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After the Padres took two of three from the Blue Jays to head into the All-Star break, Randy Holt and Steve Drumwright take time to hand out midterm grades to all the players on the 26-man roster. There were a couple of A's handed out, but also a lot of C's, D's, and even a few F's. There is also a quick recap of last weekend's draft, where the Padres took big right-hander Coleman Borthwick in the first round. Then they took a quick look at the 10-game road trip to begin the second half that could determine whether A.J. Preller decides to buy or sell at the trade deadline. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/padres-mission-podcast/id1896922834 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033xclmydmbLmEp0exYuYz Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1333-padres-mission-podcast-336930560 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@padresmission View the full article

Editor's note: Padres Mission spoke with two industry experts about the state of the San Diego Padres' minor-league system, what they have done right, what they have done wrong and how they got to this state. This is the final of four articles on the subject. Part 1: Trades Have Depleted Majority of San Diego's Prospect Capital Part 2: Despite Farm Ranking, Padres Are Good At Acquiring Talent Part 3: How Industry Experts Rank San Diego's Internal Prospect Hierarchy One of the big questions the San Diego Padres face as the trade deadline approaches is this: If they do go after one of the big fish on the trade market, do they deal off the top of the deck and ship out catcher Ethan Salas? Two baseball analysts are of the opinion that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller would likely hold onto Salas, Padres Mission’s No. 1 prospect and a top-50 prospect in all of baseball. “I pretty much never say anyone's untouchable, right? Because if the Dodgers call and say, 'We'll give you Shohei Ohtani for Salas,' of course you're doing that,” said Keith Law, senior baseball writer at The Athletic who ranks prospects. “There's always a price that someone else can meet. However, I am not trading Salas unless it is for a world-changing trade.” Tarik Skubal would certainly be a world-changer. The two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, who is a free agent at the end of the year, would also come at a steep price. What would that look like for the Padres? “I don't think they can go out and get a Tarik Skubal unless they're willing to trade Ethan Salas—that's just straight up not going to happen,” said Sam Dykstra, a senior reporter at MLB Pipeline. “You could put (pitchers) Miguel Mendez, Kruz Schoolcraft and Kash Mayfield into a package (without Salas) and that's still not going to be enough to get somebody like Skubal, even on a rental. Are they going to be aggressive enough with that? I don't know. I think it's telling that of all the trades they've made, Salas is the one who continues to stick around because I think they really, really like his defense behind the plate and they know that that's going to make him a possible regular at a premium position, and somebody you can dream on for a long time.” Law and Dykstra have been encouraged by what they have either seen or heard about Salas, a 20-year-old left-handed hitter, this season. Salas missed all but 10 games of 2025 with a stress reaction in his lower back. Combined with offensive struggles in a full season at High-A Fort Wayne in 2024, all of the major rankings dropped him significantly. But he is now back in the top half of top-100 lists now and began this week with a slash line of .284/.353/.422 with seven homers and 36 RBIs. He also has a career-high 14 stolen bases in addition to what made him the top player in the 2023 international free-agent class: elite defense. “Haven't seen him live (this year), so this is all second-hand, but this is much more the player we thought they had two, three years ago,” Law said. “He's stronger ... back injuries like that, they can wreck you both sides of the ball when you're a catcher. Everything is better. He's hitting the ball harder, his at-bats look better, he's receiving better. He just looks healthy again, too, and he looks 20, not 17 or 18. When I first saw him, he was still 16, and he carried himself like an older player, looked like an older player. Catching a B game with Joe Musgrove throwing and Salas had no issues doing that. ... I think the problem is everyone kind of overestimated, or just forgot, that he was so young, right? Overestimated where he was in terms of his skill level and now that's all catching up.” While there was enough hype around Salas after being the top international free agent of 2023, that only grew when he reported to the Low-A Lake Elsinore Storm as a 16-year-old and proceeded to put up a .267/.350/.487 slash line with 11 doubles, two triples, nine homers and 35 RBIs in 48 games. With the end of the season approaching, the Padres promoted Salas to High-A for nine games, then aggressively to the Double-A San Antonio Missions for another nine games. He struggled offensively at those two stops, going 12-for-70 with two doubles and six RBIs. His offensive woes continued in 2024 at Fort Wayne, where he began the year as a 17-year-old, producing a slash line of .206/.288/.311 with 27 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 53 RBIs in 113 games. Some feel that Salas was overly promoted and his offensive progress stunted as he was playing against 21- and 22-year-olds. The aggressive promotions are something you often hear