DiamondCentric

Ernie Clement is no stranger to the big stage. Blue Jays fans have known how talented Clement is for a while, but the rest of baseball took notice this postseason. With an MLB record 30 hits, hitting over .400, he was firmly in the World Series MVP conversation for much of the series. By the end of the regular season, he had accumulated 3.2 fWAR, which ranked him as one of the top 30 position players in the American League last season. Pair that with a 10.4% strikeout rate and an elite ability to square up the baseball (both in the 97th percentile), and it's clear he’s developed into a complete baseball player. Mark DeRosa and Team USA took notice, too. Blue Jays Confirmed for the WBC 1B - Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Dominican Republic C - Alejandro Kirk, Mexico LHP - Adam Macko, Canada INF - Ernie Clement, USA Guerrero was born in Montreal but committed early on to play for the Dominican Republic in the tournament. It will be his first appearance after backing out of the 2023 WBC due to right knee discomfort. Kirk will also be making his debut in the tournament. He missed the 2023 competition due to the birth of his child, and he’ll be the number one catcher for the team. Macko, a left-handed pitcher in the Blue Jays organization, was born in Slovakia but grew up in Canada, and Shi Davidi reported that he will pitch for Team Canada. Still Unsure, but Likely To Play SS - Andrés Giménez, Venezuela OF - Anthony Santander, Venezuela 3B - Kazuma Okamoto, Japan SP - José Berríos, Puerto Rico RHP - Yariel Rodríguez - Cuba SS - Leo Jiménez - Panama Team Venezuela has been delayed in naming their roster, but some names have started being announced. Both Giménez and Santander played on the 2023 team, with Santander hitting two home runs and posting a 1.332 OPS in the tournament. There is a chance Santander chooses to remain in Blue Jays camp, but if he’s fully healthy (which John Schneider says he is), then he’s a name to keep an eye on. Okamoto stated in his introductory press conference that he wants to play for Japan, and after his heroics in the last tournament, it seems likely he’ll be back. It's a similar case for Berríos, who pitched in 2023 and wants to return, and Yariel Rodriguez, who pitched for Team Cuba in the past and, after being outrighted off the 40-man roster, may use the WBC as another stage to showcase his skills. Jiménez has major league experience and has been approached by the Panamanian Baseball Federation to play; he’s just awaiting Blue Jays approval, which he’ll likely get. Up in the Air RHP - Yimi García, Dominican Republic RHP - Dylan Cease, USA RHP - Kevin Gausman, USA RHP Cody Ponce, Mexico C - Brandon Valenzuela, Mexico RHP - Lazaro Estrada, Cuba García played on the 2023 team, but after coming off elbow surgery, he may not want to pitch in the tournament. Cease and Gausman are certainly good enough to pitch for Team USA, but their starting rotation already seems set. Ponce stated on the Foul Territory podcast in December that he wants to play in the tournament, but he “will have to talk to the Jays and see what they want him to do.” Valenzuela is eligible for Mexico, with Kirk being the team's number one option behind the dish. Valenzuela could be under consideration. Cuba passed on Estrada in the 2023 tournament, but he does have MLB experience and could be an option. Will Not Play George Springer - Puerto Rico Springer had originally committed to playing but has since dropped out to recover from injury, as he was dealing with several ailments towards the end of the 2025 season. Fans will not only get to watch current Blue Jays players compete in the tournament, but many of the teams will also feature prominent Blue Jays players of the past. Here are some other notable names who are likely to represent their country in the tournament: RHP - Aaron Sanchez, Mexico INF - Bo Bichette, Brazil SS - Otto Lopez, Canada RHP - Paolo Espino, Panama LHP - Matthew Boyd, USA RHP - Taijuan Walker, Mexico RHP - Liam Hendriks, Australia Some more names – Yusei Kikuchi for Japan, Hyun Jin Ryu and Mitch White for Korea, and Rowdy Tellez and Anthony Banda for Team Mexico – are all eligible and may be on their respective countries' teams, but none of those names are confirmed yet. Pitchers and catchers are set to report to camp on February 11, and the World Baseball Classic will get underway on March 5. With talent, star power, and some of the best players from countries all around the world, the tournament is set up to be one of the best ones yet. For Ernie Clement, it will be a chance to build on his breakout season and showcase his versatility alongside some of baseball's brightest stars, and he, like the rest of his teammates, will prove he belongs on the game's greatest stage. View the full article

On Thursday, January 15th, the MLB International Signing period opened, and the Royals announced 19 signings for their 2026 class on social media. All of the Royals' signings this year came from Latin America, with the country breakdown as follows: Nine from the Dominican Republic Seven from Venezuela One from Colombia One from Panama One from Cuba The Royals have always had a strong ability to find talent from Venezuela, thanks to their ties with Salvador Perez, a legend in that country. However, it seems like the Royals have made strong inroads in the Dominican Republic since Daniel Guerrero took over as Director of International Scouting in 2023. In addition to nine signings hailing from the Dominican Republic, the top recently signed shortstop prospects, Yandel Ricardo, Warren Calcano, and Ramcell Medina, are all Dominican as well. The Royals Player Development account (Raising Royals) also covered the Royals' International Signing Day class, highlighting the celebration at the Royals' academy in the Dominican Republic (where the two Dominican Summer League teams play and train). Raising Royals also provided a short video introduction to all 19 players on social media, with scouting videos of those players coming in the coming days. Three prospects particularly stand out from the Royals' 2026 International class: Venezuelan outfielder Angeibel Gomez, Cuban infielder Jaider Suarez, and Venezuelan catcher Adrian Lunar. Gomez, Suarez, and Lunar were ranked 4th, 22nd, and 43rd in this year's international class, according to MLB Pipeline. Let's take a look at those three prospects and their scouting reports from MLB Pipeline. Angeibel Gomez, OF, VEN From MLB Pipeline: Jaider Suarez, IF, CUB From MLB Pipeline: Adrian Lunar, C, VEN From MLB Pipeline: RH7Prospects/prospectos (@rh7__prospectos) • Instagram reel WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 10 likes, 0 comments - rh7__prospectos on December 18, 2025: "Adrian Lunar catcher 2026 KC Royals #elite #mlb #milb". What to Take Away from the Class? First off, International Signing Day can be an overhyped event. The players who sign are extremely young and have a long road of development ahead of them, and the odds are often stacked against them. For every Perez, Maikel Garcia, or Yordano Ventura success story, there's an Erick Pena, Wilmin Candelario, or Yefri Del Rosario example who fails to live up to the hype. It is interesting to see the Royals focus more on "quality" signings rather than "quantity", which was the strategy under former GM Dayton Moore. For context, in 2022, the Royals signed 28 international players. However, none of them reached the $1 million signing bonus threshold. Conversely, Gomez signed for $2.9 million, Suarez signed for $1.7 million, and Lunar signed for $1 million. Hence, while the number of signings is lower than in years past, it appears the Royals are willing to shell out more for the top available international talent on the market, something they weren't always prone to do (especially before Guerrero came over). Even though expectations are high for the three, as well as the 16 other Royals signings to a lesser degree, it will be a long time before any of these players are ready for the MLB level. So Royals fans should keep their expectations tempered with this group. It likely won't be until 2027 or 2028 that we hear their names again or see them playing in affiliated ball (even the high-profile ones). Still, it's exciting to see the new talent coming into the Royals organization, who will play and develop over the next year or two at the Royals facility in the Dominican Republic, especially in the Dominican Summer League (the Royals have two teams that compete in the league). View the full article

The Boston Red Sox have signed veteran left-handed pitcher Ranger Suarez to a 5-year, $130 million deal. What does Suarez bring to the table? His skillset is rather unique, actually. We dive into the southpaw's six-pitch mix, astronomical advanced metrics, and ability to teach up-and-comers like Payton Tolle a few tricks of the trade. View the full article

Earlier this winter, it felt inevitable that the Minnesota Twins would be at the center of the offseason rumor mill. Rival fanbases could practically see the headlines forming, imagining Joe Ryan or Pablo López anchoring a playoff rotation elsewhere, or Byron Buxton providing a high-upside spark to a contender. It was the kind of speculation that follows a franchise balancing the aspiration to contend with real (if self-inflicted) financial constraints. Then came the pushback. Derek Falvey and the Twins front office made it clear that the core was staying put. Ryan, López, Buxton, and the rest were not available. Minnesota was not tearing it down, and Falvey had the green light to add around them. On the surface, it was a declaration of intent—a statement that the Twins planned to compete in 2026. Nearly a month later, the gap between words and actions has become hard to ignore. The Twins have been dormant this offseason. Their most notable addition is first baseman Josh Bell, on a one-year deal. Bell has bounced from team to team in recent seasons, and over the last two years, he has combined for exactly 0.0 fWAR. That's not a condemnation of Bell as a player, but it is difficult to frame the move as meaningful roster-building. This looks less like an offseason retool and more like a holding pattern. The fact that the Twins have said they will not trade their stars doesn't mean those players are truly off the table. If anything, Minnesota is operating like a franchise keeping its options open. Offseasons are for selling optimism and season tickets. Trade deadlines are for hard truths. The Twins can present themselves as contenders now, see how the first half unfolds, be sellers again, and regroup next winter if they choose. That flexibility feels intentional. The context matters. At last season’s deadline, financial pressure drove Minnesota to sell, although that wasn’t the only reason. Relievers Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland were moved with multiple years of team control. Carlos Correa and his contract were sent back to Houston, with the Twins footing some of the bill. Those were not baseball-only decisions, and while the Pohlad family’s sale of minority stakes may have brought in cash, it did not magically erase the underlying constraints. It's particularly galling to see Minnesota refuse to improve, because the AL Central remains wide-open. Cleveland remains the division’s standard, with back-to-back division titles and a payroll lower than the Twins. Detroit is pushing forward with a strong young core. Kansas City is openly trying to contend during the Bobby Witt Jr. Era. Even the White Sox found a way to make noise, by landing Munetaka Murakami. Standing pat carries real risk, in a division where incremental gains can swing the race. If the Twins stumble early, the math becomes simple. Another sell-off would not signal failure, so much as pragmatism. Ryan would be the crown jewel. With two years of team control remaining, his value would be immense, especially in a market that has already rewarded teams dealing lesser arms like Shane Baz and Mike Burrows thanks to their control. The price would be enormous, and that alone may keep Ryan in Minnesota (for now). López, however, presents a different equation. He's owed $43.5 million over the next two seasons, a significant commitment for a team watching every dollar. That makes him the more attainable arm for an acquiring club and potentially the more logical trade chip for the Twins. It also means the return for him would be less robust than what the team could get for Ryan. Then there's Buxton—always the wild card, especially with his full no-trade clause. A contending team could talk itself into the upside of an elite center fielder, even with the injury risk baked in. With $45 million owed to Buxton across the next three years, he represents both hope and hazard, depending on your perspective. None of this guarantees that the Twins will sell. But it does suggest that their public insistence on holding the core together may be doing more work than the actual roster moves. Minnesota has protested too much, and history tells us that franchises in this position often pivot quickly once July arrives. If the Twins do make an about-face at the 2026 trade deadline, it shouldn't come as a shock. It will simply confirm what this quiet offseason has been hinting at all along. Are the Twins setting up to sell at the 2026 trade deadline? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

