could the Twins non-tender any of those six, or not tender 2026 contracts to anyone else on the 40-man? We shall see. That is a lot of strategy before even getting to the stuff you’re here to read. But I always feel it is important to understand the above for multiple reasons. First, the $100,000 price tag is not a lot to work with a player in the offseason and spring training before potentially finding a gem, or getting $50,000 back in spring training as the Twins did last year with the Phillies and Eiberson Castellanos. It isn’t ideal to lose players in the Rule 5 draft, so you want to protect the right players. It just takes one team to be interested in an eligible player to potentially lose him. So the most significant factor in that decision is whether that player will be able to stick on a big league roster for the entire 2026 season. How close is that player to being able to help a team in some capacity, even if for a year, that’s defense and base running, or enough “stuff” and experience to be a late-inning reliever who comes into low-leverage situations? That’s the role Johan Santana started in when the Twins acquired him in a Rule 5 trade. Does the player have much experience in the upper levels of the minors to hold a spot? Last year’s first overall pick in the Rule 5 draft was the White Sox, and they selected Shane Smith from the Brewers organization. Smith went to the All-Star game. That is rare. OK, with all that, you are here to read my thoughts on which players the Twins will (or should) add to their 40-man roster to protect them from being a potential loss in the Rule 5 draft. The Givens There are six players that the Twins have to add to the 40-man roster. If any of the six are not added, another team may select them. Let’s start with those. Right-Handed Corner Outfielder: Gabriel Gonzalez Twins Daily #9 Ranked Prospect When the Twins acquired outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez from Seattle in the Jorge Polanco trade early in 2024, he was ranked No. 79 overall by MLB Pipeline. His first year in the organization was rocky. He battled a back injury that sidelined him for half the season and posted a modest .255 average at High-A, showing little power against older competition. Everything changed in 2025. Gonzalez opened the year by returning to High-A Cedar Rapids, hitting .319 with 12 doubles and five homers in 34 games. Promoted to Double-A Wichita, he dominated with a .344 average, 19 doubles, and four home runs over 55 games. He capped the season in Triple-A St. Paul, batting .316 with seven doubles and six homers in 34 games. Across three levels, Gonzalez recorded 38 doubles, three triples, and 15 home runs. More importantly, he consistently made hard contact and showed the offensive upside the Twins have long sought in a right-handed corner outfielder. Still, Gonzalez isn’t a finished product. He will likely benefit from more Triple-A time to refine his defense, though his strong arm is an asset. Turning 22 early in 2026, his physical frame suggests even greater power potential ahead. If his development continues on this trajectory, Gonzalez could soon become a key piece in Minnesota’s lineup. Left-Handed Pitcher: Connor Prielipp Twins Daily #6 Ranked Prospect When the Twins drafted Tomah, Wisconsin native Connor Prielipp in the second round of the 2022 draft, they were betting on upside. The former Alabama ace had missed most of 2021 and all of 2022 recovering from Tommy John surgery, but before the draft, he was already touching 97 mph. The southpaw was a first-round talent. After two years of limited innings, 2025 marked a breakthrough. Prielipp stayed healthy for 24 appearances (23 starts), logging 82 2/3 innings under a carefully managed workload. Early outings were capped at 50 pitches, but by season’s end, he was surpassing 75 pitches regularly. In his final start, he threw six innings and 84 pitches—a milestone for a pitcher once sidelined for nearly two seasons. Across Double-A and Triple-A, Prielipp showed flashes of dominance while refining his arsenal. His fastball averaged 94 mph and reached 98, complemented by a sharp slider that topped 87 mph and a developing changeup. Though he allowed runs in most outings, he maintained velocity deep into games. He also experimented with grips and pitching sequencing, and will need to continue doing so. Turning 25 in January, Prielipp is trending toward a big-league role sometime in 2026. With health and continued development, his ceiling remains very high, and the Twins won’t risk exposing him to the Rule 5 draft. Right-Handed Pitcher: Andrew Morris Twins Daily #15-Ranked Prospect Andrew Morris is back, and better than ever. After a breakout 2024 season, which saw him rocket through High-A Cedar Rapids, Double-A Wichita, and Triple-A St. Paul, the right-hander hit a speed bump in 2025 with a midseason injury. However, by the end of the year, Morris