with some Padres prospects. “I think it's tough to say if they've been too aggressive in the past,” Dykstra said. “Because you look back at Salas in 2024 and I think that was the classic example of a lot of people in the industry were throwing up their hands as to what exactly happened there. You can even go back a year before, when he was making Double-A in his first full season. A lot of that was to try to make a push for the playoffs in San Antonio. I don't think it was necessarily that they saw him instantly as a Double-A player, but they're like giving him a couple games there at the end of the year. And then he goes to Fort Wayne (in 2024) and really struggles all year and he made some mid-year adjustments. But I think that was a special case.” Said Law: “I think that was true with Salas and I think him getting hurt last year may have actually saved him a little bit in that it slowed him down. So now, he's at a level that's quite a bit more appropriate to his age. He's 20, Double-A, not a lot of experience there, but he is also super-talented and he's been holding his own. He was the one where I just always like, 'What are you doing?' I will say, I also did not love them changing Jackson Merrill's position and jumping him to the big leagues. If I remember correctly, [he had] little to no experience at Triple-A at that point. That's a lot and the kid handled it like he played the outfield well from Day 1, which I did not anticipate at all. I think I said quite the opposite. ... That's a case of, I would argue, them knowing their players better than I do.” A promotion to Triple-A in most organizations would seem obvious, but with the Padres’ affiliate in El Paso and a lot of hitter-friendly environments in the Pacific Coast League, it could be beneficial for Salas to remain at Double-A San Antonio and continue to thrive there with an eye on him being the Padres’ Opening Day catcher for 2027. “There are two arguments to not move him,” Law said. “One, you've moved him so fast, just give him a whole year, let him go around the league a couple times, let pitchers adjust to him and he has to adjust back. And second, talk to any player development guy who's got an affiliate in one of those PCL parks, they hate it. They hate sending guys there because hitters learn bad habits and pitchers start becoming afraid to pitch to contact, or are afraid to just throw certain pitches because between the altitude and the smaller ballparks, it just doesn't work. San Antonio, as I recall, has generally been neutral to a pitcher's park. Let him stay there, even if he's producing, rather than send him to El Paso, where I just don't think guys get a whole lot of value out of playing in that environment.” View the full article

With the All-Star Game behind us, the next major event in baseball is the Trade Deadline on Monday, August 3rd. With a 38-59 record and 0.2% odds of making the postseason, the Royals need to take advantage of the trading period, hoping to acquire talent that can impact the organization at both the Major and Minor League levels. The Royals aren't necessarily "flush" with tradeable assets right now. Many of their best assets are hurt (Kyle Isbel, Kris Bubic, and Carlos Estevez), or have lost a tremendous amount of value since last season. However, that doesn't mean the Royals should or will sit on their hands over the next few weeks. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if the Royals made some of those tough trade decisions, even if it meant losing some popular players. Thus, let's look at three possible trades for Kansas City by the August 3rd Trade Deadline and why those deals could make sense for the respective teams and the Royals. Pitcher Alex Lange to the Chicago Cubs for Infielder James Triantos The Cubs are desperate for relief help. While they rank 16th in bullpen ERA, they are anchored heavily by closer Jacob Webb. After that, it's shaky, especially with so many relievers on the IL (Daniel Palencia, Hunter Harvey, Hoby Milner) or struggling on the mound (Phil Maton and Drew Pomeranz). The North Siders need someone who can produce not just strikeouts, but swing-and-miss ability as well. Lange could be the right fit for this lackluster Cubs bullpen. Northside Baseball brought up Lange as a possibility, saying this about the 30-year-old Royals reliever: There are plenty of issues with Lange's profile. He gives up a lot of hard contact, and his control is spotty, even if it has improved since he took over the closer's job. However, Lange generates whiffs and throws heat. That's a profile that the Cubs want and can work with. (Remember Brad Keller last year?) Lange doesn't have any Minor League options, but he has two years of club control after this season. Furthermore, he's currently pretty cheap, making only $900K. Thus, the Cubs could not just get a strong reliever, but one with plenty of financial flexibility. That is valuable, even for a club as flush as the Cubs. An option the Royals could get back in return is Triantos, a 23-year-old infielder who's stuck in Triple-A. The former 2021 second-round pick is hitting well in Triple-A Iowa with a .311 average and 100 wRC+ in 355 plate appearances. He also has seven home runs and 18 stolen bases. Triantos doesn't offer much power or exit velocity on batted balls, but he doesn't whiff and doesn't strike out, two skills the Royals have really valued in hitters. Triantos is on the Cubs' 40-man roster. That said, he's currently blocked by Alex Bregman and Nico Hoerner, both of whom are on long-term deals. Thus, the 23-year-old infielder could be a fit in Kansas City, especially