But for a devastating shoulder injury, Jeferson Quero would already have made his major-league debut. He would even be a natural fit as the Brewers' backup catcher for 2026, and perhaps he'd have done enough that the team would have more seriously considered trading William Contreras this winter. Instead, Quero missed virtually all of 2024, and he had less than a full campaign in 2025, too. He's still the only non-Contreras catcher on the 40-man roster, and none of those beyond the 40-man are serious candidates to play in the big leagues in more than an emergency role. Naturally, then, the assumption has been that Quero will start 2026 as the complement to Contreras behind the plate, as the Crew gradually eases their top catching prospect into the big leagues. Maybe that assumption needs to be more closely interrogated, though. Quero had a fine season, divided between rehab work in the Arizona Complex League and his first meaningful stint at Triple-A Nashville. However, he batted just .255/.336/.412 for the Sounds, a below-average output for that level and league. In 119 plate appearances for the Cardenales de Lara in his native Venezuela, he has batted .238/.328/.438. In Triple A and in winter ball, he combined for a 10.2% walk rate and a 15.4% strikeout rate, which are both impressive—but he only slugged .421. In Nashville, Quero showed a good knack for generating pulled batted balls in the air, but not as much sheer power as his profile promises. Worse, he chased over 40% of the pitches he saw outside the zone there. His feel for contact helped him foul off many of those pitches and extend at-bats, keeping his strikeout rate low and allowing him to walk much more than such an aggressive hitter typically does, but that doesn't work nearly as well in the majors as it does in even the highest level of the minors. Without a significant refinement of his approach, Quero isn't ready to help with the bat. That can all change in one spring training, of course. The Brewers teach swing decisions as well as any team in baseball, and Quero has plenty of teammates who can back up what the coaching staff preaches as he learns to lay off pitches he can't consistently drive. Still, it seems as though Quero would benefit from more time at Nashville this season, to complete his development. Keeping him down for at least a few weeks would also guarantee that the Brewers have control of him through the 2032 season—not a reason to avoid using him, but a bonus if the team does deem him unready for the majors to begin the year. Therefore, it would make sense for the Crew to pursue one of the solid remaining options to back up and complement Contreras. Having a veteran to fill what is often a role heavy on off-field responsibilities always has some appeal, but in this case, it feels especially urgent. A quartet of remaining free agents could be good fits for Milwaukee as the offseason approaches its endgame. Old friend Victor Caratini is back on the open market, after playing for the Astros the last two years. He batted a sturdy .263/.329/.406 during his stint in Houston, a marked improvement over the .224/.312/.359 he put up in two seasons with the Brewers. He made some changes to his left-handed swing that produced more fly balls, and so far, he's held onto his bat speed better than most catchers entering their 30s. His familiarity with the organization would make integrating him into the team again a bit easier, and he could also claim playing time at first base if needed. No available catcher makes a tidier fit, but he could land a two-year deal again; the Brewers probably won't go there. Fellow switch-hitter Jonah Heim hasn't yet found a new home, after the Rangers non-tendered him in November. Heim is huge for a catcher, and the combination of his size (which tends to catch up to professional squatters in myriad ways) and the difficulty of maintaining two swings while also playing the game's most demanding defensive position derailed him after a strong 2023. He'd be a reclamation project, but arguably, he's the perfect one for the Brewers. Fixing him could give them a head start on solving catcher for 2027, or a trade chip at midseason if Quero is ready by then. When the Cubs lost Miguel Amaya for a huge chunk of the 2025 season, emergency call-up Reese McGuire saved their bacon. He showed a terrific nous for slowing the running game, and although his approach is no more polished than Quero's, he ran into enough balls with his big swing to produce some key home runs. The quintessential backup catcher, he bats left-handed, which maximizes matchup value; is well-liked in the clubhouse; and prioritizes his defensive duties. He's also likely to cost much less than Caratini or Heim. If the Brewers are more focused on veteran influence and maximizing defense and leadership than they are on real production, they could turn to Christian Vázquez, who's likely to be gettable on a minor-league deal with an opt-out date late in spring training. Vázquez is now 35 years old, and his bat was disastrously bad for the Twins over the last two seasons. If he can produce even an occasional positive outcome at bat, though, he more than pays for himself with intangible contributions and stout receiving. Quero remains the medium-term plan behind the plate for the Brewers, but he doesn't need to be on the Opening Day roster. In fact, barring an exceptionally strong spring training, he shouldn't be. The Brewers don't need to spend big money to supplement their catching corps, but they should invest a little bit in it, to ensure depth and optimize the developmental arc of their would-be rookie backstop. View the full article

Chicago is home to five Big Four teams, the fourth-most in the country. The city offers everything a professional athlete could ever dream of in a home base. Full disclosure: I am a lifelong Red Sox fan. In most areas of my life, I strive to be progressive and forward-thinking. But when it comes to baseball, I reject modernity and embrace tradition. That’s part of why I hold a soft spot for the Cubs. Like the Red Sox, they echo this sentiment with the second-oldest ballpark in baseball and a passionate, cross-generational fanbase. In light of the Alex Bregman signing, I’ll admit — if given the choice between living in Chicago and Boston, I’d choose the former. Chicago boasts an affordable cost of living compared to other major domestic markets. The Art Institute of Chicago has one of the best art collections in the world. Given its location, there’s an endless array of outdoor activities along Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Its food scene is as good as it gets. (For me, a city automatically gets bonus points for having a Nobu and a Starbucks Reserve Roastery.) Movies set or filmed in Chicago are stronger than those from Boston, no matter how many times Ben Affleck tries to prove otherwise. While Chicago’s appeal gets athletes to pick up the phone, money ultimately closes the deal. The Cubs’ free-agent history might be modest by MLB’s current standards, but the signing of Alex Bregman signals a shift in Jed Hoyer’s approach to acquiring talent. So, let’s dive into how the Cubs got here. Player Year Signed Contract Length & Value AAV fWAR (Contract) Jason Heyward 2016 8-years, $184 million $23 million 7.2 Dansby Swanson 2023 7-years, $177 million $25.29 million 12.4 Alex Bregman 2026 5-years, $175 million $35 million TBD Jon Lester 2015 6-years, $155 million $25.8 million 16.8 Alfonso Soriano 2007 8-years, $136 million $17 million 18.1 1. Jason Heyward: 8 years, $184 million In his walk season, Jason Heyward put together one of the strongest performances of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. Unfortunately, his offensive production never matched the Cubs’ largest contract in franchise history, as he posted a .245 AVG, .700 OPS, 88 wRC+, and 7.2 fWAR. His defense, however, was top-notch. After winning his third Gold Glove in 2016, Heyward became the first position player to win the award in three consecutive years with three different teams. Teammates raved about his clubhouse presence, and he was regarded as a strong leader. With one remaining season left on his contract, the Cubs ended up releasing Heyward in November 2022. 2. Dansby Swanson: 7 years, $177 million Three seasons into his Cubs tenure, Dansby Swanson has recorded a .243 AVG, .721 OPS, 101 wRC+, and 12.4 fWAR. While his bat is average ( @RandallPnkFloyd noted he has a ton of swing and miss stuff in his profile), Swanson’s defense is elite. Since 2023, he ranks third among qualified shortstops with 20 Outs Above Average and a Fielding Run Value of 31. Swanson has four remaining years left on his contract, so it’s a little premature to evaluate it fully. As much as I love statistics, I’m also a strong supporter of intangibles and makeup. Much of Swanson’s value is reflected in his clubhouse presence and leadership role. As a long-term fixture in the clubhouse, he serves as a mentor for younger players like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw. 3. Alex Bregman: 5 years, $175 million North Side Baseball has posted several quality articles about the Alex Bregman signing. To avoid repeating what’s already covered, you can read more here: Anatomy of an At-Bat: What Alex Bregman Brings to the Table by Jason Ross Should We Be Worried About Alex Bregman Hitting for Power at Wrigley Field? by Randy Holt Like Dansby Swanson, Alex Bregman Was Always Cubs' Top Target by Matt Ostrowski Alex Bregman's Swing is Exactly What Cubs Lineup Was Missing by Matthew Trueblood How Cubs Lineup Could Look with Alex Bregman in Fold by Matthew Trueblood 4. Jon Lester: 6 years, $155 million Like Alex Bregman, Jon Lester opted to sign with the Cubs over the Red Sox. Lester was a dependable workhorse who embodied a bygone pitcher archetype just as pitch-tracking and velocity/movement started to dominate baseball. Metrics/statistics don’t truly capture his value, and on paper, they’re average. Between 2015 and 2016, his four-seamer only averaged at 92.9 mph. And yet, Lester posted a 3.64 ERA, 3.86 FIP, 15.5% K-BB%, and 16.8 fWAR in 1,002.2 innings in Chicago. On his best days, he’d throw seven to eight solid innings — sometimes a complete game — and provide the bullpen with some rest. Lester left an enduring legacy as a reliable ace, clubhouse leader, and key component in breaking the Cubs’ 108-year World Series title drought. 5. Alfonso Soriano: 8 years, $136 million For a full breakdown of Alfonso Soriano’s career, check out his bio from North Side Baseball’s Players Project. In the preceding season before Soriano signed with the Cubs, he rejected a couple of extension offers from the Nationals. During his Cubs’ tenure, he led the team in fWAR (18.1) and posted a .264 AVG, .812 OPS, and 109 wRC+. He slugged a total of 181 home runs and never hit fewer than 20 in a single season. As Soriano aged, his defense regressed heavily. Between 2007 and 2013, his minus-13 Defensive Runs Saved ranked 47th among outfielders. However, in his first season with the Cubs, he graded out at 17 (3rd). Two years later, it plummeted to minus-11 (56th). Soriano’s teammates regarded him as a veteran role model who carried himself with professionalism. A few days before the 2013 trade deadline, Soriano was sent to the Yankees in exchange for pitching prospect Corey Black. He had a little over one year remaining on his contract. How will Bregman’s contract age? Only time will tell. Long-term free agent deals rarely age well, but the Cubs can afford to take the risk. They consistently generate one of the highest revenues in the league — $585 million in 2024, ranking third — so they can afford to absorb the back end of Bregman’s deal. The Cubs have consistently prioritized clubhouse presence in their long-term contracts. Bregman fits that mold perfectly, along with a proven track record of winning. body { font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif; padding: 20px; background-color: #f5f5f5; } table { border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0; width: 100%; max-width: 800px; background-color: white; border-radius: 8px; overflow: hidden; } th, td { padding: 12px 16px; text-align: center; } th { background-color: #1a2b4a; color: white; font-weight: 600; font-size: 14px; } td { color: #000000; font-size: 14px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e5e7eb; } tr:nth-child(even) { background-color: #f9fafb; } tr:last-child td { border-bottom: none; } View the full article

