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The Boston Red Sox took a swing. After losing former third basemen in Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman over the last ten months, enter Caleb Durbin and the rest of the Milwaukee Brewers' third base depth chart. In this video, we analyze the acquisitions of Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox took a swing. After losing former third basemen in Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman over the last ten months, enter Caleb Durbin and the rest of the Milwaukee Brewers' third base depth chart. In this video, we analyze the acquisitions of Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler. View the full article

With Monday's surprising trade of Caleb Durbin to the Boston Red Sox, the Milwaukee Brewers created a big question just days before spring training officially gets going: Who plays third base Opening Day? There are some internal options, but they fall into two categories: underwhelming, and not quite ready for prime time. Rather than accept one of those imperfect solutions, they could go out and find someone to play the hot corner via trade or free agency. As a reminder of what Durbin contributed in 2025, he finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, with a .256/.334/.387 slash line, 11 homers, 53 RBIs, and 18 steals. He was hit by pitches an NL-high 24 times and played pretty good defense. In short (no pun intended), he won't be easy to replace, per se. Let's take a look at who is out there: Isaac Paredes The most expensive of the logical candidates is Isaac Paredes. A right-handed hitter with a bit of punch, Paredes doesn't have a starting role with the Houston Astros following their trade deadline acquisition of Carlos Correa. The Houston infield also includes Jeremy Peña, Jose Altuve and Christian Walker, and the DH spot will go to Yordan Alvarez. Whether it's to the Brewers or not, a Paredes deal is likely. The soon-to-be 27-year-old Paredes is a valuable piece to any club, and has been pursued all offseason. But Paredes also comes with a contract price tag of $9.35 million for 2026, with a $13.35 million club option for 2027. The Astros, always concerned with their proximity to the luxury tax, would love to move on from that contract, but taking on that kind of money in February would be an uncharacteristic move from the Crew. After Houston dealt for him last offseason, the pull-happy Paredes put together a .254/.352/.458 slash line, with 20 homers and 53 RBIs. He's slow and unathletic, and doesn't play great defense at third base. He got a lot of those homers by yanking the ball into the Crawford Boxes down Houston's left-field line, which makes him a suspect fit for Uecker Field. He's the most obviously available third baseman on the market, though, and it's easy to imagine Houston wanting to land some of the excess pitching with which the Brewers find themselves after adding two solid arms in the Durbin deal. CJ Abrams After a report of the San Francisco Giants nearly acquiring Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams last month, the Brewers could step in and take Abrams and put him at third. No, he wouldn't be an option to replace Joey Ortiz at shortstop. Abrams ranked 122nd among all MLB shortstops with -6 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Moving him off short will be the first order of business for whoever pries him away from the rebuilding Nats. The 25-year-old Abrams is a little more dynamic than Paredes. Last year, he had a slash line of .257/.315/.433 with 19 homers, 60 RBIs and 31 steals, with the power and speed fitting what the Brewers need and seek. That slash line is very close to his career mark of .249/.306/.411, while averaging 19 homers and 63 RBIs over the last three years. He's not a good shortstop, but he could work at third, or the team could shift him to second, move Brice Turang to shortstop, and slide Ortiz to third, after all. Abrams will make $4.2 million in 2026, as he makes his first trip through arbitration. He comes with three years of team control. His 2024 ended early, when the Nationals sent him to the minors after an all-nighter at a Chicago-area casino, but there were no reported issues in 2025. A new front-office regime could simply be looking to move on from Abrams, lowering his price. Enrique "Kiké" Hernández Still recovering from elbow surgery, Enrique Hernández is expected to miss the first two months of the season and is probably a far-fetched option, considering his ties to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hernández is probably best when he is in a platoon situation, instead of a full-time starter at one position, but he does bring positional versatility, able to play anywhere on the infield or outfield. The 34-year-old is less of an offensive threat than others on this list, compiling a .236/.305/.403 career slash line. While 21- and 20-homer seasons (2018, 2021) decorate his baseball card, he's more of a 10- to 12-homer guy now, depending on his playing time. Hernández made $6.5 million last season with the Dodgers and would likely need a similar number not to return to the two-time defending World Series champs—although it's far from clear that they have room for him on their roster. Luis Rengifo A potentially sneaky-good free-agent addition would be Luis Rengifo. The former Los Angeles Angels utility man turns 29 at the end of February and has played seven MLB seasons. In 657 games, Rengifo has 409 appearances at second base, but also 199 at third. His offensive numbers were down in 2025, producing a .238/.287/.335 slash line with 9 homers, 43 RBIs and 10 steals. That came after a combined slash line of .273/.323/.431 from 2022-24, with 39 homers and 133 RBIs. His 2024 ended prematurely due to surgery on his right wrist, limiting him to 78 games. He has some speed to offer, posting a career-best 24 steals in that abbreviated 2024. Rengifo made $5.95 million in his final year of arbitration with the Angels, so he could be signed for something similar for 2026, especially to join a contender like the Brewers. Thairo Estrada Coming off an injury-plagued 2025 in his only season with the Colorado Rockies, Thairo Estrada could be more of an affordable platoon option in free agency, instead of a full-time third baseman. Mostly a second baseman, Estrada has just 13 appearances at third base in 483 MLB games. Estrada was at his peak in 2022 and 2023 with the San Francisco Giants, posting a combined slash line of .266/.319/.408 along with 28 homers, 111 RBIs and 44 RBIs over the two years. His 2025 was cut short by a fractured right wrist, a sprained left thumb, and a hamstring strain that limited him to 39 games. He made $3.25 million with the Rockies and could be had cheaply again, due to his injury-marred 2025. Ramón Urías The older brother of former Crew infielder Luis Urías, Ramón Urías enters his age-32 season having split 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles and Astros. He has played 371 of his 518 games at third base and is a good defender, with 5 DRS in 638 innings at the position. Durbin had 5 DRS at third in 1,060 innings. Urías had a .241/.292/.384 line across the two stops in 2025, with 11 homers and 44 RBIs in 112 games. For his career, his line is .257/.321/.403. He peaked at 16 homers and 48 RBIs in 116 games in 2022, but has never stolen more than three bases in any year. He earned $3.125 million in 2025 and was non-tendered by the Astros as a third-year abitration-eligible guy. Urías would be inexpensive, but feels like more of a platoon option. Whatever else the Brewers have up their sleeve, we should see it materialize soon. If nothing else happens this week, perhaps they're happy to roll the dice with the guys already coming to camp. That, however, feels unlikely, and the players named above are the most obvious options to effectively replace Durbin and keep the NL Central dynasty rolling. View the full article