as a right-handed bat. At the very least, he could platoon with Michael Massey at second base for now, and perhaps get more playing time at other positions if he can hold his own at the plate. Furthermore, Triantos carries plenty of long-term value, especially with no service time on his clock just yet. Outfielder Lane Thomas to Atlanta for Pitchers Drue Hackenberg and Luis Vargas The Braves are at the top of the NL East and have been comfortably so for a while. However, the Phillies and Marlins have been closing in fast, with Philadelphia just two games behind and Miami four games behind at the All-Star Break. Thus, Atlanta needs to beef up their roster, especially on the hitting end. Michael Harris II has been great, but the rest of the outfield is a bit suspect. Mauricio Dubon and Eli White just aren't going to cut it, and while he's hurt, Mike Yastrzemski was inconsistent when he was healthy. Add that to questions regarding Ronald Acuna Jr. and his hamstring, and it makes sense that Atlanta could pursue Thomas to add some much-needed depth in the outfield. Thomas' 102 wRC+ is 20 points higher than White's and just 1 point lower than Dubon's. Furthermore, Thomas can play centerfield against lefties when Harris needs a night off. The former National and Guardian has thrived since getting everyday playing time, and his ability to not chase, launch the ball, and pull the ball in the air consistently should intrigue Atlanta. In exchange, the Royals would receive two talented but flawed pitchers currently in the Braves' farm system. The prize of the bunch would be Hackenberg, a 24-year-old former Virginia Tech pitcher. A second-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Hackenberg has a 4.88 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 4.17 FIP, and 14.4% K-BB% in five outings and 24 IP with Gwinnett. The stuff and extension haven't been great for Hackenberg, but he's generated a lot of whiffs, a lot of strikes, and a lot of weak contact, according to TJ Stats Statcast percentiles. Considering the injuries to the Royals' pitching staff, Hackenberg could come up right away and get a shot for some starts in August and September. If he does well, he could be a long-term option in the rotation, or at the very least a hybrid starter/reliever with long-term control. Vargas is still in Double-A, but he's the opposite of Hackenberg: the stuff is electric, and he generates strikes and whiffs in bunches. Unfortunately, he also walks hitters in bunches, which explains why he's still in Double-A despite being 24 years old and Rule 5 eligible. Still, the Royals need to take chances with pitchers with this profile and let them see what they can do, even if they don't have the "experience." Hackenberg and Vargas aren't high-caliber pitching prospects by any means. However, they could make an immediate impact on the Royals' pitching staff in both the short and long term, which is what a team wants to get in exchange for a rental like Thomas. Pitchers Michael Wacha and Lucas Erceg for Pitchers Tink Hence and Richard Fitts, 1B/3B Blaze Jordan, and OF Victor Scott II The Royals may not be willing to move Wacha, especially if they're hoping they can win in 2027. To be competitive again next year, they will need starting pitching at the top of the rotation, especially with Cole Ragans missing the start of next year and Seth Lugo and Noah Cameron experiencing regression in 2026. Hence, they may need to keep Wacha, simply because they don't have many dependable options for next year. That said, there have been reports that the Royals could trade Wacha if they were impressed and overwhelmed by a deal. This proposed deal could be the offer that could convince Kansas City to move forward, even if losing an All-Star like Wacha would be tough to stomach initially. In this deal, Kansas City would include reliever Lucas Erceg, who hasn't been good, but has been good in the past and has three years of club control after this year (as well as three Minor League options). However, including Erceg here would be important to maximize the Royals' return from the Cardinals. In exchange for Wacha and Erceg, the Royals would get two intriguing arms in Hence and Fitts, corner infielder Jordan, who's currently on the Major League squad in St. Louis, and outfielder Scott, a former heralded prospect who's struggled and is back in Memphis. Hence has long been a top pitching prospect who's moved slowly in the Cardinals system. He's had numerous injuries that have stunted his progression as a pitcher over the years. Hence started the year in extended Spring Training, and his numbers haven't been good in Memphis this year. In 20 IP, he has a 6.30 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 6.49 FIP, and 3.1% K-BB%. However, the athleticism and the upside are still there, and a new change of scenery may do wonders for him, even if the Statcast percentiles in Triple-A haven't been encouraging. Some encouraging items: he's still generating whiffs (77th percentile whiff rate) and groundballs (62nd percentile GB%). I think with some more development and recovery, the stuff will come back, and he will be a much more effective pitcher in the Royals organization, even if his upside may be as a reliever at this point in his career. Speaking of injuries, Fitts is out for the remainder of the season. However, when he was healthy, he had a 1.76 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 15.1 IP. The former Red Sox pitcher posted a 5.00 ERA over 45 IP with Boston last year, but he showed some progress in St. Louis after being reunited with former Red Sox president