Get ready, Milwaukee Brewers fans. It is less than a month until the three-time defending NL Central champions are back at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Official report dates were announced, with the Crew pitchers and catchers due Feb. 12 and the first full-squad workout Feb. 17. Players in the Brewers' system who are playing in the World Baseball Classic have report dates of Feb. 11 and Feb. 12, respectively, regardless of their organization. Players often report early, especially those bouncing back from injuries or just wanting to get extra work in. The first Brewers exhibition game is March 21, when they host the Cleveland Guardians. The Brewers also host WBC participant Great Britain on March 3, while the annual prospect showcase, Spring Breakout, will feature the Brewers traveling to the Seattle Mariners in Peoria, Ariz., on March 20. The Brewers' last home game in Arizona is the next day, March 21, against the San Diego Padres, with March 22 vs. the Chicago Cubs the last game in the desert at Mesa, Ariz. The Brewers will face the Cincinnati Reds in two exhibition games in Milwaukee on March 23-24. Opening Day for the Crew is March 26 vs. the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field. View the full article

They are the four best words in baseball: pitchers and catchers report. Why? Because that signals the official start of spring training, bringing Opening Day that much closer. The San Diego Padres open camp in Peoria, Ariz., in just over three weeks, with pitchers and catchers reporting on Feb. 11 and the first full-squad workout Feb. 15. Oftentimes, players report early, depending on if they are coming back from injury or just want to get some extra work in with the coaching staff, but those are the mandatory report dates for the two groups. Those players who are participating in the World Baseball Classic have slightly earlier report dates. Pitchers and catchers, regardless of MLB organization, must report by Feb. 11 (same as the Padres) and position players by Feb. 12. The Padres' first exhibition game is Feb. 20 against the Seattle Mariners, the same team the Friars share the Peoria Sports Complex with. Technically, the Friars are the road team in that game, with their first home game Feb. 22 against the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The final exhibition game will take place in Peoria also against the Mariners on March 23. Opening Day for the Friars is March 26 vs. two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal and the Detroit Tigers. View the full article

On Thursday, the 2026 international signing period opened and the Miami Marlins inked deals with 21 players, highlighted by shortstops Santiago Solarte and Ronny Muñoz. They each received a $1M bonus, per sources. This is the organization's second international signing class since David Hernandez-Beayne was named director of international scouting. The following players officially signed Thursday on their first day of eligibility, with more to follow in the coming days: Santiago Solarte ($1M) Solarte, a 17-year-old out of Caja Seca, Venezuela, is ranked 16th on MLB Pipeline's Top 50 international prospects list. He's a 50-grade prospect overall with 45-hit, 65-power, 55-run, 50-arm and 55-field tools. "Physical specimen type of build with raw explosiveness and top-of-scale strength," said one scout. "Advanced body control and athletic actions for someone that size and age." VIDEO-2026-01-06-22-06-52.mp4 Solarte briefly participated in Venezuela's professional summer league (LMBP), where the average player was more than a decade older than him. In nine games with Samanes de Aragua (mostly off the bench), he slashed .143/.250/.143 with one hit, one walk, two strikeouts and one stolen base. Solarte has been trained at Academia Carlos Guillén. New Marlins outfielder Raunny Figueredo ($350k bonus) trained at that academy as well. Ronny Muñoz ($1M) hkh_A0kSYyaeKTZT.mp4 Muñoz, who ranks as the #27 prospect on MLB Pipeline, is another 50-grade prospect (55-hit, 55-power, 60-run, 60-arm and 45-field). "He's probably the most talented player in this class," said David Hernandez-Beayne. "The way that I would describe him as short as possible would be traits-based prospect. Very tooled up, explosive and athletic. He's very strong within his frame. He's a plus runner, he's got a plus arm, he's got plus impact, plus hand speed. He's one of those guys that, for us, in terms of the raw tool package of having that skill set to be able to progress, improve, get better, become that impactful prospect we think he can, he has it all." Muñoz had already seen action in what are called "committed games," hitting a home run to straightaway center field. Eliezer Peralta ($275k) Eliezer Peralta.mp4 The Marlins view Peralta as this class' top international pitching prospect. The 17-year-old pitcher out of the Dominican Republic throws a fastball which sits 90-92 mph with a spin rate between 2,176-2,220 rpm. His changeup averages 82 mph with a spin rate between 1,601-1,834 rpm. His final pitch, a 77-80 mph slider, has a spin rate between 2,239-2,341 rpm. "We have a lot of things that we look for when it comes to pitching," said Hernandez-Beayne. "Obviously, a big part of it is the size, projection and athleticism. We believe heavily in biomechanics traits that create outliers for pitchers being able to bend pitches and generate future velocity. There's a lot of specific things that we care about, but makeup is also very important." Maikel Acosta ($225k) Maikel Acosta.mp4 One Marlins scout called Acosta the most underrated signing of the class. His exit velocity already averages 90 mph. He has a 40-yard dash time of 4.96 seconds. He possesses a strong arm at shortstop, averaging 90 mph on max-effort throws (the MLB average at the position is 85.7 mph). Ben Badler of Baseball America adds, "The foundation of his right-handed swing works well, and he has a knack for putting the ball in play, so getting stronger will be key to do more damage on contact." Acosta will be making his professional debut as a 16-year-old. Francisco Del Campo ($400k) dxvsov.mp4 Out of the four catchers that the Marlins signed, Del Campo seems to be the best of the bunch. "He recognizes pitches well, has good bat-to-ball skills and strength, though with a flatter path that doesn’t lend itself to much loft yet," Badler writes. "His hands work well behind the plate, he has a clean transfer and his arm strength has ticked up considerably over the past couple years to become at least an average tool." He represented Mexico in the 2024 U-15 World Cup in Colombia. More recently, Del Campo trained with the Mexican League's Leones de Yucatan. He appeared in one game for them last summer. Other standouts Right-hander Batista already spins his fastball above 2,500 rpm. He signed for $100k. "Batista is an interesting case, because very rarely do you find players that are slight frame like he is," said Hernandez-Beayne. "He's 6'0", 130 pounds right now...He's truly a unique case, a real outlier, someone we're incredibly excited about." Onardi Santos, who stands at 6'5" and is a left-handed pitcher, signed for $220k. Right-hander Evan Da Souza, a native out of Nicaragua, signed for $250k, though his deal was not officially announced on Thursday. Da Souza's agent brought him to the Dominican Republic to give him more exposure and that is when the Marlins discovered him at a big showcase in Punta Cana. "Immediately stood out by the guy with elite size, elite frame, high projectability traits, unique outlier pitch characteristics and that ability to really calm the strike zone, and so all those elements made teams really want to get involved within that process," said Hernandez-Beayne. View the full article