Craig Breslow seems to love himself a last-minute, big-time addition for spring training. Last season, he agreed to a three-year deal with Alex Bregman after camp was underway. This year, he swung a three-for-three player trade with the Milwaukee Brewers mere hours before pitchers and catchers reported to Fort Myers. In a deal seemingly out of nowhere, Breslow traded LHP Kyle Harrison, LHP Shane Drohan, and INF David Hamilton to the Brew Crew for INF Caleb Durbin, INF Andruw Monasterio, and UTIL Anthony Seigler along with a Competitive Balance Round B draft pick that will fall around No. 67 overall. Arguably the most interesting part of the trade is the Brewers have traded their entire third base depth to Boston in exchange for two mostly unproven pitchers and a utility man who offers little outside of speed on the basepaths. That sounds like an absolute fleece for the Red Sox. Kyle Harrison was the biggest part of the return of the Rafael Devers trade. I’m not going to sit here and rehash that at all — our own @Maddie Landis has done an excellent job breaking down that trade tree here — but there is now only one part of that deal left in the organization, and Jose Bello won’t be sniffing the major leagues any time soon. Shane Drohan was returned to the Red Sox after he failed to stick on the 40-man roster of the White Sox after he was selected in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. We don’t need to go into detail on Hamilton but we now no longer have to suffer his defensive lapses and his lack of production at the plate. Sure, he could swipe a bag, but his profile became entirely superfluous once Isiah Kiner-Falefa was signed. Diving under the hood on the return to Boston, we see why the Red Sox were eager to make this deal. Durbin finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting last season. He slashed .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs, 53 RBIs, and 18 stolen bases. He led the National League in hit by pitches as well, so he’s not afraid to get on base by any means necessary. He was viewed as the third baseman of the future with the Brewers but will likely shift to second base in Boston so Marcelo Mayer can man the hot corner. Now, the team has options as second and third base between that duo plus Kiner-Falefa being able to spell pretty much the entire infield when necessary. What likely made Durbin even more interesting for the Red Sox though, is that he had a PullAir% of 20.4% in 2025. When the team traded for Willson Contreras in December, his 19.8% PullAir% was cited as one of the main reasons he made sense for the team. Now, we have a much younger, more controllable infielder with an even more tantalizing profile in the fold. An interesting winkle here is that Durbin’s home spray chart is tailor made for Fenway Park. He hit seven of his 11 home runs at home last year. If we overlay that chart over Fenway, we add nine additional home runs to his total. He’s not a slugger by any means, but taking aim at the Green Monster will likely add more homers to his overall total and increase the number of doubles, and maybe even triples, that he has season after season. In addition to Durbin, Monasterio and Seigler both profile as utility players. Monasterio played first, second, third, shortstop, and left field in 2025 while handling left-handed pitchers fairly well. He slashed .273/.360/.477 against lefties last season. He can insert into the lineup, along with Romy Gonzalez, against left-handed pitching to give guys like Mayer a break against tough matchups. Seigler can play second, third, and catcher. He slashed .285/.414/.478 in 72 games in Triple-A last season. In one trade, the Red Sox replenished what was considered their weakest position player group. Breslow swung big here, and at least so far, seems to have really taken advantage of the Brewers. The Red Sox have spent the offseason circling around a multitude of different infielders that didn’t make much sense for the construction of the big-league club. With Caleb Durbin though, the team gets a controllable young infielder with a high floor. He also fits the timeline of the current youth movement in the organization and should prove to be a building block in the infield. It’s always tough to correctly say that a team has fleeced the Brewers — just look at the Quinn Priester deal from last season — but this feels like an overwhelming win by the Red Sox. Factor in an additional draft pick that essentially replaced the pick they lost by signing Ranger Suarez, and the team has an incredibly bright future ahead of them. Baseball season is here and the Red Sox look like a team that’s ready to compete for the AL East. View the full article

It's the rumor that will not die. At several points over the last two years, Nico Hoerner's name has become a hot one in trade discussions. In particular, since Alex Bregman signed a five-year deal with the team last month, the Cubs have received calls from several teams about Hoerner. Initially, they were more inclined to retain Hoerner and to trade Matt Shaw, who is under long-term team control and would net a similar return despite being a worse player than Hoerner. However, that might no longer be true. Early this winter, the Seattle Mariners pivoted away from previous pursuits of Hoerner and focused on the Cardinals' Brendan Donovan. The Mariners and Cubs did touch base about Hoerner after the Bregman deal, according to a source familiar with the conversation, but never came close to finding a match. The Giants were more persistently interested in Hoerner, and that interest picked up after the Bregman signing, but the Cubs refused to consider a deal in which they didn't receive top Giants infield prospect Josuar Gonzalez, so the talks fizzled. It seemed as though the market for Hoerner (along with that for Shaw) was beginning to disappear. On Monday, the Red Sox became the latest team who had reached out to Chicago about Hoerner to move on to Plan B, trading for the Brewers' Caleb Durbin instead. However, according to two league sources, there remain a couple of potential suitors for Hoerner, and the Cubs haven't shut down those talks. If they get the right offer, they'll trade the impending free agent, despite the fact that he's a fan favorite and a beloved piece of the clubhouse. That might send a shiver down the spine of some fans, but it's important to emphasize the condition in that conditional statement. The team is not desperately looking to offload salary. They're not eager to push Hoerner out of the way to give Shaw the second base job. They'll only trade Hoerner if they get the right offer. So, naturally, we must attempt to answer the question: What's the right offer? According to sources with knowledge of the team's demands in discussions with the three teams named above and two more, there are three key elements Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins view as essential in any deal that sees them part with their two-time Gold Glover. A useful big-league infielder, at an affordable price. This player would effectively replace Shaw as the backup at second, third and (ideally) shortstop, with Shaw taking over as the starting second baseman. In all likelihood, they'd be a fringe regular better suited to backup work, but with multiple years of team control remaining. A top prospect—probably a pitcher. The Cubs' farm system is thin right now, especially when it comes to hurlers. Adding an arm who can have a significant impact on the 2027-31 Cubs remains on the team's wish list as spring training gets underway. This would be one way to acquire that kind of pitcher, and although it would come with significant risk, they understand that they'll eventually have to take that kind of chance, anyway. Pitching help for 2026, in one form or another. If Chicago becomes more optimistic than they are right now about signing Zac Gallen, they might be more open to trading Hoerner for a package that focuses on the first two of the above elements. Spending another $15 million or more for 2026 might have to mean trading some salary, so in that scenario, Hoerner's $12 million could become the budgetary casualty that paves the way for a final pitching boost. Alternatively, though, the team could target an optionable or versatile pitcher on the trade partner's roster and achieve a similar, more direct upgrade to the pitching staff in the deal. That's a rich ransom, for a player who can become a free agent at the end of the 2026 World Series. So far, the Cubs haven't gotten a sufficiently appealing offer that checks each box. Most teams are willing to satisfy items 1 and 3, but reluctant to trade a player with big potential long-term value for one they might lose after one season. At this point, the likelihood of a trade is still low, especially because there are only a few interested teams left in the picture. Nonetheless, a move can't be ruled out. Looking at the roster through a wider lens, it's easy to see how a deal that checks each of those boxes could make sense for the Cubs. They've methodically converted long-term value into short-term value over the last few years, but that subpar farm system is a reminder that their shift into contention mode could leave them lurching back toward rebuilding by the end of the decade. To avoid that, they might need to reverse the flow and move a player under short-term control for someone who can be kept longer and cheaper. With Shaw on hand to replace him, Hoerner is a viable candidate for that treatment. The team needs pitching help for this season. and free-agent prices on the dwindling number of key arms are higher than they'd hoped. They certainly can't afford to get any weaker in right field or at DH, so a trade of Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki is hard to fathom. Hoerner is the guy who can be moved without leaving an unfillable hole, and who could fetch enough to patch the holes that still exist. This would be Hoerner's seventh full season with Chicago. He's been ubiquitous for the post-COVID Cubs, and his blend of contact skills, speed and defensive aptitude have been key parts of the team's identity the last few years. They don't want to trade him. If a team gets desperate enough to check all three of their boxes, though, it could still happen. View the full article

The Boston Red Sox infield depth may have already taken a hit, as it was revealed by Alex Cora during the first media interview of spring training that Romy González injured his shoulder in the final series of the regular season and that the injury has bothered him throughout the offseason, as reported by the Boston Globe's Tim Healey. While unknown at the time, the injury could have played a role in González’s postseason struggles especially against left-handed starters Max Fried and Carlos Rodón after crushing left-handed pitching all season. Currently, there is no concrete knowledge regarding the current state of the injury, but the team and González will know more once he arrives to camp. However, the feeling right now is that he’s behind schedule. Should González miss time in spring training, his playing time will likely go to Nick Sogard, Mikey Romero and new acquisitions Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. González said that his left shoulder originally got better but then he suffered a setback in January when he started hitting. He also received a PCP shot on January 23 and still plans to be ready for Opening Day, though things could change. For the Red Sox, they hope González can avoid missing significant time and will be able to catch up and be ready for the regular season. View the full article