Chaim Bloom. Because of that connection, I imagine Bloom may be hesitant to give up Fitts. However, St. Louis will have to wait until Fitts' return in 2027, which they may not have the patience for, especially if they want to stay competitive in a tough NL Central division. Kansas City may be more willing to be patient, especially given the upside Fitts presents with his stuff and his Statcast percentiles. On the hitting side, the Royals would receive a couple of players who could make an impact on the lineup immediately. Scott has struggled at the MLB level, but he's a fast player who doesn't chase and could thrive if given more reps in center field, which likely will happen with Isbel's status questionable for the remainder of the year. The exit velocity isn't there, but maybe the Royals could utilize Scott like the Rays utilize Chandler Simpson. Lastly, Kansas City may have a tougher time utilizing Jordan, since the Royals seem set long-term with Maikel Garcia at third and Vinnie Pasquantino at first. Then again, the Royals may look to deal Vinnie this offseason, especially given his injury issues, and Garcia's status for the remainder of the year is also questionable. At the very least, Jordan could give them a much-needed bat with upside, and if he hits, they can figure out the defense later. Jordan's surface-level numbers aren't gaudy (.608 OPS in 83 PA), but he hits the ball hard, doesn't whiff, and doesn't strike out. The Royals need that profile in the lineup, and at 23 years old, there's plenty of long-term upside with Jordan. Jordan and Scott II haven't had the most stellar seasons with St. Louis in 2026. That said, maybe a move across the state down I-70 could rejuvenate their careers. As for Wacha, he gets to return to the organization that drafted him, which he would likely be more than willing to do. That would also reduce ill will between Wacha and the Royals, which could help the Royals in negotiations with potential free-agent pitchers this offseason. View the full article

At the All-Star break, the Cubs are in a good spot in the race for the playoffs. Five games back in the division and in the first Wild Card spot, they have multiple paths and good odds to reach October. For this to sustain, though—and to overcome a disaster of a pitching situation—four hitters stand out as keys to the lineup. Here are four numbers that matter for those players, as we get back into action. 60 This is the number of games that Seiya Suzuki needs to play for the Cubs in the stretch run. This, of course, means avoiding any further injury; that’s the point. Suzuki tends to take a few weeks of ramp-up after injury—time the Cubs can ill afford this season. The lineup would struggle to sustain productivity and balance without Suzuki, especially with Matt Shaw on the shelf. Losing their best non-Pete Crow-Armstrong slugger even for 10 days, with his customary fortnight of struggle afterward, would give a month of lower production from a key bat. Suzuki needs to remain healthy for the Cubs. 25 This is the number of home runs Michael Busch needs to finish with, This year, the Cubs have only been successful during supernova performances by their bats. Nico Hoerner carried them early; Pete Crow-Armstrong and Dansby Swanson have done so lately. They'll need more of this going forward from someone. Busch hasn’t had his traditional five-homer week. In fact, he's only hit 11 all season. A home run per week needs to be his expectation, not the exception—and at some point, he needs to get hot. This isn’t to say Busch has been bad. His walks have been extremely valuable. But for the Cubs, a team that feeds on outlier performances, Busch needs to get that power back. .300 This is fairly obvious, but Nico Hoerner needs his luck to change. Yes, it is (at least partially) luck that has his batting average down in the .230s. He’s sporting the same contact metrics as always, but the BABIP has slid to .243. His previous four seasons? .300, .312, .297, .313. It’s just his batting average that has visibly slipped, especially when contrasted with how hot he was to start the season, Regression to the mean will help Hoerner contribute, and is surely what Cubs brass is banking on. There are genuine issues contributing to the struggles, too, though. We've discussed some of them recently. Even going by expected numbers, Hoerner has been struggling for a while now, going longer without a surge than he has in at least two years. He needs to turn it around coming out of the break. 22 Ian Happ has to reduce the strikeouts. Currently whiffing at a 31.5% rate is killing his batting average (.220). This is his highest whiff rate since 2018. In Happ's best seasons, his strikeout rate has averaged 22%. Aesthetically, it’s a bad look to whiff repeatedly instead of making contact, and for fans, it’s sticking in their memories. He isn’t a bad player, but if he can’t strike out less (well, even if he can, but you get my point), his time in Chicago could be running short. The Cubs are good, and these realistic outcomes would help put them firmly in the playoffs and contending for the division. What do you guys think? Who needs to step up for Chicago? View the full article