After two-and-a-half months, the Boston Red Sox have finally signed a free agent. They improved upon their already strong rotation by bringing in Ranger Suárez on a five-year, $130 million contract. Suárez, who made his major league debut back in 2018 with the Philadelphia Phillies, will slot right into the rotation as the number two to ace Garrett Crochet. Suárez originally signed with the Phillies as an international free agent out of Venezuela back in 2012 as a 16-year-old. The left-handed pitcher worked his way through the system and by 2018, made his Double-A, Triple-A, and major-league debut. In his short sample in the majors, Suárez made four appearances, three of them starts as he tossed 15 innings, had a 5.40 ERA and struck out 11 while walking six. The 2019 campaign saw Suárez opening the year with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, ranking as the team’s number 10 prospect at the time. Suárez wound up making a couple brief call-ups in June before receiving his final promotion on June 20. Unlike in 2018, Suárez was used exclusively out of the bullpen as he made 37 appearances. The then-23-year-old wound up tossing 48 2/3 innings as he struck out 42 batters while walking 12. Thanks to his strong performance out of the bullpen, there was belief he would contend for a rotation spot in 2020, but his season was derailed from testing positive for COVID-19 right before Opening Day. By the time he was allowed to leave quarantine and begin rehabbing, it was already late August. In order to get him back sooner, the team moved him to the bullpen where he would make just three appearances, though he struggled mightily. In four innings, Suárez allowed nine earned runs and four walks compared to just one strikeout. The 2021 season was more of the same for Suárez. The Phillies decided to have him open the season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he didn’t make a single appearance before being recalled to the Phillies. His role changed across the season, originally serving as a multi-inning reliever. Suárez was eventually asked to fill in as the closer after the Phillies attempted to use two other relievers and they both struggled. Fortunately for the Phillies and Suárez, the team acquired Ian Kennedy at the trade deadline to become the closer while Suárez was moved once more, now into the rotation. Upon that transition back to starting, Suárez was dominant. The left-hander made 12 starts and tossed 65 2/3 innings where he allowed just 11 earned runs. In that span, he struck out 65 batters and walked just 19. On the season as a whole, Suárez appeared in 39 games and threw 106 innings to the tune of a 1.36 ERA. From that point on, he has been in the Phillies' rotation permanently. He made a career-high 29 starts in 2022, and then would go on to make 22, 27, and 26 starts respectively over the next three seasons. Since 2022, however, Suárez has missed time each season due to low back spasms in 2022, a left elbow strain and a right hamstring strain in 2023, lower back soreness in 2024, and lower back stiffness in 2025. Despite the injuries, Suárez is a performer on the mound. As a starter with the Phillies, Suárez made 119 starts, going 42-32 with a 3.45 ERA. In total he tossed 666 innings while striking out 619 batters, also securing an All-Star appearance in 2024. More importantly, he allowed just 60 home runs in that span, showing an ability to keep the ball in the park during his career. While the southpaw's durability is a genuine concern (his career high for innings is 157 1/3, which he set in 2025), the quality of his innings has no debate. And to add to it, he’s performed excellently in the playoffs. To this point in his career, Suárez has appeared in 11 games in the playoffs with a career record of 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA across 42 2/3 innings. He's struck out 44 batters, walked 13 and allowed just three home runs. The veteran pitcher will now slot into the rotation as the number two starter the Red Sox have wanted for more than a year. Whether he pitches after Crochet is unknown, however, as manager Alex Cora may choose to break the pair of lefties up and slot fellow rotation addition Sonny Gray between them. There is no doubt, however, that Suárez will serve as the bona fide No. 2 after Crochet, regardless of the rotation order. Of course, as with all big free-agent contracts, there is a chance that he’ll fall off as the years go by. The fact that he doesn’t throw hard and relies on his sinker along with movement from his secondaries could (and probably will) delay that fact. By the time it does happen (as it invariably does for everyone), it shouldn’t be an issue for him to become the number four or five arm as the Red Sox will (hopefully) be relying on Crochet, Payton Tolle, and Connelly Early to carry the rotation. The Red Sox can expect around 25 to 29 starts from Suárez based on his track record of health. And with those starts, they can expect All-Star worthy outings, as his worst season as a starter came in 2023 when he dealt with two injuries including an elbow strain. When healthy, there’s no denying he can be one of the top pitchers in baseball, as shown by the fact that he is tied for the 14th-highest fWAR since 2023 for starting pitchers. To say he’s expected to take the ball every fifth day with the intent to win is the obvious statement. However, with his presence he will be able to help shoulder the load with Crochet and the younger pitchers. Last season, there were signs that Crochet was tiring down the stretch, but he pushed through as the team needed him. Now, he’ll have someone in the rotation to back him up when the toughest stretch of the season begins. He’ll also be able to provide postseason experience to the pitching staff. Yes, the team made the playoffs last season, but they played in three games. Crochet pitched one, Early pitched one, and Brayan Bello pitched the other. They didn’t get much experience from it, and Suárez can provide that in spades for the entire staff. He’ll be the guy the Red Sox send out in Game 2 hoping to either close out a series or take control of one. Craig Breslow greatly improved the team with this signing. In a world of baseball where a pitcher isn’t needed to go seven innings anymore thanks to analytics and great bullpens, Suárez should be able to give the team great quality and length. The team is stronger and now has arguably one of (if not the) best rotation in the American League when you factor in their depth. Teams won’t want to face the two-headed beast that is Crochet and Suárez in the playoffs and so long as the Red Sox improve their offense, they may emerge as the clear-cut favorite in the Junior Circuit behind their pair of southpaws. View the full article

Entering the 2022 MLB regular season, the Minnesota Twins' 10-pitcher(!) bullpen was a smorgasbord of reliever archetypes, ranging from established, veteran arms Tyler Duffey and Joe Smith to inexperienced, high-upside prospects Josh Winder and Jhoan Duran. The team stumbled and sorted through 26 different relievers that season, finishing with the 18th-best bullpen in baseball. However, the club unearthed its next closer in the aforementioned Duran, with the hard-throwing righty occupying the role for the next two-and-a-half seasons before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies last July. Minnesota finds itself in a similar position now. They're projected to enter the 2026 regular season with a hodgepodge of trustworthy veterans in Justin Topa and Cole Sands and young, high-ceiling arms in John Klein, Marco Raya, and (most notably) Connor Prielipp. Twins decision-makers would love for the organization’s next star closer to develop internally. Klein, Raya, and Prielipp could be the first crop of young arms to receive that opportunity, with Prielipp possessing the stuff and arsenal necessary to quickly develop into that caliber of relief ace. Selected in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Prielipp started two games in A-ball before needing to undergo Tommy John surgery, effectively ending his 2023 season. The Alabama product pitched minimally in 2024 before breaking through last season, with a 4.03 ERA, 3.54 FIP, and 98-to-31 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 82 ⅔ innings pitched at Double A and Triple A. The organization deployed the then-24-year-old almost exclusively as a starting pitcher last season. However, the front office has already admitted that Prielipp could transition into a relief role in 2026; he could be part of the club’s Opening Day bullpen. Prielipp separates himself from Klein, Raya, and other contemporaries by possessing three of the most effective pitches in the Twins system, in his four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup. He complements his near-elite three-pitch mix with a sinker, a fastball variant the lefty added to his arsenal last season. A primary reason Duran and (to a lesser degree) Griffin Jax developed into prized high-leverage arms was that they were able to maximize the shape and velocity of their pitches while maintaining the four-to-five pitch arsenal of a starting pitcher. Being left-handed, Prielipp is a different pitcher than Duran and Jax. His breaking ball isn't quite as devastating, because he will face many right-handed batters and have to lean more on his changeup—though he did show the ability to change the shape of the slider last year, based on batter handedness. Still, Prielipp has the swing-and-miss stuff necessary to make the same transition as Duran and Jax. Sitting around 95 MPH as a starter, the lefty’s four-seam fastball is inferior to Jax’s, let alone Duran’s. Once transitioned into a short relief role, though, he should add extra velocity and clean up the shape of his four-seamer, potentially reaching 97 or 98 MPH. If Prielipp can add velocity to his four-seam fastball, continue developing his sinker, and lean on his elite slider and plus change, he could join the ranks of San Diego’s Adrián Morejón and Seattle’s José A. Ferrer, becoming one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball and Minnesota’s next All-Star-caliber closer. View the full article

With spring training less than a month away, minor-league free agents are finding homes. Three have now landed with the San Diego Padres. Utility man Nick Solak, left-hander Omar Cruz. and right-hander Justin Yeager have signed minor-league deals with the Padres, according to Baseball America. Those deals likely include invites to spring training. Solak, who turned 31 last week, has had trouble sticking in the majors primarily because of his defense. He mainly plays second base and third base and has 259 games of MLB experience. Solak played in four games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2025, after playing in just two games with different teams (Atlanta and the Detroit Tigers) in 2023. He did not get a call-up in 2024 while at Triple-A for the Seattle Mariners. A second-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2016 out of Louisville, Solak was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays early in 2018 in a three-team deal, then shipped by the Rays to the Texas Rangers at the 2019 trade deadline for Pete Fairbanks. Solak made his MLB debut with the Rangers in 2019 and had a slash line of .293/.393/.491 with five homers and 17 RBIs in 33 games. He played the full 2020 season with the Rangers, seeing action in 58 of 60 games with a .268/.326/.344 slash line and two homers and 23 RBIs. In 2021, he played in 127 games and posted a slash line of .242/.314/.362 with 11 homers and 49 RBIs. Solak then only played in 35 MLB games in 2022. That offseason, he bounced between three teams before landing with Atlanta, where he began at Triple-A. He played in one game for Atlanta and was designated for assignment in June and claimed by the Tigers. He played in one MLB game for the Tigers and was DFA'd again in August, went unclaimed and went back to Triple-A. In 2025 with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate, Solak had a .332/.411/.492 slash line with 14 homers and 73 RBIs. Cruz, about to turn 27, returns to the Padres technically for a third time. Originally an international signee in 2017, the left-hander was part of the package the Friars sent to the Pirates for right-handed starter Joe Musgrove before the 2021 season. The Padres brought him back after the 2023 season as a minor-league Rule 5 selection. He made the Padres' Opening Day roster for 2025 and appeared in two games. He did have a late-May call-up, but didn't pitch before going back to Triple-A El Paso. The left-hander has mainly been a reliever in recent seasons, but struggled to a 4.75 ERA in 33 games, 11 starts, covering 83⅓ innings in 2025. He became a free agent after the season, but is now back again. Yeager, soon to turn 28, has strictly been a reliever since being a 33rd-round draft choice in 2019 by Atlanta out of Southern Illinois. Yeager has spent the last three years in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization after being included in the three-team deal that landed William Contreras in Milwaukee and Sean Murphy in Atlanta. He split time between Double-A and Triple-A, compiling a 2.04 ERA in 49 games covering 57⅓ innings. Yeager's time at Triple-A in 2025 was his first at the level, and he's yet to make his MLB debut. View the full article