Following the trade that netted them Caleb Durban and three other assets, the Boston Red Sox reportedly are not done, making moves that could impact the opening day roster. Most notably, having dealt away from their big league pitching staff, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is looking to reinforce one area of that pitching staff. Tim Healey of the Boston Globe is reporting that Breslow is "continuing to look" at bullpen additions. He adds that they could still dig into their starting pitcher surplus to fill that need. Bolstering the bullpen has been a secondary goal of the front office all offseason, and they prioritized chasing middle-of-the-order bats and players who could fill the void at third base. Following the acquisition of Caleb Durbin, they can now hone in on improving their group of relievers. Check out Alex Mays' article on how they could accomplish that via a trade. Otherwise, the free agent market is filled with names that have a track record of being solid but may be past those years, such as a David Robertson or Rafael Montero. The most realistic outcome feels like an internal move that sees a starting pitcher transition into a relief role. Whether that would mean an experienced starter like Brayan Bello, or Johan Oviedo, or possibly a high-ceiling prospect like Payton Tolle or Connelly Early remains to be seen. How do you think the Boston Red Sox should improve their bullpen internally, in a trade, or via free agency? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

The Twins are bringing Gio Urshela back where he belongs, as his once-famous walk-up music would suggest. A report from Daniel Álvarez-Montes states he has agreed to a minor-league deal, with an invitation to spring training. Urshela, 34, was a lineup stalwart for the Twins in his lone season with the club in 2022, and now he’ll hope to win a bench job out of spring camp. Many fans will remember him as one of the main pieces in the return package in the trade that sent Josh Donaldson to the New York Yankees. The Twins traded him to the Los Angeles Angels for minor-league pitcher Alejandro Hidalgo the following winter. Since leaving the Twins, Urshela has spent the last three seasons with the Angels, Detroit Tigers, and West Sacramento Athletics. While he was a well-above-average hitter in his lone season with the Twins (.285/.338/.429, 118 wRC+), his bat has dipped significantly since, combining for a .260/.298/.357 (81 wRC+) rate. In particular, Urshela has struggled against high velocity over the last two seasons. He has just a 26% Hard-Hit rate against pitches 95 MPH and above. According to Inside Edge, that’s tied for fourth-lowest in all of baseball in that time frame. Ironically enough, that rate is tied with Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who was also part of the Donaldson trade with the Yankees and recently signed a big-league deal with Boston. Regardless, it doesn’t bode well for the aging Urshela, even if his value always lay mostly in his defense. Entering spring training, the veteran is hoping to prove he can still be a suitable depth piece in the Twins’ corner infield mix. With Royce Lewis penciled in as the full-time third baseman and some combination of Josh Bell, Kody Clemens and Victor Caratini manning first base, it looks to be a pretty tall task for the former fan favorite. He has mostly played third base since leaving Minnesota, and his glovework has suffered as he entered his mid-30s. His defense at the hot corner was worth -3 Outs Above Average in just 56 games last season with the Athletics. It is nice to note, at least, that he's effectively the opposite of Lewis in terms of swing characteristics, so he could have matchup value as a backup thereto, despite being a righty batter like Lewis. Whereas Lewis has a fast, flat, pull-oriented swing, Urshela uses a slow, steep one that can generate lift but also pushes the ball toward the opposite field. Even with Urshela’s uphill battle to claim a roster spot, it doesn’t hurt the Twins to bring in a player on a minor-league deal. If he fails to make the team out of spring training, there would be plenty of opportunities for him to play with Triple-A St. Paul, should he accept the assignment. What do you think about this signing? Are you glad to have Gio Urshela back in the mix with the Twins? Who else would you like to see the club bring in before the start of the 2026 season? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section, and as always, stay sweet. View the full article

Just two days away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Jupiter, the Miami Marlins have signed right-handed pitcher Chris Paddack to a one-year deal worth $4M, with $500k in incentives. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was to report the news and Fish On First was able to confirm it. Paddack, 30, is someone that all Marlins fans are familiar with. He was selected by the team in the eighth round of the 2015 MLB Draft, but was later traded in 2016 to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Fernando Rodney. Paddack is now a seven-year major league veteran, but his best overall season remains his rookie campaign with the Padres in 2019 where he posted a 3.33 ERA, 3.95 FIP, 9.79 K/9 and a 1.98 BB/9 in 140 ⅔ innings pitched. He has never been able to replicate those numbers. In 2022, the Padres traded Paddack to the Minnesota Twins along with Emilio Pagán for Taylor Rogers, Brent Rooker and cash. Injuries continued to limit his production, including the second Tommy John surgery on his professional career. Last season, Paddack threw a career-high 158 innings, posting a 5.35 ERA, 5.01 FIP, 6.38 K/9 and 2.11 BB/9. He was traded to the Detroit Tigers at the deadline along with reliever Randy Dobnak in exchange for catcher Enrique Jimenez. Things didn't go much better with the Tigers, where he posted a 6.32 ERA in 47 innings pitched. Paddack's four-seam fastball is currently his best weapon, with a run value of plus-two in 2025. It averages 93.7 mph and generates a 18.6% whiff rate. His signature changeup was arguably his worst pitch last season (-8 RV), leading to 10 of the 31 home runs that he allowed. On the bright side, Paddack gets plenty of chase (85th percentile) and doesn't walk a lot of guys (89th percentile). His long extension (92nd percentile) helps him overpower hitters even with ordinary velocity. He's also younger than most of the remaining free agent arms who have comparable experience. Look at this signing like a re-do of the 2025 Cal Quantrill acquisition. Even the date and contract size is practically the same in Paddack's case. The expectation is that Paddack will make the Marlins Opening Day rotation as a back-end starter. From there, his performance and the progress of top prospects Robby Snelling and Thomas White will determine how long he holds onto that job. View the full article

While he was with the San Francisco Giants, Kyle Harrison was predominantly a four-seam fastball and "slurve" pitcher, adding the occasional changeup to right-handed hitters. For large parts of his development through the minor leagues, Harrison overpowered hitters with his funky low-slot delivery and the deception of that heater-slurve combo. In the low minors, he missed lots of bats, and he peaked as the No. 18 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline in 2023. Here's the blurb that went with that lofty ranking. Harrison debuted with the Giants in 2024, posting a 4.56 ERA in 124 1/3 innings pitched, and saw his overall swing-and-miss rates drop while he consistently struggled with walks. His three-pitch mix proved less potent against the best hitters in the world, and after spending time on the shuttle for the Giants in 2025 between Triple A and the major leagues, Harrison was part of the return in the Rafael Devers trade with Boston. The Boston Red Sox Do Boston Red Sox Things Boston is known for being an organization heavily focused on secondary pitches, and keen to limit fastball usage. Although the Brewers prefer to lean on the heater, they also like pitch diversification, so it's no shock that the two teams match up well on pitcher evaluations. Milwaukee got Quinn Priester from Boston last April, to patch their desperately injury-diminished starting rotation. Now, they've picked up Harrison, after a similar transformation during a similarly short time with the Sox. Harrison's fastball usage shifted dramatically in his small sample of big-league appearances with the Red Sox, compared to those with the Giants: His velocity dipped—perhaps from the long season, as we can also see his extension shortening after the trade. That's worth keeping an eye on. However, Harrison also made some fascinating deeper adjustments. Transforming from a three-pitch mix and using four-seam fastballs 65% of the time to throwing just 46% four-seam fastballs and incorporating more slurves, cutters and sinkers made a big change to the quality of contact against Harrison. While his whiff rates weren't as strong, he was getting more chases and just a .280 xwOBACON (a statistic measuring the likely damage on contact), which would be an elite mark over a larger sample. The changeup is particularly notable. After joining the Red Sox, Harrison changed his grip from a one-seam orientation into a kick-change, something the Brewers haven't seen much of within their player development system. This version usually creates more depth, but also more inconsistent movement, making it difficult to command at times. When it's right, the kick-change will produce negative induced vertical break numbers (IVB) with ease, and in Triple A, Harrison's approached -10 inches of IVB on occasion, with an overall three inches of extra drop on average. The San Francisco Quandary The Giants have recently had a number of high-profile, talented arms pass through their system with enormous hype, but have trouble translating that onto the big-league mound. Despite an elite defensive catcher in Patrick Bailey and a pitcher's park, it hasn't come together. Perhaps it's time to question their development processes. One additional change Harrison made after going to the Red Sox lay in how he used his slurve. The Giants were adamantly and rigidly calling it to one side of the plate, down and away from lefties and toward the back foot of righties., The Red Sox encouraged him to open up both sides of the plate to complement his enhanced arsenal. The goal here was to elicit more confusion in the hitter's eye as to what pitch was coming his way, and the deception worked. He learned to land the pitch for strikes and backdoor it, as well as being able to bury it near the right-handed batter's box. Harrison located the slurve in the zone more often, got more chase, and still maintained a higher quality of contact against the pitch than he managed with San Francisco in the first half of the year. He's never likely to be a strikeout artist in the majors, but his strong movement, funky delivery, and a wider pitch mix can make him a true all-around pitcher. The majority of Harrison's Triple-A games came for the Red Sox, and they paint a picture of what he might look like at his best: Harrison does have some walk issues. As with Priester, there might be a mechanical tweak in mind to clean up his delivery, but with his ability to garner chase, limit hard contact and miss bats both in and out of the strike zone, there is a lot to like about Kyle Harrison—especially in an organization like the Milwaukee Brewers. View the full article