In some ways, this Twins season has gone perfectly according to expectation. They are on pace to finish just below .500, which is exactly where sites like FanGraphs projected. They are being led by the same two All-Stars from last year in Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton. The rotation's been pretty good, the bullpen's been pretty bad. None of this would have shocked me if you told me in March. But the way they've gotten here has been full of surprises: dramatic ups and downs, breakthrough offensive performances, elite production with runners in scoring position. It's a mercurial ballclub, and that makes it hard to predict what lies ahead in the final 10 weeks of the 2026 season. With that said, there are a few things coming that I do feel confident in asserting. Strap in, because I believe these five outcomes are inevitable: The offense's run-scoring productivity will slow down (unless hitters improve fundamentally). Minnesota's AL-leading run total (471) is largely a byproduct of their opportunistic nature: they are slashing .286/.368/.451 with RISP for an .820 OPS that is 80 points higher than their overall baseline. That's great, but it's not predictive. Regression is coming. Unless they can improve their overall hitting proficiency — and that's perfectly plausible if guys like Royce Lewis and Luke Keaschall can build on what they've been doing lately — the Twins are going to gravitate downward in run-scoring, possibly to a range reflecting their 20th-ranked .314 xwOBA. The Tigers will make a push. In recent years, Detroit has proven to be the streakiest of streaky teams. They were heavily favored to win the division, but got off to a stunningly bad start and have been buried near the bottom of the AL Central. History tells us they were bound to counteract their multi-month slump and they've already begun to do so, drawing back toward the pack with nine wins in their past 12 games. With the Tigers being non-factors in the first half, Cleveland and Chicago have battled for first place while hovering around .500, and the Twins are just a few games out. The idea of any of these teams being front-runners is premised on Detroit remaining dormant. I wouldn't bet on that. Whoever wins this division is going to have to make a stand against the Tigers. The Twins will do something weird at the trade deadline. Expect the unexpected. With three weeks to go, it's not clear whether the Twins will be buyers or sellers. They very well might blur the line. The front office is balancing the realities of an ongoing rebuild with the mandate to build faith among fans, and act on an undeniable opportunity in this watered-down American League. Ryan Jeffers and Josh Bell are impending free agents. Trevor Larnach is blossoming at a position of depth. Joe Ryan's trade value will never be higher. On the flip side, you've got a farm system that was freshly restocked by last year's firesale and a new draft class. I can't pretend to know what kind of shenanigans they've got in store. But I do feel confident in saying it'll be an eventful and surprising deadline. The pitching staff will be tested. Mick Abel and Anthony Banda aren't coming back. David Festa might not either. Connor Prielipp is already venturing into career-high workload territory. Bailey Ober is back from injury but throwing 87 MPH. Even Minnesota's All-Star ace Joe Ryan is looking to prove something by finishing a season without wearing down. In the bullpen, Derek Shelton has leaned hard on waiver pickup Yoendrys Gómez and rookie Andrew Morris to scrape by. Mike Paredes has delivered beyond any reasonable expectation thus far. These guys will be hard-pressed to maintain like this, and that's not a knock against them. The Twins pitching staff hasn't been great overall, allowing the seventh-most runs in baseball in the first half, but it has held together. We'll really see their resilience tested in the final months. Is help coming via trade? The Twins will play meaningful baseball in September. It doesn't take a whole lot of starry-eyed optimism to reach this conclusion. Yes, the Twins have a similar record to this time last year, but two things are different: the division and league are worse, and there's no chance they team is going to offload talent like last year, which led to playing 16 games below .500 in August and September. I do expect some of the slumbering giants in the AL to come alive down the stretch, including the Tigers as mentioned above. But Detroit has work to do, still nine games away from a winning record. The existence of three wild-card spots — last of which Minnesota is currently tied for — will make it hard to fall completely out of the running before the start of September, unless the the Twins fall off a cliff or multiple mid-range teams get extremely hot. Could happen, but not likely. What's likely is that the Twins will fulfill Tom Pohlad's preseason proclamation. "Let's judge the success of this year on wins and losses, on whether we're playing meaningful baseball in September," he said in late January. And even if that's a somewhat lukewarm definition of contention, the words that followed are what matter most: "If we're doing that, I think we're gonna be in position to grow payroll the following year, and the following year. That's what I hope we can start focusing on." I'm ready to focus on that. The Twins have begun to build something in the first half of this 2026 season and they arrived at the break playing great ball. Now the hard part begins: sustaining success, growing momentum, and turning this into something real. Can they do it? That part is anyone's guess. But at this point I wouldn't put it past them. View the full article