It's been a very good off-season for the Chicago Cubs, and now they are rewarding three members of their front office. Jordan Bastian of MLB.com shared an official communication from the Chicago Cubs, announcing Garrett Chiado being promoted to assistant general manager, Ben Martin being promoted to assistant director of Major League development, and Brad Moylan being promoted to coordinator of Major League Video and Technology. Chiado previously held two titles, Director of Pro Strategy and Director of Pro Analytics. Per the release, he will "we're closely with executive leadership on broader organizational strategy and acquisition initiatives." Martin, previously the assistant Director of player develop, will "lead evidenced base planning and analysis for Major League position players, while ensuring alignment with the Player Development department", per the release. Moylan, who was the International Scouting Data and Technology assistant, will "oversee the club's instant replay process, providing video and technology support, and assisting with advanced logistics." What do you think of these promotions? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan told Sportsnet Central that the Blue Jays "have really been the only team that has shown the willingness to go as deep as 10 years, potentially," on a contract for top free agent Kyle Tucker. ESPN had previously reported that the Jays made "a long-term offer" to Tucker, and Passan's latest comments offer a bit more insight into what "long-term" could mean. The Mets, likely Tucker's other top suitor, seem to prefer a shorter-term deal. Most recently, the New York Post's Mike Puma reported that the Mets had "a four-year offer on the table" for Tucker. While Tucker's free agency has been a slow-moving process to this point, Passan mentioned that the All-Star outfielder could be ready to sign by the end of this week. Then, this morning, the New York Post's Jon Heyman reported that Tucker could sign "as soon as today." Featured image courtesy of David Banks, Imagn Images. View the full article

Signing Alex Bregman was primarily about adding a missing ingredient to the Cubs' batting order. Since Bregman agreed to a deal Saturday night, we've covered his fit into the lineup and his new home park, and we've dissected how well he approaches at-bats in big situations. Bregman also has an important defensive role to play, though. He'll be the team's starting third baseman for the foreseeable future. Thus, it would be wise for us to get to know him as a fielder. Bregman has consistently rated as an above-average defender at the hot corner. That's the headline. In nine of his 10 seasons in the majors, he's been average or better, according to both Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) from Sports Info Solutions and Deserved Runs Prevented from Baseball Prospectus. Somewhat surprisingly, he's even gotten better as his career has progressed. Whereas most players' defense peaks in their early 20s, Bregman won his first Gold Glove in 2024, at age 30. Two of his three best seasons by DRS came in 2023 (5) and 2024 (6), and he posted 1 DRS in 2025, despite missing a significant chunk of the season. The key to his unusually late peak has been improving steadily on plays down the third-base line, even as he's lost a bit of his ability to range to his left and take plays away from his shortstops. Plays Saved Season To His Right Straight On To His Left 2016 0 0 6 2017 -5 0 4 2018 1 -3 3 2019 1 2 8 2020 -1 1 0 2021 -3 1 4 2022 -2 0 -5 2023 5 -2 2 2024 8 0 -2 2025 1 -1 1 That might come as a minor surprise, to some, because Bregman is small for a third baseman (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) and doesn't have an elite arm. One way for third basemen to guard the foul line is the step-and-a-dive plan, but Bregman doesn't make many of those plays, and lacks the length for them. He does throw harder, on average, than Dansby Swanson or Nico Hoerner, and is right near shortstops Trea Turner and Bo Bichette on Statcast's arm strength leaderboards, but those are the guys whose arms put them at risk of having to move off short. For the long throw from the line behind third to first base, most players need above-average raw arm strength. That was the one strength of Christopher Morel, during his stint at third. A lack of arm strength prompted Nick Madrigal to play close to the line and deep, so that his throws could come with as much momentum toward first as possible. Playing deep was also Matt Shaw's way of providing more time to process the ball off the bat and cover ground; it allowed him a gentler transition from his previous homes in the middle infield. How, then, has Bregman gotten better at closing down the plays to his right, without completely compromising his ability to range to his left? Firstly, he's moved a step closer to third, on average. Here are his average depth and angle (relative to second base, where 45° would be right at third base and 0° would be right at second) of positioning, based on handedness and infield alignment, since 2021. For a stylistic comparison, I've also included Matt Shaw's positioning data for 2025. RHB LHB No Shift/Shade Shift/Shade No Shift/Shade Shift/Shade Season Depth (ft.) Angle (deg.) Depth (ft.) Angle (deg.) Depth (ft.) Angle (deg.) Depth (ft.) Angle (deg.) 2021 118 36 120 38 105 28 130 12 2022 118 36 119 37 101 29 131 13 2023 117 36 117 37 104 27 129 23 2024 120 36 122 37 102 28 129 22 2025 117 37 117 37 104 28 128 21 Matt Shaw - 2025 122 35 122 37 112 27 125 21 Remember, after 2022, the rules changed and severely restricted where teams could move infielders. Bregman was one of the players whose role significantly changed at that point. When the shift was allowed, the Astros used it extremely heavily, and Bregman was often playing a de facto shortstop against left-handed batters. Over the last three years, he's experimented with different ways to have an impact on the game, continuing to view himself as a shortstop-caliber defender even though he hasn't officially played there since 2019. Compared to Shaw, Bregman plays shallower, except when the infield plays a lefty to pull. In 2025, he also played a bit closer to the line in his default position against righties than he had before, whereas Shaw cheated slightly more toward the hole. In general, smaller players play deeper at third base, trying to use their speed to cut off the ball and leaving as much space as possible to get up to speed before it reaches them. Bregman is the exception. Like any good defender, he has figured out how to use his immutable traits to his advantage, rather than let them hurt him. Exceptionally quick with the first step, he doesn't need the extra five or 10 feet he could often have to get to balls a few steps to either side of him. Because he's not tall, he's often able to field the ball without much bend, partially because he plays shallow. A sharply hit ball will often be at the peak height of its first bounce when Bregman encounters it, and that means he can play it waist-high. The way he addresses the ball increases the utility of his arm; he can get off throws faster and with less wasted movement than most third basemen. NHlNOU5fV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0FWQUhBZ0FNVTFRQVd3TldBZ0FIVndRSEFBQURVRk1BVVYwTUJGY05BRkFCQlZBSA== (1).mp4 That doesn't mean he's incapable of getting down for balls when he needs to. Moving closer to the line last year made that easier, not just because he had reduced the ground he needed to cover before getting down but because he was doing so under greater body control, making it easier to get back up and fire the ball across the diamond quickly. WEQyT05fWGw0TUFRPT1fRGdnQVVBSlhWVk1BREZJQVVBQUhBUThFQUZoWFZ3Y0FWRkJYVkZJSEExZFRVd0VG.mp4 That doesn't mean he's a perfect defender at third, or that moving toward the line hasn't cost him anything. Ranging toward shortstop now requires a bit more of his speed, and he's not always as smooth as he needs to be when embarking on those long journeys to his left. Shaw excelled at this last year, which helped cover for the slow diminishment of Swanson's speed and arm. Bregman and Swanson will have to develop a good rapport that allows them to know which is best-positioned to make a play on each and every ball hit into the hole, to make up for a dearth of the sheer athleticism you see from most good duos on the left side of an infield. WnhyNE9fWGw0TUFRPT1fVUFVQ1ZGQUhVVmNBRFZBR0FnQUhBd1FDQUFNR1Z3QUFBd0ZYQUF0VEJ3ZFdBZ1lG (1).mp4 On balance, though, Bregman is much more of a playmaker than Shaw, Madrigal, Morel, Patrick Wisdom, or any other Cub who has consistently manned third base in this century. Much of it shows up against left-handed batters, because he moves much closer to shortstop than Shaw did and can make plays like a true shortstop. WU9rNFdfWGw0TUFRPT1fQVFRQ0JRWUFWMUVBREZVQ1VnQUhWdzVlQUFNQVUxTUFWd2RSQVZJRVVBUmRCZ1Jl.mp4 It also has to do with the smaller things his sure hands and high baseball IQ bring to the table, though. Bregman loves to play shallow and take away the bunt, and part of that is being willing and able to take down the lead runner when a batter tries a sacrifice. It's fundamentals, but between positioning, footwork and the chutzpah to try it, many defenders cop out and throw to first when they have a play at second in the modern game. Not Bregman. NXlhUktfWGw0TUFRPT1fRDFJQVV3WUJVbEFBQ2xJRUJ3QUhWMUpSQUFNRkFRSUFVd0VCVlZVREF3QlJBVk5U.mp4 Chicago's defense will need to adapt a bit. They not only shaded left-handed batters about a third less often than did the Red Sox last year, but weren't as aggressive about pulling Shaw toward the middle of the diamond to make plays as the Sox were with Bregman. If Craig Counsell, Bregman and Swanson are on the same page, this move can augment the team's defense, as well as its offense. Bregman is not your typical third baseman, and he's not your typical 32-year-old. There is value left in his leather. View the full article

Highlights of five key prospects who signed with the Marlins on Thursday: SS Santiago Solarte (Venezuela), SS Ronny Muñoz (Dominican Republic), C Francisco Del Campo (Mexico), RHP Eliezer Peralta (Dominican Republic) and SS Maikel Acosta (Dominican Republic). View the full article