Some athletes make the impossible look effortless. They compete in a way that leaves fans stunned and opponents defeated, yet they do so with such composure and natural ease that the achievement seems almost casual. In the history of the Toronto Blue Jays, no player embodied that quality more than Devon Whyte. To watch Whyte patrol centre field in the early 1990s was to witness a form of athletic poetry. He was simultaneously silent, fluid and deceptively explosive. He didn’t sprint so much as float. He didn’t react so much as anticipate. Whether he was leading off a World Series lineup or tracking down a ball destined for the gap, Whyte conveyed a rare sense of certainty that if it was hit anywhere near him, the inning probably wasn’t ending in a hit. It was announced this week that Whyte has been inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame along with Stubby Clapp, Kate Psota, Bill Stoneman, Paul Runge and Jim Baba. Whyte remains a central figure in Blue Jays history not simply because he was great, though he unquestionably was, but because he redefined what greatness looked like. In a sport built on statistics and metrics, his impact often transcended numbers. Fans remember the majestic catches, the smooth strides, the baserunning intelligence and the calm presence at the top of one of baseball’s most dangerous lineups. For a generation of Jays baseball fans, Devon Whyte represented a taste of what true excellence on the biggest stage looked like. Before analytics popularized metrics to quantify defensive value, Devon Whyte was making advanced plays appear routine. His defensive ability was so natural, so unforced, that it was easy to miss just how extraordinary it was. Unlike outfielders who rely on dramatic dives or theatrical leaps to capture attention, Whyte played the position with the precision of someone who understood exactly where the ball would be long before it arrived. His routes were scientifically clean long before anyone could assign a value to them. His stride, long and elegant, allowed him to cover gaps and track down balls that should have produced extra bases. Whyte's catch style was also something of a throwback. In an era increasingly dominated by one‑handed grabs and highlight‑seeking acrobatics, Whyte preferred to catch the ball chest‑high, two hands, body composed. It was an old‑school method that communicated confidence rather than flair. That steadiness became his signature. When the ball was hit to centre, fans didn’t hold their breath because they knew it was most likely an out. Yet for all the calm he projected, Whyte was capable of breathtaking moments. And none was more memorable than what happened in the 1992 World Series. Game 3 of the 1992 World Series remains one of the most iconic moments in Blue Jays history, not only because Toronto went on to win the championship, but because it contained a defensive play that still defies belief. In the fourth inning, Atlanta’s David Justice launched a deep drive to centre field. At the time, the SkyDome was known for its deep alleys and intimidating outfield dimensions, particularly in centre. Many balls that looked catchable simply weren’t. As the ball arched toward the wall, Whyte glided back with his usual calm. Then, in one smooth motion, he ascended the fence, extended his glove above the padding and hauled the ball in while momentarily suspended at full extension. What followed was equally remarkable. A lightning‑quick turn and throw back toward the infield. The Braves’ runners, convinced the ball would drop, were already well past their bases. What should have been a historic World Series triple play was instead recorded as a double play due to a blown call. Even so, the moment lives in baseball history, and in the hearts of Blue Jays fans, as a definitive demonstration of Whyte’s unparalleled defensive brilliance (and Kelly Gruber did a pretty good job too). That single play summarized so much of what made Whyte special. His instincts, athleticism, body control, baseball intelligence and the quiet ability to rise above the biggest moments without pomp or self‑promotion. While Whyte's defence often steals the spotlight, his contributions as a leadoff hitter were just as essential to the Blue Jays' rise as a dominant team in the early 1990s. At the top of a lineup loaded with star‑calibre teammates, including Roberto Alomar, Paul Molitor, Jon Olerud, and Joe Carter, Whyte served as the spark, the tone‑setter. When he put the ball in play, he used his speed to turn singles into doubles, and once he was on base, a steal was always a possibility. He was a distraction, the type of runner who could manufacture runs simply by daring the defence to keep up with him. While the power hitters often received the headlines, their opportunities were frequently created by Whyte's ability to advance on the bases with almost effortless speed. The Blue Jays of the early 1990s were not a one‑superstar team. They were an assembled powerhouse with elite talent at nearly every position. Olerud’s batting title, Alomar’s all‑around brilliance, Carter’s power heroics and Molitor’s postseason dominance often garnered attention. Yet Whyte was the quiet constant. He was the player who made the team complete. His defence saved countless runs and settled pitchers who knew anything hit in his vicinity was most likely an out. His baserunning added a dynamic threat that forced opponents to play faster and worry more. His hitting provided stability at the top of the lineup. His professionalism and calm demeanour set the cultural tone for a clubhouse filled with strong personalities. Championship teams rarely rely solely on their biggest names. They rely on their anchors, the players who make the entire structure stronger simply by doing everything well, consistently and without ego. Whyte embodied that role. It is not an exaggeration to say that the Blue Jays do not win back‑to‑back championships without him. Devon Whyte's legacy is not built on home run records or gaudy offensive totals. His greatness emerges most clearly when watching the game through the lens of nuance, finesse and intelligence. For fans who appreciate defence, he remains one of the most graceful outfielders ever to play the game. For those who value baseball as a blend of instinct and athleticism, Whyte represented the pinnacle. His style of play also influenced generations of centre fielders who followed. An emphasis on clean routes, efficient movement and anticipation has become a key component of modern defensive analytics. In many ways, he was ahead of his time. Beyond the numbers, Whyte is a symbol of the era that introduced Canadian fans to the heights of baseball success. He was a central cast member in the production that brought the country its first World Series titles. His calm, confident presence became part of the national baseball identity. Devon Whyte made baseball feel exciting and elegant all at once. He made fans believe that extraordinary things were always possible. He didn’t just make difficult plays look easy. He made baseball look beautiful. *While he went by "Devon White" during his playing career, Baseball Reference notes that Whyte has used the original spelling of his name (with a "y" instead of an "i") since 2003. View the full article