Lance McCullers Jr. probably won't become one of the Brewers’ best starters in the second half. The Astros wanted to dump most of his salary for a reason. McCullers is four years removed from performing like a viable big-league starter, and he’s currently working his way back from a shoulder injury. The Brewers have taken fliers on several injured pitchers in recent years, such as Trevor Rosenthal, Nestor Cortes, and Shelby Miller, and the returns have been next to nothing. There’s certainly room for the veteran to make an impact, though. Back-end starting pitching is a need for the Brewers, who recently lost Brandon Woodruff until at least September and just placed Kyle Harrison on the injured list with forearm tightness. The club seems to believe that the current version of McCullers, while diminished from his prime, can start games down the stretch with competitive enough results. In the late 2010s, when spinning the ball became all the rage in pitch design and usage, McCullers was among the poster children. From his debut in 2015 through 2022, he posted a 3.48 ERA, 3.35 FIP, and 3.73 SIERA while throwing high-spin breaking pitches 45.8% of the time, more than any other pitch group. His signature pitch was his knuckle curveball, which he famously threw for 24 straight pitches to close out Game 7 of the 2017 ALCS. Injuries began to strike near the end of that run. McCullers underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2018 season but remained productive after rehabbing. He then suffered a flexor strain during the 2021 postseason, and while he returned to make eight starts in 2022, he ultimately required surgery that sidelined him for the next two seasons. He hasn’t been the same since returning. In 94 ⅔ innings over the last two seasons, a sample interrupted by four more trips to the injured list, McCullers has pitched to a 6.65 ERA, 5.48 FIP, and 4.73 SIERA. Never a great control pitcher because of his big breaking ball, he's seen his walk rate balloon to 13.7% during that stretch. Hitters are seeing different stuff from this version of McCullers. His sinker used to sit around 94 MPH, but this year it’s averaged 91.3. He’s no longer a spin-first pitcher, either. After dabbling with a cutter for a few seasons, McCullers has made it one of his primary pitches for the first time this year. He’s now throwing fastballs 54% of the time, tied with his rookie campaign for the highest usage of his career. That change suggests McCullers is feeling things out without much success. That also applies to his mechanics. Overall, he seems to be searching for what kind of pitcher he should be at this stage of his career, and he hasn’t yet found a clear answer. After that original flexor injury, McCullers did not make his 2022 debut until August. He returned with a lower arm slot, a change that stuck through his two-year absence after surgery. This year, his slot was back to where it was before the injury, but it has dropped again during his rehab outings in Triple-A this month, which isn’t reflected on the chart below. McCullers has typically worked from the first-base side of the rubber, where his crossfire delivery can be most on-line to home plate, and the arm-side run of his sinker plays up best. But in one outing last July, he relocated to the middle of the rubber. After that, he switched back. With an in-season acquisition, the Brewers don’t have time to make wholesale changes, but helping McCullers establish an identity on the mound must be the starting point. Can he be a spin-heavy guy again, or is the fastball-centric approach the new way forward? Should he attack the strike zone aggressively or work the corners? How does his body move best after myriad injuries? On the arsenal front, there’s still plenty to like about his curveball, which has induced a 48.1% whiff rate and a .291 xwOBA. However, McCullers has lost his feel for locating it competitively, throwing nearly a quarter of his curveballs in what Statcast defines as the waste zone. Those are pitches so far outside the strike zone that they rarely force a hitter to swing, which makes a nasty pitch far less useful. The Brewers could try to make the curveball the centerpiece of McCullers’s arsenal again, but given their usual approach and where McCullers is right now, they’re more likely to emphasize his fastballs. Pitching coaches Chris Hook and Jim Henderson want starters to get early swings that miss barrels, which usually means sequencing sinkers, cutters, and four-seamers within the strike zone. McCullers now has that three-fastball mix, and his sinker and cutter are the only two pitches in his arsenal without a negative run value this season. Throwing the latter more often might be the key to reducing his walks while playing the east-west game to both sides of the plate. Pitch models grade his cutter as the best among his fastballs, and it has posted a +1 run value and 20% whiff rate this year. However, while McCullers has used the pitch as his leading fastball against left-handed batters, he’s thrown it more sparingly against right-handers. For comparison, Brandon Sproat, who has very similar pitch shapes from nearly the same arm slot, has used his cutter at nearly equal rates against both sides. McCullers clearly is not what he once was, but he might also have more potential for a decent second act than those numbers suggest. His 4.55 xERA, calculated by Statcast based on what usually happens on the kind of contact a pitcher allows, is passable. According to Baseball Prospectus, his 4.43 DRA is slightly better than the league average. McCullers has still generated whiffs on 27.3% of swings and posted a 44.8% ground ball rate, both of which are above average. The plan to be serviceable again will be somewhat tailored to McCullers as an individual, but expect the Brewers to turn to some familiar tricks. He’ll probably stay on the first-base side of the rubber. There might be small changes to his