Even at this late stage of the offseason, the San Diego Padres have a depth problem. While the team's addition of Sung Mun Song helps to quell some concerns over the infield depth and lengthens the bench, the fact that there are at least two unsettled spots in the team's lineup (first base and designated hitter) lends itself to the idea that more help is needed on that front. Even with Song's versatility, we saw in 2025 how a dearth of stability with respect to the reserves can derail a team over the course of a 162-game season. The 2025 Padres relied primarily on Jose Iglesias as their guy off the bench. Beyond him, it was a rotating cast of characters that at various points included Jason Heyward, Connor Joe, Tyler Wade, Yuli Gurriel, Oscar González, Brandon Lockridge, Trenton Brooks, and Mason McCoy, some for much shorter spells than others. None of those players completed the year still in the organization, with the exception of Iglesias, whose value was purely in his versatility rather than any semblance of production off the bench (73 wRC+). It was a group unable to compensate for injuries to regulars such as Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts as the season wore on, in addition to its inability to provide relief, when needed, in shorter stints for someone like Fernando Tatis Jr. So, while Song provides legitimate offensive upside at multiple positions — and could end up allowing the team to rotate Jake Cronenworth in at first base while holding down the keystone himself over long stretches — the inevitability that injuries will arise feeds directly into the need for additional upside off the bench. Considering the lack of offensive talent at the upper levels of the minors and that most of the team's minor-league deals thus far have come on the mound, it seems certain that the Friars will explore further additions with the little bit of time that still remains this offseason. However, any discourse around the team's bench configuration at present may be overlooking a player they believe to be a valuable part of their roster: Bryce Johnson. A former San Francisco Giants draftee, Johnson was a former Padre at one point, albeit very briefly. He left as a free agent via a non-tender prior to 2025 but was quickly reacquired for catcher Brett Sullivan in April. Johnson wouldn't appear in a game for San Diego until June and only notched 55 games worth of playing time throughout last year. Despite the small sample for a player without much prospect pedigree, there was something of an indication that some value may lie in what he brings to the table. In Johnson's most extended big league action (84 PA), he posted a slash that included a .342 average and a .383 on-base percentage. His wRC+ checked in at 135 and he added four steals. That all came in addition to his league-average defense across all three outfield spots. Up against the rest of the players that rotated through the Padre bench, it's pretty masterful production. The biggest issue with Johnson's output from 2025, though, is that it came on the strength of a .446 batting average on balls in play. His strikeout rate came in above 22 percent while his walk rate sat just under four. His contact rates and trends are relatively uninspiring. And yet, as much as there is to indicate that such production is not repeatable, there are at least a couple of things working in Johnson's favor. For one, he hit line drives at a 33.3 percent clip. Line drive contact begets favorable BABIP rates, which was the case for him last year. His .298 xBA still would've been an upper-percentile figure had he enough plate appearances to qualify. Such contact came largely against breaking pitches (42.9 percent) and fastballs (35.3 percent). There appeared to be an adjustment in the approach at play that led to these results, as well. Johnson swung at 11 percent fewer off-speed pitches, which were often a source of struggle (his xBA, hard-hit rate, and line-drive rate have largely all been at their lowest against that pitch type), historically. Given that, there's at least some semblance of hope that he can replicate those numbers on some level, even if at not quite the same gaudy pace. Johnson isn't an especially flashy or tools-y bat off the bench. He also doesn't offer much of anything on the power side (.092 ISO). But if you can get a keen approach that emphasizes those pitches against which he succeeds, there's enough contact and on-base ability in there to allow him to become a valuable part of the bench rotation, especially when you factor in the ability to steal a base and provide steady glove work on the outfield grass. Of course, even another successful year from Bryce Johnson doesn't offset the need for more help in the depth department. The Padres will certainly need to add a bit of extra power off the bench. At the same time, we shouldn't discount Johnson's role in upgrading the unit as a regular reserve player with a much larger sample than the one he saw last year. View the full article

This multi-part series talks about how the Brewers got to the World Series and offers a timeline of the 1982 campaign, including player profiles, game recaps, and other events that affected the season. Part 1 Part 2 Off to a Good Start in May The Brewers began May with two wins in Minnesota, after losing the first game of their three-game series on the last day of April. Trailing 4-1 late in the game to Minnesota on May Day, the Brewers tallied five runs in the eighth inning to defeat the Twins, 6-5. Gorman Thomas hit his first homer of the year to key the big inning. The next day, the Brewers romped 11-4, behind another homer by Thomas and a pair of homers by Ted Simmons. Milwaukee returned home and lost two out of three to the Kansas City Royals, including a 10-inning loss in which Rollie Fingers was tagged with his third defeat. The mustachioed closer gave up two hits and one walk in a two-inning stint, one of his 26 multi-inning outings during the season. Minnesota came to town for a long weekend four-game series, but the Brewers were harsh hosts, sweeping the series to improve to 16-10, still 2 ½ games behind Boston. Things were starting to look up for the Brew Crew. Two Weeks of Struggles Far from continuing upward toward first place, though, the Brewers traveled to Kansas City and lost three straight, including another loss for Fingers. This time, he got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth, before giving up a lead-off, walk-off home run in the ninth to Amos Otis. They split four games in Chicago against the White Sox before heading home again. California, Seattle, and Oakland came to County Stadium for the next week-plus, but Milwaukee won only two of eight games, dropping to 20-21, 7 1/2 games behind Boston and in fourth place in the AL East. The Brewers then left the friendly confines of County Stadium for a 10-game road trip to the Left Coast, playing the same three teams that just trampled them at home. “I hope getting away for a while will help us,” manager Buck Rodgers commented to the Wisconsin State Journal. Little did Rodgers know that he wouldn’t return with the team in early June. On the West Coast swing, the Brewers split the first six games but dropped to sixth place in the AL East, seven games behind new leader Detroit. They won a one-run game on June 1, but it was not enough to save Rodgers’s job. General Manager Harry Dalton fired Rodgers and installed hitting coach Harvey Kuenn as interim manager. “I excused the early part of the slump (14 losses in 21 games) because of the injuries to (Pete) Vuckovich and (Bob) McClure,” Dalton said in a telephone interview with Bill Brophy of the Wisconsin State Journal. “But when they returned and we still didn’t play well, I had to ask why.” Harvey Takes Over Kuenn addressed the players after his hiring. “Don’t expect any trick plays from me. You guys can flat-out hit, so go out there and hit,” he said. It didn’t take long for the Brewers to tap into their power potential. The Brewers won their last four games of the West Coast swing and finished 7-3 in their 10-game trip, which moved them up to third in the standings. Milwaukee scored 33 runs in those four games, powered by nine home runs. In an 11-3 win over Oakland on June 5, the Brewers got homers from Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper, Ben Oglivie, Simmons, and Thomas. The next week was a roller coaster ride for the Brewers, as they went 3-5 against two top AL East teams, Baltimore and Detroit. In three games at Memorial Stadium, the Brewers and Orioles each won a game, lost a game, and tied a game. The tie was halted twice by downpours, including a 65-minute delay in the ninth inning. The game would be rescheduled for the last weekend of the season, which would include a doubleheader among four games October 1-3. On their way back home, the Brewers beat Detroit four times at Tiger Stadium. They beat the Yankees twice at County Stadium, before falling to New York in the final contest of the three-game set. Milwaukee finished the month of June by winning five of six in New York and Boston. In the final game against New York, Thomas hit a two-run homer in the top of the 12th to get the victory, with the team improving to 42-31, just two games out in second place in the AL East. In their first 26 games under Kuenn, the Brewers won 19, while hitting 40 home runs. Through June, Cooper led the team in batting with a .332 mark. Thomas and Oglivie each had 19 homers, Cooper had 16, and Yount had 11. Vuckovich had nine wins against three losses, on his way to the AL Cy Young Award. Fingers rebounded from a slow start to earn 16 saves in his first three months. Coming soon, part 4: The weather heats up and so do the Brewers. View the full article

The Toronto Blue Jays have been busy this offseason and still don't seem to be done, with rumors swirling about Kyle Tucker. Entering the winter, the bullpen was a massive area of need; however, Tyler Rogers is the only MLB-ready addition the front office has made. Chase Lee, Jorge Alcala, and Nic Enright were acquired but will likely begin the season in the minor leagues. The Jays also selected Spencer Miles in the Rule 5 draft. He'll need to be rostered for the entire season or be offered back to the San Francisco Giants for $50,000. Last season in the bullpen, Jeff Hoffman struggled as the closer, posting a 4.37 ERA and blowing seven of his 40 save opportunities. Home runs were an issue, as he gave up homers on 20 percent of his fly balls, which was his highest rate since 2019. Hoffman's 0.81 ground outs-to-air outs ratio was his second-worst in that same time span. An upgrade at the closer role would be a massive boost going into the upcoming season. Due to injuries, Eric Lauer was needed in the starting rotation for much of last year, so Brendon Little was the only consistent lefty presence in the bullpen for the majority of the season. Mason Fluharty and Justin Bruihl made appearances but struggled. Lauer and Little will return to the bullpen in 2026, but another high-leverage left-hander for depth to relieve the workload would be ideal. There are also questions surrounding José Berríos. He expressed his displeasure at being moved to the bullpen in late September. With the addition of Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce this offseason, there's no room for Berríos in the starting rotation. So his status for the upcoming season is up in the air. He could be a possible trade chip. There are still a few quality arms available in free agency to address the left-hander need. Danny Coulombe is 36, but still possesses the skills to get left-handed batters out. He's posted an ERA under 3.00 in each of the last three seasons, and last season, he threw 43 innings, holding batters to a .203 batting average. He excels when it comes to limiting hard contact, with just a 36.8% hard-hit rate and 5.6% barrel rate over the past three years. Andrew Chafin, 35, is also still on the market. He threw 33 2/3 combined innings last season for the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels. He posted a 2.41 ERA and 3.40 xERA, while holding batters to a .238 batting average (and left-handed batters to a .136 batting average). Although his velocity has diminished, the 12-year MLB veteran continues to find ways to get batters out. Another lefty option is Justin Wilson, who is 38. Last season for the Boston Red Sox, he posted a 3.35 ERA and 3.67 xERA, holding left-handed batters to a .212 batting average. He struck out 27.5% of the batters he faced and gave up just three home runs. Wilson has the most big league experience of these three, with a career 3.59 ERA in 648 appearances dating back to 2012. Any of Coulombe, Chafin, or Wilson could be a great depth signing to help combat left-handed batters. Regarding the closer replacement, the team's best option may already be on the roster. Louis Varland could be the answer. He posted a 2.97 ERA and 3.95 xERA last season but struggled after coming over from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline. In 23 2/3 innings with Toronto, he posted a 4.94 ERA and 4.52 xERA; however, he struck out a career-best 10.65 per nine innings, despite walking a career-worst 3.42 per nine innings. He doesn't have experience closing games, but his stuff can be electric, as he demonstrated in the postseason. Even though he didn't have the best results in his regular season Toronto debut, he might be worth a look if the Blue Jays decide that Hoffman needs to be replaced. Despite the bullpen not being fully addressed yet, the Blue Jays have definitely taken a step forward in vying for another World Series trip – though hopefully with a different result. Whether Hoffman is replaced or not, another left-handed reliever would be ideal, especially if the Los Angeles Dodgers are again the foe. That would give John Schneider another weapon to combat the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, and the other left-handed bats of the two-time reigning World Series champions. View the full article