The Milwaukee Brewers made something of a strange trade, sending starting third baseman Caleb Durbin and two utility players to the Boston Red Sox for a package of three players that included versatile infielder David Hamilton. Given that such a trade creates a new void for the Crew at third base — and the fact that Hamilton's more of a reserve type than a starter — the San Diego Padres could be primed to take advantage. Milwaukee no longer has a third baseman. Not only that, they traded a pair of players who could have filled in at the position for a time in Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler. There is no firm conclusion as to what things could now look like at the hot corner, though the possibility exists that they flip shortstop Joey Ortiz back over to third and let newly-acquired prospect Jett Williams handled duties at the six. That's a lot to put on a prospect with no big league experience, however. Enter the Padres. The Friars don't figure to be a team especially lauded for their depth outside of the bullpen. But position players, they have. And with the team desperately in need of some help on the starting pitching front, there's a logical connection to be made between the two organizations. It's not a terribly obvious fit. The Padres have Gavin Sheets, Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts, and Manny Machado set to start across their infield. Sung Mun Song figures to spend time at all four spots, and Miguel Andujar will occasionally fill in at a corner. They also have the likes of Mason McCoy and Will Wagner on the 40-man roster and José Miranda coming to camp on a minor-league deal. It's a lot of bodies, even if it may not be much in the way of certifiable depth. However, such volume does lend itself to the idea of attempting to capitalize on the Brewers' current positional deficiency. Is there a world where the Brewers — who spun Caleb Durbin into a quality defender within a calendar year — would be interested in doing the same with Jake Cronenworth? It might be a tougher sell in a lineup that's already heavy on left-handed hitting, but they're also a team that likes versatility. A transition to third while maintaining the ability to hang at each of the three infield spots could be enticing. His upside at the plate compared to the Padres' other options in this imaginary world also represents the opportunity to get the most effective return. Even McCoy or Wagner could have their purpose in the hypothetical game. You're not going to net one of the top rotation options, but perhaps there's a framework to be generated around one of the more fringe types currently on the Milwaukee staff. The Padres are in a position where another team's fringe is their full-time starter, after all. Given that volume exists on both ends of this these fake trade talks, though, it makes projecting anything remotely finite nearly impossible. We're merely offering a more general scenario. On the Brewers' end of things, they're not necessarily looking to move a starter just as the Padres aren't looking to move a position player. Intriguing names exist, however. Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski are each, of course, not likely to be considered here; Woodruff costs too much for the Padres' books, while Misiorowski was one of the genuine breakouts of 2025. Robert Gasser and Logan Henderson each have upside, but it's also possible that the Brewers are more interested in retaining Brandon Sproat and giving one of the two a change of scenery to accommodate the arm they acquired from the New York Mets. Chad Patrick represents more of a back-end option that could maybe be had to eat some innings. Is Quinn Priester too valuable to do the same, or could the Padres make something work there, too? Despite so much uncertainty in what a framework would look like, it's worth noting that the two organizations also have a transactional history. The two sides came together on the trade that brought Josh Hader to San Diego back in 2022 and, prior to that, San Diego acquired Trent Grisham and Zach Davies from Milwaukee in 2019. A move here may lack the magnitude of either deal (particularly the 2019 agreement), but one can't completely underestimate such a factor in trade matters. The only logical picture to be created here is that there is a broad fit. The Padres need arms, and the Brewers need some help on the positional side. What the intricacies of that all look like is anybody's guess. The thing that is clear, though, is that there is a fit and there is a history. With the team running out of time to build ahead of the upcoming season, perhaps there's something to the abstract that could manifest into something more concrete in the near future. View the full article

At Marlins Media Day, manager Clayton McCullough speaks with Fish On First about overcoming offseason departures to his pitching staff, Liam Hicks' breakout potential and more. View the full article

Tom Pohlad has talked more openly about the Minnesota Twins in recent months than, perhaps, any member of the Pohlad family ever has. The problem is not a lack of transparency. It's that the transparency points in several different directions at once. Taken individually, each quote sounds thoughtful. Put together, they paint a picture of an organization apologizing for the past, promising competitiveness in the future, and asking fans to ignore the present. That's a difficult sell when the current reality is a payroll just north of $100 million; the departure of the team’s top baseball executive; and a fan base that feels more deflated than it did during the very period Pohlad admits was mishandled. Speaking about the decisions made following the 2023 season, Pohlad didn't mince words. “We made what we thought at the time was a responsible financial decision, and we obviously failed to consider the long-term impact of that decision, and the short-term impact of that decision, frankly,” he said. “We sucked the air right out of our fan base, and it did significant damage to our brand and to our family from a confidence standpoint. Plain and simple, we got it wrong.” That is an extraordinary admission for a Twins owner. It also lands awkwardly when paired with the state of the team today. Payroll is lower now than it was then. Confidence is not restored. If anything, the air feels even thinner. Pohlad has repeatedly pointed to 2026 as a pivotal season, framing it as both a goal and a justification for the current approach. “We will be competitive in 2026,” Pohlad replied. “Yes. I expect that. But the sense of urgency is about making sure that we start, right this second, getting after what the long-term plan is for this organization. And I’ve talked a lot recently about finding a way to build a business that can support a level of investment in the team, two or three years from now, that can be playing competitive baseball for a string of seasons in a row. That’s what we’re trying to build. And I think 2026 is critical to that success.” There is logic in building toward sustained competitiveness, rather than chasing short bursts of performance. The issue is that the Twins are asking fans and employees alike to buy into a long-term vision, while simultaneously scaling back in the short term. That tension became impossible to ignore when Derek Falvey stepped away from the organization. Whatever else his departure represented, it signaled that the internal understanding of competitiveness did not match the public one. Pohlad has also tried to shift the conversation away from payroll, urging observers to focus instead on results. “Yes, our payroll is down from last year,” he said. “I think there’s still investments to be made between now and Opening Day. And I’d also say that, at some point, I’d love to get off this ‘payroll’ thing for a second and let’s get halfway through the year, to the end of the year, and let’s judge the success of this year on wins and losses, on whether we’re playing meaningful baseball in September. And if we’re doing that, I think we’re gonna be in position to grow payroll the following year, and the following year. That’s what I hope we can start focusing on.” In theory, judging a season on wins and losses makes perfect sense. In practice, payroll remains the clearest signal of intent in modern baseball. Asking fans to ignore that signal requires trust, and trust is hard to rebuild after publicly acknowledging that it was broken. Now look at the roster construction. Few experienced and healthy free agent relief options remain. Teams rarely make significant trades during spring training, even if it is not impossible. That leaves the Twins (probably) relying on young starting pitchers to transition into bullpen roles, a process that often takes time and rarely goes smoothly. None of this means Tom Pohlad is being dishonest. It means he's speaking from multiple timelines at once. He's apologizing for past restraint while practicing present restraint. He's promising future competitiveness while overseeing the Twins' lowest payroll in over a decade. He is asking for urgency while preaching patience. Fans are not confused because they're ignoring what he is saying. They're confused because they're listening to it all. Pohlad needs to fix that, and changing actions (rather than words) seems the only way to do so. What do you make of Pohlad’s comments? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Spencer and Joseph Zarr discuss the Nashville Sounds season, and their tiers of position players and pitchers, as well as answering a bunch of listener questions, including any overarching questions we did not get to during the preceding episodes. Included amongst the entire Sounds roster players discussed include Logan Henderson, Jeferson Quero, Anthony Seigler, and Craig Yoho. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brewer-fanatic-podcast/id1740648724 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5CY8mWsQayqjDXqw9OT2Td iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-brewer-fanatic-podcast-166534588/ Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/ommzz627 Watch On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brewerfanatic View the full article

The Blue Jays announced two more non-roster invitees to spring training over the weekend: Tanner Andrews and Nate Garkow. Inviting the pair of right-handers brings the team's NRI total up to 31. Andrews, 30, signed a minor league contract with Toronto in November. A 10th-round draft pick in 2018, he has played in the minors for the Marlins, Giants, and Twins. His 2025 season was successful, albeit brief; the righty pitched to a 3.78 ERA and 2.01 FIP in 16.2 innings with Minnesota's Double-A affiliate. From 2023-24, he posted a 6.36 ERA and 5.04 FIP in 109 Triple-A innings in the Giants organization. Garkow, 28, signed with the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent in 2024. The right-hander has thrown a total of 77.2 innings between Single-A Dunedin, High-A Vancouver, and Double-A New Hampshire, putting up a 2.78 ERA and 2.72 FIP. He has struck out 38.1% of the batters he's faced in his two-year professional career. Garkow earned shoutouts as one of Jays Centre's Minor League Relievers of the Month in both July and August last season. View the full article