starting position and tempo to help get his arm on time and his torso more direct to the plate at foot strike. Attacking the zone with sinkers and cutters will probably be the playbook in most outings, with the expectation that an athletic defense will help him out on balls in play. It’s best to keep expectations measured. McCullers is a struggling rental pitcher, and he may not even be the main get of this deal for the Brewers. Left-hander Colton Gordon comes with five years of team control and might be more impactful when all is said and done. That said, few clubs are better than Milwaukee at turning struggling starters into serviceable arms for a brief stretch, including starters with underwhelming fastballs like McCullers. Perhaps he’ll follow in the footsteps of Colin Rea, Bryse Wilson, and Aaron Civale, among others. View the full article

As the Jays prepare to start the second half of the season, with a record of 45-51, they sit last in the American League East and looking up at multiple teams in both the division and Wild Card race. The American League has been remarkably average in 2026. Outside of a handful of clubs, nobody has established themselves as a true powerhouse. Toronto's 2.5-game deficit in the Wild Card race is hardly overwhelming with more than two months remaining in the season. What remains unclear is whether this roster possesses enough consistency to take advantage of it. The answer to that question may determine more than whether Toronto reaches October. It may determine whether this group gets another opportunity to write a different ending before the next version of the Blue Jays takes shape. In recent memory, the Blue Jays were building around a foundation of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette. As the roster evolved, veterans such as George Springer, Kevin Gausman, and Daulton Varsho, along with others, became key supporting pieces around that foundation. The expectation was that this group would deliver sustained contention. Now, there is reason to wonder whether that window of contention is beginning to shift toward a younger group of players. This season increasingly feels like a crossroads. Maybe not for a full rebuild but substantial change. A team built to contend should not spend July searching for answers. The statistics suggest Toronto's record is not simply the result of bad luck. Through 96 games, the club has scored 392 runs while allowing 427. Their minus-35 run differential reflects a team whose underlying performance largely matches its position in the standings. The offense has struggled to generate consistent hard contact. Big innings have been rare. Run production has literally been hit or miss. As a result, the pitching staff has shouldered a heavy burden through 96 games. The Jays have been slightly better offensively in the last week or so TAD ("time after dragon"), but is it just a blip? More than any other player, Guerrero embodies what's gone wrong in the first half. Franchise players are not supposed to carry every roster flaw, but instead elevate good teams into dangerous ones. Through 387 plate appearances, he owns a .262 batting average, a .346 on-base percentage and six home runs. Baseball Savant says his expected batting average sits at .287 while his expected slugging percentage is .406, indicating his actual production could be better but not approaching superstar output. If the Jays are going to make a second-half run, it begins with Guerrero rediscovering the offensive dominance that once made him an MVP candidate. While Guerrero has left observers wanting more, Kazuma Okamoto has delivered exactly what Toronto envisioned. His 22 home runs lead the team. His barrel rate is exceptional. It is double the team average. The strikeouts can occasionally be frustrating, but they're easily forgotten when he makes contact. Without him, Toronto's offensive shortcomings would be significantly more pronounced. Unfortunately, several veteran contributors have moved in the opposite direction. Springer remains a leader in the clubhouse, but the production has not reflected his reputation. Through 293 plate appearances, he owns a .218 batting average, .303 on-base percentage and .374 slugging percentage. Varsho has experienced a similar season. His defensive value is still high, but there have been lapses. At the plate, the production has been average. Seven home runs and a .240/.308/.387 slash line doesn’t make a great case for a big contract. Varsho and Springer have helped define this current era of Blue Jays baseball. If the team chooses a different direction this winter, their underwhelming seasons would be a disappointing end to their tenures. One of the most encouraging developments this season has been the emergence of players who were never expected to play such prominent offensive roles. Ernie Clement continues to be one of the most remarkable stories on the roster, perhaps proving 2025 was no fluke. His .296 batting average leads the club's regulars while his 106 hits rank among the league's best totals. Baseball Savant's expected metrics suggest that success might not continue because of modest quality-of-contact indicators. Nathan Lukes deserves mention as well. His .288 batting average and .343 on-base percentage have provided a measure of stability in a lineup that has struggled to find consistency. Lukes is part of a busy outfield that hasn’t really stabilized. Every night, it seems there are changes. With Myles Straw, Jonatan Clase, Jesús Sánchez, Davis Schneider and Yohendrick Piñango having seen time in the outfield this season, there is no lack of