The Twins' projected lineup is a testament to the team's commitment to building from within, and to the success of their scouting and development pipeline. Seven of the nine projected starters were drafted and developed by the organization, and every one of those seven was selected in either the first or second round. In a vacuum, that kind of alignment feels like a win. Draft well, develop well, and let those players carry the roster. But context matters. The team hasn't made the playoffs in either of the last two years, and this season doesn't look likely to break that pattern. Is this lineup a sign that the Twins are maximizing value from premium draft picks, or is it a reflection of financial realities pushing inexpensive, controllable players into everyday roles? The answer, as is often the case, likely lies somewhere in between the extremes. The Case for Optimism There is no denying the upside in what the Twins have built. First- and second-round picks are supposed to become core players. Many do not. Minnesota has managed to turn a long list of those selections into legitimate big-league contributors and, in some cases, foundational pieces. Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Ryan Jeffers, and Luke Keaschall all project as everyday starters. That group spans more than a decade of drafts, from Buxton in 2012 to Keaschall in 2023. The timeline alone suggests this is not a one-year fluke, but rather the product of sustained investment at the top of the draft. According to FanGraphs, the Twins' projected lineup against right-handed pitchers is: CF Byron Buxton (1st Round- 2012) 2B Luke Keashall (2nd Round- 2023) 1B Josh Bell (Free Agent) RF Matt Wallner (1st Round- 2019) C Ryan Jeffers (2nd Round- 2018) DH Trevor Larnach (1st Round- 2018) 3B Royce Lewis (1st Round- 2017) SS Brooks Lee (1st Round- 2022) LF Austin Martin (Trade) Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey sees that through the lens of process. “What I think it says is that we’ve had a run of guys that we’ve identified in the draft, near the top,” Falvey said. “No one is going to bat 1.000 in the draft—we all know that—but we have a number of picks who have found a way to contribute at the big-league level. It speaks a lot to our development process, too.” There is also value in cost certainty. These players are producing while still under team control, allowing the Twins to allocate resources elsewhere if ownership allows the front office to spend. When draft picks turn into everyday players, the return on investment is significant. The Counterargument The other side of the conversation is less comfortable. While the lineup is filled with former high draft picks, it is notably light on proven, impact bats acquired from outside the organization. Only Josh Bell and Austin Martin project to start after coming over from another team at any point, and Martin arrived in trade while still a prospect. That absence is not just philosophical. It is financial. Minnesota is projected to operate with a payroll in the league’s bottom third, and the lineup reflects it. Cheap players are not just nice to have. They are (unfortunately) necessary. It's hard not to draw parallels to the Metrodome era, when the Twins routinely fielded rosters built around young, inexpensive talent because they had little choice. Those teams developed well, but they also often lacked the external reinforcements needed to push from mere respectability to contention. Falvey has acknowledged that roster building cannot rely on a single path. “I don’t think there is one-size-fits-all for any team,” he said. “You need to have some homegrown players. There have been stretches of time where we’ve had a bunch of acquisitions on our team. Two of the pitchers at the top of our rotation were traded for, Pablo and Joe, at different stages of their careers. Jhoan Duran was a trade, but he was in [Class A] and we grew him up through the minor leagues.” The concern is whether the current balance is intentional or forced—and whether the team's development infrastructure is good enough to make the most of this homegrown approach. With the exceptions of Buxton and Jeffers, the homegrown hitters holding onto lineup spots have interspersed flashes of brilliance into long periods of either struggle or injury-related absence. Development Versus Ambition Falvey has consistently stressed the importance of blending acquisition methods, rather than shutting any doors. “You don’t want to shut off any valves to potentially get talent into your system,” he said. “Probably the best teams overall, over time, find a way to blend all of that. They get their top draft picks, they pick out a few guys later in the draft. In our case, that’s a Bailey Ober or a Griffin Jax converting himself from an up-and-down starter to a good reliever. We need more of that.” The Twins have done much of that work already. The question is what comes next. If this lineup represents a foundation that will be supplemented aggressively when the time is right, it's easy to view it as a positive sign. If it represents the ceiling imposed by payroll limitations, the optimism dims. A Familiar Crossroads League-wide, no team projects more first- and second-round homegrown position players in its starting lineup than the Twins. That is an accomplishment worth noting. At the same time, projections do not see Minnesota as a clear contender. Thus, the lineup becomes a Rorschach test. It can be read as evidence of strong drafting and development finally paying off. It can also be read as a reminder of past Twins teams that survived on efficiency, rather than ambition. Perhaps the truth is that it's both. The Twins are getting real value from their earliest draft picks. Whether that value is being leveraged into something more meaningful will determine how this era is ultimately remembered. Are the Twins seeing the payoff of strong drafting and development, or are these players in the lineup more because they are affordable than because the roster is complete? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Alex and Maddie say goodbye to Alex Bregman and welcome the newest member of the Boston Red Sox, Ranger Suarez, to the team. They talk through 2026 roster projections and make some predictions on how the rest of the offseason will play out by focusing on some outside-the-box trade targets to fix the hole at second base. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qPrPXEngu0CxgTmlf0ynm Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-talk-sox-podcast-244591331/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/4tmd121v Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox View the full article

In an exclusive interview with Talk Sox, Hayden Mullins discusses his time in college, where he dealt with injuries leading up to the draft, along with his time in the Red Sox organization. Mullins goes over his pitch repertoire along with how the Rule 5 draft went for him this offseason. View the full article

For the first time in a handful of years, the Chicago Cubs entered an offseason with year-over-year certainty behind the plate. While there are still some questions about the long-term projectability of the catcher spot, the team knew that they'd have a tandem of Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya holding down the position in 2026. Such certainty is largely due to the late-stage breakout from the former. Kelly's career-high 421 plate appearances did stem largely from Amaya working his way through multiple injuries. He was also able to spin such heavy work into career marks just about everywhere you look on the stat sheet, if not something very close to resembling one. Each of his .249 average and 9.6 percent barrel rate sat atop his output in each, while his .179 isolated power and 40.3 percent hard-hit rate each checked in as his best work since 2019. His .333 on-base percentage was his best since 2021. At no point over a full season has Kelly's fWAR been higher than the 2.6 figure he posted in his debut with the Cubs. That 2025 output from Kelly has him firmly in the driver's seat to get the majority of the timeshare over Amaya, even with the latter's growth over the last couple of years. Each of FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus project him for 55 percent of the time at catcher to Amaya's 40. Projections thus far, however, don't love him. Each available model bears some level of regression virtually everywhere. Which leads to questions as to what Kelly did that made him so successful as a hitter in 2025 and whether it's something he can duplicate throughout the 2026 campaign. There were a few factors at play that allowed Kelly to discover the offensive success he had in 2025. The first was in his discipline. His 21.9 percent chase rate was his lowest in six years, while his 20.6 percent whiff rate was his best in seven. He also zeroed in on breaking and off-speed pitches, both of which represented his two highest rates of hard contact (42.2 percent for breaking pitches & 40.0 percent for off-speed). In addition, there weren't necessarily mechanical changes at play, but there was at least one notable timing development: The negative indicator before the number indicates the pull side. Kelly leaned heavily into pull-side tendencies, which is logical considering the lower velocity at which those pitch types are approaching the plate. His Pull% grew from 41.4 percent in 2024 to 45.4 percent in 2025. As a timing mechanism, it's not something that's always going to be in a hitter's control. But if Kelly can continue to maintain the approach that allows him to turn around on pitches that are easier to pull as a general operating standard, then there's reason to believe in some carryover, especially given the fly-ball tendencies that increased along with his newfound love for pulling the ball. Kelly's Pull% and fly-ball rate didn't necessarily grow in step with one another. But he did bump the fly-ball rate up about three percent (42.7). Those two factors resulted in a PullAIR% of 23.9, a figure that ranked 47th among 251 qualifying position players. The lead-up to it makes it repeatable; Kelly attacked breaking and off-speed pitches rather than relying on fastball contact that more so begets hard contact. That he's attacking those types of pitches lends itself to the notion of being replicable, even if you're worried about the bat slowing down from catcher that'll be 32 in July and is coming off his highest volume of work at the plate. The other things that Kelly did well are things he's always done. His 19.0 percent strikeout rate was a notch below the 20.2 percent mark for his career. His walk rate, at 10.7 percent, was in the neighborhood of a career 9.9 percent one. He's always been a relatively disciplined hitter relative to the position he plays. The difference is that he was able to parlay that discipline into something of actual value. And given that we're not talking about a hitter jumping all over fastballs or doing something vastly different on the mechanical side, it doesn't seem at all unrealistic for him to do it again in 2026. View the full article