With their signing of Miguel Andujar to a one-year contract, the San Diego Padres have essentially fortified the position player portion of their 2026 roster. Eight of the starting nine are in place, with Andujar and Sung Mun Song representing at least half the bench contingent. If we assume that Luis Campusano and Bryce Johnson handle the backup catching and outfield duties, respectively, the reserves are almost entirely squared away. From there, it's a matter of whether we'll see Will Wagner or Mason McCoy on the active roster to start the year or if someone like Jose Miranda forces his way into the picture with a strong spring. Beyond that, we're not looking at a lot of wiggle room on the bench. With that in mind, where should A.J. Preller be turning his attention with the little bit of remaining time he has this offseason? We can think of at least three areas. Starting Pitcher This is easily the most obvious positional need, to the point where it may be the most glaring need for any would-be contender throughout the Major League Baseball landscape. The Padres have Nick Pivetta and Michael King as locks atop their rotation. Joe Musgrove is reportedly a full-go as the No. 3 starter, but it remains to be seen how effective he'll be out of the gate in his return from Tommy John surgery. Beyond that trio, though, things remain incredibly murky. Randy Vásquez could be primed to get work as a fourth or fifth starter given how he ended last year. After Vásquez, the list reads Matt Waldron, Sean Boyle, Triston McKenzie, Kyle Hart, JP Sears, Marco Gonzales, and Miguel Mendez, in some order. There's some bounce-back potential and some upside elsewhere among the mix of 40-man and non-roster guys. But a team that is as steady as the Padres in other areas of their roster could use some actual stability to fill out the middle of their rotation. Old friend Nick Martinez remains an option on the free-agent market. As do names like Lucas Giolito and Zac Gallen, in addition to a host of past-their-prime arms that could eat at least a few innings but with little guarantee of being able to do so. The options at this point are thin, but there's a strong argument for Preller to add at least one more surefire starter to the group before pitchers and catchers report next week. Backup Catcher Despite the fact that the position group appears settled, the chance remains that Preller could seek to find an alternative to Campusano to supplement Freddy Fermin behind the dish. Campusano's defensive work was an abomination the last time we saw him at the major-league level, and it may behoove the Padres to seek out someone that offers a bit more stability behind the plate. We won't see Ethan Salas break camp with the team as a backup, but the Padres also have Rodolfo Durán, Blake Hunt, and Anthony Vilar in camp as non-roster invitees. Names like Jonah Heim, Christian Vázquez, and Matt Thaiss are still available via free agency, and none would be cost-prohibitive. Not that they're particularly inspiring in their glove work, but there's at least the factor of providing defense above what Campusano offers. Perhaps there's an earnestness present in giving Campusano the first legitimate shot before the non-roster guys get an opportunity. Or maybe Preller just hasn't been able to agree to terms with one of the free agents. Either way, a surefire contingency behind the plate in the event of a Fermin injury seems like a necessity. It would allow Campusano to get some work as part of a short-side platoon at first base or designated hitter and Stammen to get his bat into the lineup rather than having to worry about his defense. Bullpen Depth This is an area where the Padres are above many of their peers across the big-league landscape; a back end of Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, and David Morgan is the envy of most teams. San Diego also has a number of bridge options to get it into the later innings, including Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta, and Ty Adcock, among others. That doesn't mean Preller shouldn't look to further the depth, however. Such a need is borne out of the lack of certainty in the rotation. In 2025, the Padres ranked ninth in innings thrown by relief pitchers, and that was with Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish in the mix at various times. With even less stability from their starting group, those bridge guys, in particular, become absolutely essential if the team is hoping to preserve its bullpen dominance again in 2026. Considering how many notable names are still permeating throughout the free-agent waters, it'd hardly be a surprise to see additions carry on into the spring exhibition slate. The Padres have built up a certain degree of volume, but it also lacks certainty. Maybe Preller takes a bit more of a wait-and-see approach at the outset of camp before pursuing from those that remain. Either way, it's difficult to imagine such an active executive doesn't have at least one more move of note before 2026 officially gets underway. Smart money says that, if one happens, it comes from one of these three groups. View the full article

Well, that Rafael Devers trade tree continues to expand. At long last, the Boston Red Sox have addressed their glaring need in the infield, adding Caleb Durbin in an out-of-nowhere trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. The full return — Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan — continues to deplete the Red Sox's pitching depth, which has been a key part of their offseason strategy. Expect Payton Tolle and Connelly Early to serve as the next-men-up in case of an injury to the major-league rotation. As for Durbin, the 25-year-old infielder primarily played third base for the Brewers in his rookie campaign, but he's a capable middle infielder and will almost certainly slide over to second upon arriving in Boston. He hit .256/.334/.387 (105 wRC+) with 11 home runs and 18 steals last season. More to come... View the full article

Well, that Rafael Devers trade tree continues to expand. At long last, the Boston Red Sox have addressed their glaring need in the infield, adding Caleb Durbin in an out-of-nowhere trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. The full return — Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan — continues to deplete the Red Sox's pitching depth, which has been a key part of their offseason strategy. Expect Payton Tolle and Connelly Early to serve as the next-men-up in case of an injury to the major-league rotation. As for Durbin, the 25-year-old infielder primarily played third base for the Brewers in his rookie campaign, but he's a capable middle infielder and will almost certainly slide over to second upon arriving in Boston. He hit .256/.334/.387 (105 wRC+) with 11 home runs and 18 steals last season. More to come... View the full article

Caleb Durbin had a tremendous rookie season with the Brewers, but it will be his only one. Milwaukee dealt the diminutive infielder to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for three players, a source confirmed to Brewer Fanatic on Monday. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the news. In fact, the deal is big and involves multiple players on both sides. Milwaukee will also send the Red Sox infielders Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler, plus their competitive balance Round B pick in this summer's draft, while getting back left-handed pitcher Kyle Harrison, infielder David Hamilton, and left-handed pitching prospect Shane Drohan. The immediate question, here, is what the move means for the Milwaukee infield. Durbin, who will soon turn 26, became the team's everyday third baseman early in 2025 and held the job through the NLCS. He batted .256/.334/.387, with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases, and went from unplayable at third base in spring training to a plus defender there by season's end. His departure leaves a gap at the hot corner for Milwaukee. Harrison is the biggest name of the three players Milwaukee will acquire. He made multiple appearances on global top-100 lists and was the Giants' best pitching prospect for a couple of seasons, but he has yet to get over the hump and find consistent success in the majors. He was part of the Rafael Devers trade last June. More to come. View the full article

Will Payton Tolle crack the rotation, be a bullpen arm, or spend more time sharpening his skillset in Triple-A? In this video, we dive into Tolle's background, his electric fastball, and most importantly, what he needs to sure up if he wants to make it into a rotation that is littered with competition. At the end, we give a full projection of Tolle's 2026 season. Enjoy! View the full article