reminded everyone why he’s one of the Twins’ most intriguing young arms, flashing improved velocity and a pitch mix that screams big-league starter. Early in the season, Morris was already impressive, sitting 94–95 mph with his four-seam fastball and touching 97. He paired it with a heavy sinker in the low 90s, a cutter in the upper 80s, and a mid-80s sweeper, plus a slow curveball that messes with timing. By season’s end, he took things to another level. His four-seamer averaged 95.7 mph and hit 98.5, while his sinker jumped to 95.3 mph. The cutter climbed into the low 90s, and his changeup settled at 86 mph—creating ideal separation from his fastball. His sweeper and curveball added depth, giving him six legitimate pitches. That’s the kind of arsenal that can win games. Morris isn’t just throwing hard. He continues to learn more and more about pitching, refining his grips and sequencing. With health and continued work with coaches, Morris has the stuff to be a starter and make an impact in Minnesota sooner rather than later. That makes him an obvious add. Left-Handed Pitcher: Kendry Rojas Twins Daily #8-Ranked Prospect Twins fans weren’t thrilled when the front office traded hometown flamethrower Louis Varland, but the return offers plenty to like, Alan Roden and especially left-hander Kendry Rojas. The Cuban-born southpaw has electric stuff and, despite injuries slowing his rise, he’s just scratching the surface of his potential. Rojas missed early 2025 with an abdominal strain but quickly climbed the Blue Jays’ system once healthy, striking out 30 batters in 18 ⅔ innings at Double-A before making one Triple-A stint for Buffalo. After joining the Twins, his numbers in St. Paul weren’t pretty; control issues led to 23 walks in 27 1/3 innings, but the raw tools were undeniable. His four-seam fastball now sits 92–96 mph and touched 97 in his final start, a jump from the low-90s just two years ago. He pairs it with a lively sinker at a similar velocity, a sharp slider (84–90 mph), and a changeup in the upper-80s that could become more effective with added velocity separation. His slider flashes plus potential, and his ability to generate movement makes him a nightmare for hitters when he’s in the zone. At just 23, Rojas brings rare upside for a lefty with this kind of velocity and pitch mix. He’s still learning, but if he finds consistent command, he could debut soon, and if the Twins ever shift him to the bullpen, his stuff could play up even more. Simply put: there aren’t many arms like this in the system. Rojas is a name to watch. Left-Handed Outfielder/First Base Hendry Mendez Ranks just outside Twins Daily’s Top 20 Prospect Rankings Mendez’s journey from a 17-year-old international signing from the Dominican Republic to a promising Twins prospect that needs to be added to the 40-man roster has been a bit circuitous. The Brewers inked him for $800,000 in January 2021, and he quickly climbed from the Dominican Summer League to the Arizona Complex League that year. In 2022, at just 18, he impressed in Low-A Carolina with a disciplined approach, 62 walks against 70 strikeouts. Injuries slowed him in 2023, but a trade to the Phillies sparked a resurgence. He hit .284 with a nearly one-to-one walk-to-strikeout ratio and showed flashes of gap power. In 2025, Mendez broke out. Starting in Double-A Reading, he posted an .808 OPS before being dealt to Minnesota for Harrison Bader. With Wichita, he elevated his game, slashing .324/.461/.450 and continuing his elite plate discipline (27 BB, 21 K). At 6’3”, 200 pounds, he is putting in some time at first base before games, a position the Twins have struggled to fill long-term. His revamped swing produced 11 homers this season, matching his total from the previous three years combined. Just 22 years old, Mendez looks like a lock for the 40-man roster. He’s not expected to be the answer in 2026, but his size, athleticism, and improving power make him a name to watch. Right-Handed Pitcher: CJ Culpepper Twins Daily’s #19-Ranked Prospect C.J. Culpepper has quietly become one of the Twins’ most intriguing pitching prospects. Drafted in the 13th round in 2022 out of Cal Baptist, the 6’3” right-hander has shown steady growth despite injuries that slowed him in 2024. His 2025 season was delayed by injury, and his workload was limited throughout the year. However, he posted a 2.43 ERA over 59 innings at Double-A Wichita, striking out 53 while holding opponents to a .223 average. What makes Culpepper stand out is his deep arsenal of pitches. Early in his career, catchers joked that they needed more than two hands to give him signs. He throws at least five pitches—a lively four-seam fastball that sits 94–96 mph and touches 97, a two-seam sinker which can generate ground balls, plus a slider, cutter, curveball, and changeup. Ten years ago, Culpepper would have been deemed a flamethrower. Now his fastball