The Cubs have made some big splashes this offseason that have gotten the attention of baseball fans everywhere, including Royals ones. First, they acquired pitcher Edward Cabrera from the Marlins in exchange for their No. 1 prospect (Owen Caissie), No. 11 prospect (Cristian Hernandez), and an 18-year-old infielder who played in the Complex League last year (Edgardo De Leon). Then, Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer signed third baseman Alex Bregman last weekend to a five-year, $175 million deal. The deal is one of the biggest in franchise history and include no-opt outs over the duration of the contract, a significant commitment to a player who will be 32 during the 2026 season. The Bregman deal was unexpected (he seemed more tied to the Red Sox and even the Diamondbacks earlier in the offseason), and it has also put their infield in flux. With the arrival of Bregman, incumbent third baseman Matt Shaw has been moved off the starting position for now (according to Roster Resource). However, the Cubs have a decision to make about second baseman Nico Hoerner, who will be a free agent after 2026 and could be tough to retain long-term. Already, it's been reported that many clubs have inquired about Hoerner, including the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees. That said, trading Hoerner would be a tough move for a Cubs team that's looking to not just return to the postseason, but topple the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central division. Hoerner is one of the top defensive second basemen in the game, has an excellent plate approach (109 wRC+; 0.80 BB/K ratio), and accumulated a 4.8 fWAR last year and has a career 20 fWAR in 704 games, according to Fangraphs. At 28 years old, the Cubs should be looking to extend Hoerner, not trade him away. Unfortunately, that makes Shaw the odd man out, unless they are content using him as a super-utility player. While that's not a bad strategy for 2026, Chicago could leverage Shaw's situation and former top prospect value in a trade that could net the Cubs some present and long-term assets. The Royals are one of those teams that could be the ideal trade partners with the Cubs, especially with the holes they have right now in the lineup and infield for 2026 and beyond. Why Shaw Would Make Sense for Kansas City Matt Trueblood of North Side Baseball published an article on Wednesday on how the Royals are a trade suitor with whom Chicago could work on a possible Shaw deal. According to Trueblood, the Cubs and Royals would make sense as trade partners given their mutual interest in each other's players, including Shaw (the Royals were rumored to be interested in drafting him at No. 8 in the 2023 MLB Draft, but they selected prep catcher Blake Mitchell instead). Here's a snippet from Trueblood's piece that illustrates why the Royals would be interested in Shaw for 2026 and beyond. In addition to India, the Royals also trotted Michael Massey out at second base in 2025 to lackluster results. Massey posted a 57 wRC+ and -0.4 fWAR in 277 plate appearances last season. India was only a shade better than his 27-year-old counterpart last year. The former Red posted an 89 wRC+ and -0.3 fWAR, with most of his value weighed down by mediocre baserunning (-2.6 BsR) and poor defense (-11.8 Def). Shaw was inconsistent as a rookie, but he still would be a considerable upgrade over Massey and India in 2026. The 24-year-old Maryland product hit 13 home runs, stole 17 bases, scored 57 runs, posted a 93 wRC+, and accumulated a 1.5 fWAR in 437 plate appearances. The exit-velocity and batted-ball metrics were questionable from Shaw last year, but he showed some promise in his plate discipline metrics, as illustrated in his TJ Stats summary profile below. Now, Shaw isn't as elite in plate discipline, especially compared to India. The former Florida Gator had an exit velocity and hard-hit profile similar to show, but India ranked in the upper percentiles in O-Swing%, K%, Z-Contact%, and Whiff%, as demonstrated in his own TJ Stats summary. In terms of pure hitting profile, India is a little better than Shaw. However, India is also 4 years older, will be a free agent after 2026, and lags significantly behind Shaw in defensive value (India posted a -6 OAA, while Shaw posted a -1 OAA last season). Thus, the Royals would benefit from having Shaw as the regular second baseman, with Massey as a backup who could give Shaw a spell (and see some time in the outfield, since Massey is a much better defensive outfielder than India). Shaw also should transition well offensively to Kauffman Stadium, especially with the modified dimensions. Even with the old dimensions, the Cubs infielder would have had 12 xHR at the K last season, which is only one fewer than his total 2025 mark. His spray chart also shows a pull-heavy approach that would lead to many extra base hits, especially at home in Kansas City. Lastly, the Royals would have a controllable, affordable asset in Shaw who could help them with salary stability over the next couple of seasons. Shaw is not arbitration-eligible until 2028, and he won't be a free agent until 2032. That kind of long-term control is valuable, especially for a small-market team like the Royals, which has to be judicious with its spending each offseason. What Would the Royals Give Up for Shaw? According to Trueblood, the Cubs could be interested in both long-term and short-term assets. In terms of the former, the Cubs could benefit by beefing up their farm system a bit, especially after the lower levels, after the Cabrera trade. Trueblood points out recent draft picks Sean Gamble and Josh Hammond as possible options, especially since it was reported that the Cubs were interested in selecting them in last year's draft. It's hard to imagine the Royals parting with either of those two prospects, especially after just drafting them. Still, as prep prospects, they carry a bit of risk, especially compared to most college players who have lower ceilings but higher floors. If it means that Kansas City could get a young, budding player like Shaw (at a position where there's not a lot of great organizational depth), then the Royals could be convinced to let go of one of those promising recently drafted teenagers. Another prospect who could be traded is Mitchell, our No. 2 in the system. He had a rough 2025 (due to a hand injury) but had a strong Arizona Fall League campaign and could be the Cubs' catcher of the future if the chips fall right. Trueblood also mentions that some pieces that could affect the Cubs' MLB roster could also be desired. That includes Nick Loftin, a utility player who seems a bit blocked or out of favor with the Royals, and Kris Bubic, who has long been liked by the Cubs' coaching staff, according to the article. Loftin should be an easy one to deal away from the Royals' perspective, especially since he has failed to gain hold of the "utility" position the past couple of seasons. While he remains unsigned, it wouldn't be surprising to see Kansas City bring back Adam Frazier on a one-year deal for 2026. That would only guarantee Loftin another long stint in Omaha. With the Cubs, he could at least get an opportunity to prove that he belongs on an MLB roster. As for Bubic, a couple of months ago, he may have made sense for the Cubs. However, their rotation is looking deep after the acquisition of Cabrera. Roster Resource projects Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon to be the No. 4 and 5 starters in the rotation, and talented but inconsistent pitchers Ben Brown and Jordan Wicks are slated to begin the season in Triple-A Iowa. That said, Imanaga regressed a bit last year (4.86 FIP) and could be due for more based on how his 2025 ended (4.70 ERA in the second half). Taillon pitched under 129.1 IP, nearly 36 fewer innings than his mark in 2024. Taillon also had a mediocre FIP at 4.65, which could make him another regression candidate in 2026. Bubic has struggled to accumulate innings, but he's been effective when healthy. Thus, the Cubs could perhaps slow-play him into the rotation, initially in a hybrid role. If Imanaga or Taillon struggle or go down, the Stanford lefty can fill in and be productive. His TJ Stats Statcast summary profile showed that he not only has excellent stuff, but a strong ability to generate strikeouts and whiffs and limit hard contact. The only issue with Bubic is that he'll be a free agent after 2026. Thus, if the Royals want to get Shaw, they may need to include a top prospect like Gamble, Hammond, or Mitchell. Should JJ Picollo not be willing to do that, it may be Bubic, Loftin, and another asset, whether a mid-level prospect or player (India would be the ideal, but his $8 million deal may be too much for the Cubs to take on). Is a Shaw to Kansas City Deal Realistic? Shaw certainly would be an intriguing player, especially with his home run and stolen base upside. With another year of at-bats, it's easy to see Shaw develop into a 20-20 HR-SB player. That said, projections are a bit torn on his outlook for the upcoming season. Below are the ones from Steamer, the BAT X, and OOPSY. Steamer: .161 ISO, .317 wOBA, 105 wRC+ The BAT X: .127 ISO, .290 wOBA, 86 wRC+ OOPSY: .167 ISO, .318 wOBA, 105 wRC+ Steamer and OOPSY are optimistic about Shaw's outlook for 2026. The BAT X is not, and by a considerable margin, as illustrated by the 19-point difference in wOBA. While Shaw is talented, he may not be a sure thing in the upcoming season by any stretch. While India's ceiling isn't as high as Shaw's, at least the Royals know what to relatively expect (unless India continues his freefall for a second-straight season, like Hunter Renfroe from 2023 to 2024). Furthermore, the likely ask from the Cubs for a player of Shaw's pedigree probably would be just too high for Kansas City. The Royals want to get better from now until Opening Day. While Shaw would help them do so, especially at the keystone, it would require the Royals to part ways with not only Bubic (not that big a deal) and a talented prospect. The latter is a much bigger concern, especially since Picollo and Scouting Director Brian Bridges have worked hard to build up the system since the 2024 MLB Draft. Trading from their top prospect capital now would be foolish, especially since Shaw still has some development to do. Trading a prospect for a player like Jarren Duran or Brendan Donovan is one thing, especially since they're so established. Shaw isn't anywhere close to that level just yet. Nonetheless, while Shaw's move to Kansas City may not be realistic, it's an interesting proposal, and Shaw's stock will certainly be worth watching. He could be a buy-low candidate at the Trade Deadline if he's still with the Cubs and not getting much playing time behind Bregman and Hoerner. If India is not getting the job done by then, the Royals could pounce and be more willing to deal from their prospect capital midseason for Shaw. View the full article

Tomorrow we'll reveal this year's Winter Meltdown pint glass, available only at the year's Winter Meltdown. It will be the 12th pint glass Brock Beauchamp has designed, and I thought it might be fun to look at the first 11 and how they related to the history of the Winter Meltdown. 2014 - Year One - A New Idea The first year's pint glass is unique - because we had no idea what we were doing. But we knew what had happened the year before, which we now refer to as Year 0 of the Meltdown. We had purchased a keg at Hubert's across the street from the Metrodome, and invited anyone who read Twins Daily to stop by and have a beer on us after Twins Fest. We were swamped. Well over 100 people showed up, and we recognized that all those digital eyeballs that we had seen on Google Analytics belonged to real eyeballs that wanted to connect. So in 2014, we planned ahead a bit. We booked Scott Erickson and Dave St. Peter, Brock designed a pint glass based on a memorable Twins’ moment, 612 Brew provided the beer, and most of us (including Erickson) stayed way too late in the night talking Twins. A tradition had started. 2015-2020 - Years Two Through Seven - The Baseball Years We kept going strong, getting more and more attendees and more prominent guests over the next six years. Alumni like Joe Nathan, Michael Cuddyer, and Kent Hrbek joined us, and we had over 400-600 people attend a few of these events. We decided we wanted different designs for the pint glasses every year, and there were only so many iconic moments that we could capture, so the pint glasses switched their designs to the old-timey Twins playing winter baseball. They captured the Meltdown’s vibe: a mix of winter and fun, which seems quaint given what came next. 2021-2022 Year Eight and ??? - COVID Hits COVID meant no events for the next two years, but the first year we leaned into it with a special isolation-themed pint glass that you could order online, and the proceeds went to charity. The second year we ... didn't. And it looked like the Winter Meltdown might be doomed. 2023 - 2025 Years Eight Through Eleven - Pint Glasses for the Fans But we did not going to go gently into that good night. We bounced back with Glen Perkins and Patrick Reusse in 2023, and started including current players the next year when Minnesotans Matt Wallner and Louis Varland joined us. Since we had already broken the ice on the pint glasses reflecting the mood of the fan base, we kept going down that path, too: the 2022 season ended amid a slew of injuries the 2023 season ended with the Twins breaking the playoff loss streak the 2024 season ended with the team for sale. Which brings us to the 2025 season, a season that ended with a fan base trying to process just what the hell happened to their beloved franchise. We'll reveal that design tomrrow, but you're welcome to give your thoughts below. Or better yet, make sure you get your glass by becoming a Twins Daily caretaker and getting your free tickets, and grabbing up to three more tickets for your crew. See you on Friday for the reveal! View the full article