It's easy to imagine the Louis Varland trade as one of those moves that will linger in the background for a while. Varland and Ty France landed with a Blue Jays team that went on to win the American League pennant, and any contribution on a stage that big tends to tilt public opinion quickly. From the Twins’ perspective, the return has mostly been discussed through the lens of Kendry Rojas, a left-handed starter the organization remains high on despite a rocky performance in Triple-A after the deal. He's the player whose upside so tantalized Derek Falvey and the front office that they were willing to deal away a local kid with several years of team control remaining. That's not quite fair to Alan Roden, the quieter piece of the trade and arguably the one who could make the whole transaction feel a lot different by the end of the 2026 campaign. When the Twins and Blue Jays lined up on the deal, Varland was still viewed by many as a controllable arm with upside, and France provided immediate major league depth. Rojas fits Minnesota’s long-term pitching mold as a young lefty with traits the organization believes it can develop. Roden, though already having played in the majors and being a more instantly recognizable name than Rojas, was viewed as a low-ceiling inclusion—a perception that has stuck. Though immediately brought to the big-league team, Roden wasn't able to demonstrate his value down the stretch. His year ended on the 60-day injured list, after he sprained a ligament in his left thumb on a headfirst slide. Surgery followed, and the timing could not have been worse for someone trying to establish momentum in a new organization. The good news is that the 25-year-old is healthy now and had a normal offseason, which matters a lot for a player whose game is built on rhythm and consistency. The roster math in Minnesota does him no favors. The Twins already have a logjam of left-handed-hitting corner outfielders, in Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, and fellow traded deadline addition James Outman. Roden adds another lefty bat to the mix, but his profile is different enough to matter. He is more athletic than Larnach or Wallner, can handle all three outfield spots, and does not bring the same swing-and-miss concerns as each of the other three do. In the minors, he showed an ability to hit for average, draw walks, and sprinkle in occasional power, rather than sell out for it. Before the trade, Roden was one of the most productive hitters at Triple-A Buffalo, in the Blue Jays system. In 32 games, he slashed .331/.423/.496, with nine doubles, 3 home runs, and more walks (16) than strikeouts (13). That wasn't just a hot month, either. Across four minor-league seasons, Roden has posted a .302/.409/.457 line, walking and striking out exactly 165 times each over 1,319 plate appearances. He also graded out as a plus defender, something that can give him a leg up on the other lefty corner options. There are still obstacles to clear and questions to answer. Roden has two minor-league options remaining, while Outman is out of options entirely. That reality likely sends Roden to St. Paul, unless injuries open a door. At the same time, he is entering his age-26 season, and there isn't much left for him to prove against minor-league pitching. Players with his track record tend to force the issue eventually, especially when their skill set fits multiple roster needs. He also needs to prove adaptable and smart in making changes to his swing and/or approach. Although the sample is small, his big-league time showed below-average bat speed, a flat swing plane and some issues with timing he'll need to iron out. If he makes progress on those points this spring, though, he'll rise especially quickly in the organization's esteem. There's an important precedent to consider. Roden was the star of Blue Jays spring training last year and played his way onto the Opening Day roster by hitting .423 with a 1.287 OPS. He did exactly what organizations say they want from their prospects: He made it impossible to keep him off the roster. If he repeats anything close to that in Twins camp, the calculus changes quickly. The Varland trade may not be judged fairly for another year or two, but it's worth paying attention to the quieter parts now. Rojas still has a chance to develop into a meaningful arm. Roden might be closer to helping than most people think. If he turns his on-base skills, athletic defense, and low-maintenance approach into real production at the major-league level, the narrative around that deal could flip faster than expected. Can Roden make the Twins’ Opening Day roster? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

There are multiple reasons the Milwaukee Brewers felt comfortable trading away ace righthander Freddy Peralta this offseason. One of the big reasons was the presence of controllable righty starter Logan Henderson. The soon-to-be 24-year-old has scaled the ranks of Crew prospects, currently ranked No. 7 by MLB Pipeline, and made his big-league debut early in 2025. Overall, he had three call-ups: a one-start sneak peek in April, three turns as an injury fill-in in May, and one more in August before a right flexor strain ended his season. This article is the second in a series of breakdowns of the Brewers pitchers in ambiguous positions at the outset of spring training. To see the first entry, on left-handed starter candidate Robert Gasser, click here. A fourth-round draft choice in 2021 out of a Texas junior college, Henderson has now been a hot prospect name for long enough that his pedigree feels better than that. He was really good in those five starts in the majors, too. In 25⅓ innings, allowed just five runs, with eight walks and 33 strikeouts. As a bonus, the Brewers won all five starts. At Triple-A Nashville, Henderson had 16 outings with a 3.71 ERA, notching 24 walks and 87 strikeouts over 77⅔ innings. Alas, his season was derailed by the flexor strain in early August. He rehabbed and worked his way back to be in consideration for the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He didn't make the roster for that series, but the good news was that he was ready then, so he should be fine entering spring training. With two spots to be claimed in the rotation behind fellow righties Brandon Woodruff, Quinn Priester and Jacob Misiorowski, Henderson is in prime position to make his first Opening Day roster. Logan Henderson's Stuff Due to the injury, we have a small sample of big-league data with which to work. However, Henderson worked relatively deep into each of his appearances, so there is a solid sense of what he does to be successful. He relies on a four-seam fastball and a changeup to get most of his work done. Henderson's four-seamer is effective due to having 3.4 inches more arm-side run than that of an average right-handed pitcher, while his changeup has 4.4 more inches of horizontal movement. After accounting for his low-three-quarters arm slot, the horizontal movement is a bit less deceptive than the raw numbers suggest, but the rising action on his four-seamer is more so. Using his unique combination of arm slot and movement, he limited right-handed batters to a .216 average and .473 OPS, while left-handed hitters had a .167 average and .602 OPS. All three homers he allowed were to left-handed batters on four-seamers. The movement and deception are vital, because Henderson's velocity is below average on each of his pitches, with his four-seamer coming in 2.1 mph below the typical big-league righty's. Logan Henderson's Pitch Arsenal As mentioned above, Henderson uses two of his four pitches a bulk of the time. In fact, eight of every nine pitches he threw in the majors were either four-seamers or changeups. In the minors, he was a bit less extreme, throwing his cutter and curveball about 10% of the time each. Henderson used those last two pitches depending on the type of batter he was facing. He used his cutter only against left-handed batters in the big leagues, while he went to the curveball (or slider, as Statcast tags it) almost exclusively against right-handed hitters. Regardless of batter handedness, he throws the fastball around half the time, and the changeup plays against lefties and righties, alike. No batters got a hit off his cutter (0-for-5, 32 pitches), but his breaking ball was tagged a bit (2-for-4, 14 pitches). To be successful at the highest level, Henderson will need those two pitches to achieve greater utility, especially as he works his way through the order again and faces teams multiple times. What Should Logan Henderson's Role Be In 2026? Henderson has made 65 appearances as a professional, and the only non-start was a four-inning piggyback appearance last year in Triple A. The Brewers have a defined role for him: rotation or bust. He, Robert Gasser, Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat will be the top contenders for the final two starting spots this spring. Patrick showed his versatility in the postseason by being a quality reliever, so he has that experience and could easily slide into the bullpen and be ready to jump into the rotation as needed. Sproat is like Henderson, in that he's been a starter throughout his pro career. Gasser would be the only lefty in the team's rotation, which might give him an edge on the other three. If you were to pencil in a rotation entering spring training, Henderson would have one of those final two spots. Had it not been for his right flexor strain, Henderson would have been a solution for the Crew's lack of starters in the postseason. He does have two minor-league options remaining, though, should others surpass him this spring. Eventually, if enough other hurlers stay healthy and he struggles enough to refine the cutter and the breaking pitch, he might make more sense in the bullpen, where he could find an extra tick of velocity and be played as a reverse-split matchup guy with the great changeup. For 2026, though, he enters camp as a starter who will get a chance to fill that role with the parent club. The fallback plan is still to start, but in Nashville. View the full article