velocity is described as about average. His slider and cutter have the makings of above-average pitches, potentially. He’s also shown improved command, pounding the zone and posting a near 10 K/9 rate in 2024. Why add him to the 40-man roster now? With his combination of velocity, pitch mix, and recent success, Culpepper would undoubtedly be a target for other teams. His ability to sequence with his pitch mix and aggressive approach gives him a legitimate shot to stick as a starter or multi-inning reliever. We don't know what the offseason has in store for current Twins starting pitchers. The organization would not want to lose potential replacements if they can avoid it. Coin Flips (3 Pitchers, 3 Hitters) It’s been a long time since the Minnesota Twins have added six players to their 40-man roster, but I think the six players above have a high likelihood of being lost if they are not protected. I also think they are another half-dozen players that I also think could be drafted. Below are (shorter!) summaries for each of them. Right-Handed Pitcher: John Klein Minnesota native John Klein, 23, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and quickly impressed. In 2025, he split time between Wichita and St. Paul, logging 106 1/3 innings with 128 strikeouts. Klein throws two fastballs at 93–96 mph, a fading mid-80s changeup, and a slow curveball in the upper 70s. At 6-5, 225 pounds, he has room to add velocity. Despite struggles at Triple-A, his size, strikeout ability, and legit stuff make him a strong Rule 5 candidate. Right-Handed Pitcher: Jose Olivares Jose Olivares, 22, brings electric stuff and upside. In 2025, he posted a 4.38 ERA with 107 strikeouts and 57 walks over 90 1/3 innings at High-A Cedar Rapids. His fastball now touches 97 mph, paired with a sharp slider/sweeper, slow curveball, and mid-80s changeup. Command remains a concern, but his velocity and bat-missing ability make him a tempting bullpen stash for a team willing to gamble on raw talent. Right-Handed Pitcher: Cory Lewis Cory Lewis, 25, was the Twins’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2023 and was very good in 2024, ending the season with five scoreless innings for St. Paul. 2025 was rough. At St. Paul, he went 4-6 with a 7.27 ERA over 73 innings, striking out 87 but walking 68. Known for his high-velocity knuckleball and full pitch-mix, Lewis still offers intrigue despite control issues in 2025. A team could take a chance on his unique arsenal and past success, hoping to unlock his upside. Outfielder: Kala’i Rosario Kala’i Rosario, 23, rebounded in 2025 after an injury-shortened 2024 season. The former fifth-round pick hit .256/.358/.487 (.844) at Wichita with 30 doubles, five triples, and 25 home runs in 130 games. He also stole 32 bases, far surpassing his previous high of seven, showing improved athleticism. Rosario’s calling card remains his power potential, but the added speed and mobility make him even more intriguing. His combination of pop and versatility could tempt a team looking for an impact bat with upside. Outfielder: Kyler Fedko Kyler Fedko, 26, enjoyed a breakout 2025 season. After posting a .645 OPS in 77 games in 2024 in Wichita, he posted an .868 OPS in 88 games for the Wind Surge in 2025 with 15 doubles and 20 homers, then .829 OPS in St. Paul with 10 doubles and eight homers. Across 130 games, he totaled 25 doubles, 28 home runs, and 38 stolen bases. Fedko offers quality at-bats, gap and home run power, speed, and defensive versatility across all outfield spots plus first base. His well-rounded skill set makes him a sneaky Rule 5 candidate. Catcher/Outfielder: Ricardo Olivar Ricardo Olivar, 24, is a versatile catcher/outfielder who still has some intriguing upside. In 93 games at Wichita, he hit .264/.356/.412 (.768) with 13 doubles, 13 homers, and 13 steals. While unlikely to be a full-time starting catcher, Olivar’s athleticism allows him to catch and play left field, giving him valuable flexibility. His balanced offensive profile and solid defense make him a potential backup catcher who could stick on a big-league roster. Teams seeking depth and versatility behind the plate may take a chance. The Twins have other Rule 5-eligible catchers as well. Patrick Winkel and Noah Cardenas are both potential backup catchers in MLB because of their prowess behind the plate. Andrew Cossetti and Nate Baez are potential MLB backup catchers because of their bats. Also Rule 5 eligible if not protected Catchers: Patrick Winkel, Noah Cardenas, Andrew Cossetti, Nate Baez Fielders: Danny De Andrade, Tanner Schobel, Aaron Sabato, Jake Rucker, Jose Salas, Ben Ross, Jorel Ortega, Andy Lugo, Rayne Doncon, Miguel Briceno Pitchers Left-Handed: Christian MacLeod, Jaylen Nowlin, Aaron Rozek, Cleiber Maldonado Right-Handed: Miguelangel Boadas, John Stankiewicz, Darren Bowen, Mike Paredes, Alejandro Hidalgo, Trent Baker, Kyle Jones. View the full article