As one of the oldest franchises in Major League Baseball, the Boston Red Sox are deeply embedded in the sport’s history. The organization has stepped into the limelight at various points over the past 125 years, more often than not for trading the face of their franchise. Each seismic move significantly impacted the Red Sox, creating a ripple effect. If you believe in alternate timelines, imagine if: Babe Ruth wasn’t sent to the New York Yankees to help finance former owner Harry Frazee’s Broadway musical Billy Beane accepted the Red Sox's 5-year, $12.5 million general manager contract offer The team kept Anthony Rizzo Mookie Betts wasn’t traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a salary dump Signing Rafael Devers to a 10-year, $313.5 million contract, the largest in franchise history, supposedly washed away the remorse of trading Mookie Betts. Devers was a homegrown player. A World Series Champion. The last man standing from the 2018 core. Nonetheless, history repeated itself. Following an exhilarating home sweep of the Yankees in mid-June of 2025, the Red Sox parted ways with Devers, sending him across the country to the San Francisco Giants. The move’s fallout has curdled faster than milk. The Red Sox received four players from the Giants: reliever Jordan Hicks, bulk reliever Kyle Harrison, outfield prospect James Tibbs, and pitching prospect Jose Bello. Come February 2026, Harrison and Bello are the only remaining pieces from the trade. The team quickly parted with Tibbs at the trade deadline, sending him to the Dodgers for Dustin May. Hicks is now the Chicago White Sox's problem. Trading the face of your franchise to appease Alex Bregman — who ended up being a one-year rental on a pillow contract — is a tough pill to swallow. Quantifying the move’s damage is even more brutal. Between Hicks, Harrison, and May, the Red Sox acquired a total of 5.9 fWAR. Sending Devers to San Francisco gave up 27.8 fWAR. The net loss sits at -21.9 fWAR. These totals reflect what players produced with their former teams. Their actual contributions with the Red Sox were much worse. When trading an established contributor, you should expect a decent return, not a bag of peanuts. Hicks’ 18.2 innings for the Red Sox featured -0.4 fWAR, 8.20 ERA, 6.19 FIP, and a ghastly 3.1% K-BB%. He continually forgot the strike zone existed and blew leads. Harrison, the more immediate bright spot from the trade, is under control through the 2030 season. Baseball America ranked him as the Giants’ #1 prospect in 2024. He tinkered with his pitch mix in Triple-A Worcester by adding a cutter and altering his changeup grip. The results point in a positive direction: 3.00 ERA, 2.47 FIP, 14.3% K-BB%, and 0.4 fWAR. With two remaining MiLB options, Harrison will likely start the 2026 season in Worcester. In the aftermath of the Joe Ryan debacle at the 2025 trade deadline, Red Sox fans were left with Dustin May as a consolation prize. Oh well, oh well. The Mayday Parade limped to a dismal 5.40 ERA, 5.39 FIP, 9.8% K-BB%, and -0.1 fWAR. Bello only tossed 23.1 innings at Single-A Salem last year. Entering his age-21 season, he could develop into a solid arm, but it’s too soon to tell. @Nick John broke down newcomer Gage Ziehl. Like Bello, he is a low-level prospect. Some of the organization’s pitching prospects have sped through the minors, so that we might see Bello and/or Ziehl in Triple-A Worcester by the end of the season. Other blockbuster trades in recent memory just haven’t aged this poorly so quickly. Hicks, Harrison, and May have combined for -0.1 WAR with the Red Sox. Meanwhile, Devers accumulated 1.3 fWAR on the West Coast (3.3 total). I’ll acknowledge that Devers’ contract won’t hold up over time. The extension was an orchestrated PR move to restore the team’s reputation and appease the fanbase after the departures of Betts and Xander Bogaerts. It occurred less than a month after Bogaerts was lured to the Padres on an 11-year, $280 million contract. Devers was never going to contend for a Gold Glove at third. His value came from his bat, tearing the seams off the ball from the two-hole. The Red Sox knew this. The trade wasn’t inevitable. It was the product of poor roster management, short-term thinking, and egos run unchecked. Comparison Trade Tree On the surface, Juan Soto and Rafael Devers share similar profiles. Both are bat-first players with questionable defense. The circumstances of their trades were vastly different. Soto was 23 years old when the Nationals traded him, earning $17.1 million under arbitration for the 2022 season. He had two years of team control before he hit free agency. Devers was 28, earning $29.66 million in AAV with about 8.5 years left on his 11-year, $331 million extension. The Nationals sold high on a young player they couldn’t retain instead of letting him walk for nothing. The Red Sox traded a franchise cornerstone owed $250+ million on a long-term deal because egos in the clubhouse and front office couldn’t be managed properly. After Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million extension offer, the Nationals decided to cash out, shipping him to the Padres for a king’s ransom. Less than two years later, the Padres flipped Soto to the Yankees in his final year of arbitration. The move that emptied their farm system ended up replenishing it. Upon an initial review of the Soto trade tree, it looks like the Nationals were fleeced. But, the fWAR displayed reflects each player's value with their original team before being traded. It doesn’t account for any post-trade production, as prospects without any major league playing time do not initially register any value. From the draft until the majors, baseball prospects take time to develop. Most don’t pan out. However, the Nationals struck gold on their return of starter Mackenzie Gore, outfielder James Wood, shortstop CJ Abrams, and outfielder Robert Hassell III. Pitching for a team that’s finished at (or near) the bottom of the National League East over the past three seasons, Gore tossed 462.1 innings for a 4.15 ERA, 4.01 FIP, 16.6% K-BB%, and 7.3 fWAR. Wood, as a 22-year-old rookie, has amassed 4.6 fWAR and a 125 wRC+. His peripherals are outstanding, and he’s an exciting player to watch. Coming off a career-high season of 3.1 WAR (7.0 total), Abrams is more of a bat-first shortstop. He’s marked -18 OAA since 2023, the worst among qualified shortstops, and a .250/.307/.417 slash line and 99 wRC+ with the Nats. Hassell III (-0.5 fWAR) has struggled at the plate (.572 OPS). On the field, his defense passes the eye test. These players have generated a combined 18.4 fWAR. The Nationals have already broken even with at least two more seasons of Wood and Abrams. Soto posted 18.1 fWAR from 2022-24, before hitting free agency. The Soto trade tree continues to bear fruit. This offseason, the Nationals swapped Gore to the Rangers for another group of prospects. While these players aren’t knocking on the door yet, Paul Toboni, the Nationals’ newly minted President of Baseball Operations, has shown a knack for acquiring and developing young talent. Soto’s stint with the Padres was short. He slashed .265/.405/.488 across 936 PA in 214 games for a 148 wRC+ and 7.3 WAR. Realizing that they couldn’t retain Soto amid a bloated payroll, the Padres shipped him back to the East Coast, this time to the Yankees. In exchange, they received starters Michael King, Drew Thrope, and Randy Vásquez, reliever Jhony Brito, and catcher Kyle Higashioka. King’s career splits with the Yankees and Padres are nearly identical. When healthy, he’s a dominant pitcher. He put up 3.9 WAR in 2024 and 0.8 WAR across 15 games in 2025. This offseason, he signed a three-year, $75 million extension with the Padres. Brito posted 0.3 fWAR in 2024. He underwent an internal UCL brace surgery and missed the 2025 season. Heading into the 2026 season, his role is uncertain. Vásquez stepped up when injuries plagued the Padres rotation. Though his performance was a mixed bag in 2025, netting 0.8 fWAR. Higashioka (1.6 fWAR) was a serviceable catcher during his single season with the Padres. As a Red Sox fan, there’s schadenfreude in watching the Yankees trade a boatload of talent for a one-year Juan Soto rental. All told, the Padres’ return of 7.4 WAR falls just short of Soto’s 8.3 fWAR with the Yankees in 2025. If King stays healthy and Vásquez and Brito don’t regress, that gap could break even as soon as this season. The Other Awful Red Sox Trade Chaim Bloom’s tenure with the Red Sox was marred by the Mookie Betts trade. Six years later, rehashing this move is beating a dead horse, so I’m not going into too much detail here. The Dodgers’ return and its resulting moves have accumulated 7.9 fWAR for the Red Sox: OF Alex Verdugo: 6.0 fWAR INF Jeter Downs: - 0.4 fWAR RP Greg Weissert: 1.2 fWAR C Connor Wong: 0.9 fWAR SP Richard Fitts: 0.2 fWAR This total is fluid, as Sonny Gray hasn’t stepped on the mound in a Red Sox uniform yet. Barring him turning into a pumpkin, the number should climb, though it still won’t come anywhere close to Betts’ performance (28.0 WAR) with the Dodgers. You can chalk up one bad return to bad luck. Prospects are volatile. But two franchise players, traded under different GMs, both yielding dismal returns, point to a deeper issue. If you’re trading a generational talent, you should at least receive proven talent in return. Reclamation projects are a huge gamble. Craig Breslow flew too close to the sun and thought he could fix Jordan Hicks and Dustin May. He did not. After the Betts trade, the Red Sox found themselves in limbo, stuck between fully committing to a rebuild and attempting to compete. With the Devers trade behind them, the team is in a different place with a young, controllable core. Reinvesting the $250 million owed to Devers into Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony, and Ranger Suárez signals they want to turn a new leaf. Whether the Red Sox have learned from their past mistakes remains to be seen. Mookie Betts was strike one. Rafael Devers was strike two. One more swing-and-miss and they’re out. View the full article

At Marlins Media Day, veteran reliever Pete Fairbanks speaks with Fish On First about getting acclimated to a new team, new MLB rules and more. View the full article