options. Don’t forget that Addison Barger and Anthony Santander might make an appearance in the second half. The Jays need to identify which options, or if any, deserve everyday roles moving forward. Sánchez, for instance, has a .274 batting average, .437 slugging percentage and 10.8 percent barrel rate. Those are worthy of starting status, yet his defense is lacking, and his splits aren’t great (he hits .148 against lefties). There are signs that the next version of the Blue Jays may already be arriving. Fans have gotten to see a steady stream of position players and pitchers suit up for the team so far this season, and some have contributed, albeit in small sample sizes. As frustrating as the offense has been, the pitching staff deserves considerably more credit than it has received. The Blue Jays have accumulated 849 strikeouts in 849.2 innings. Only a handful of American League clubs have generated strikeout totals at a comparable rate. Time and again, Toronto's pitchers have kept games competitive only to receive minimal offensive support. Dylan Cease has answered the bell. He owns a 2.56 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 98.1 innings. Even if the 2026 season eventually falls short of expectations, Toronto can enter future seasons knowing it possesses an ace capable of leading a playoff rotation. Gausman has been a more nuanced case. The veteran right-hander continues to consume innings and shoulder responsibility. His 112.1 innings lead the club, but his 4.33 ERA reflects a season filled with both positive stretches and frustrating setbacks. With free agency approaching, the remainder of the season will dictate whether he returns next season. The bullpen, meanwhile, has quietly become a strength. Mason Fluharty and Braydon Fisher have absorbed demanding workloads throughout the year. Neither has been perfect, but both have given manager John Schneider valuable innings. Louis Varland has emerged as one of the biggest surprises in the American League. His 1.10 ERA and 19 saves have transformed him into a legitimate ninth-inning weapon. Tyler Rogers has supplied equally important support with a 1.65 ERA across 45 appearances. Even Jeff Hoffman deserves more credit than his ERA and four blown saves suggest. He has 63 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. What makes the next few weeks so compelling is that Toronto's future may be clearer than its present. The Blue Jays are not staring down a full rebuild. In many ways, they are standing between two eras. The first, led by familiar veterans who helped keep the club competitive. The second, built around Guerrero, Cease, Okamoto and a younger supporting cast that is already beginning to emerge. In a world of analytics, and devoid of sentimentality, it is hard to imagine Springer, Max Scherzer or Patrick Corbin returning in 2027. It is debatable whether Yimi García, Gausman, Shane Bieber and Varsho will be brought back as well. However, much of the roster will be back. The infield will be identical. The outfield will have, at least, some familiar faces. The starting pitching will have a solid foundation with Cease, Trey Yesavage and José Berríos. Alejandro Kirk remains behind the plate with Brandon Valenzuela positioned as a logical backup. The bullpen is expected to return largely unchanged. The coming weeks will help determine how aggressively the front office changes that outlook. If the Blue Jays can make a run, general manager Ross Atkins may choose to add reinforcements at the deadline. If they stumble, moving expiring assets makes sense. The focus would be on ensuring the next competitive cycle arrives as smoothly as possible. The next month will not just be about chasing a Wild Card berth. It will be about determining whether one era has another postseason run left in it before the next era begins. When the season started, many envisioned a mini-dynasty. The 2026 Blue Jays have certainly fallen short of expectations. Perhaps the most important question facing the Blue Jays isn't whether they can sneak into October. It is whether 2026 represents the end of a disappointing season or the beginning of the franchise's next competitive chapter. Springer, Gausman, Varsho, Scherzer and Bieber may be playing their final months in Toronto. Despite sitting in last place in the American League East, the Blue Jays remain within striking distance of a playoff spot. This version of the Blue Jays may not be a dynasty. It may not even be particularly good, but sometimes where there is hope, there is a way. The numbers say there’s little magic in the tank, but often magic comes when you least expect it. It might also come next season. View the full article

In the midst of his ninth season leading the Miami Marlins, Bruce Sherman makes his long awaited Fish Unfiltered debut. The franchise's chairman, principal owner & control person joins Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral to discuss his business successes and remaining goals, the Marlins' 2026 performance on the field, his trust in Peter Bendix, his admiration for Sandy Alcantara and his message to fans who aren't yet convinced that the Fish can contend with MLB's lowest payroll. You can find Fish Unfiltered and Fish On First LIVE on the Fish On First YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your pods. Sherman is fast approaching his ninth anniversary of becoming the Marlins' control person. The team has twice qualified for the MLB postseason during that span (2020 and 2023), and coming out of the All-Star break, they hold the National League's third wild-card spot. However, the Marlins rank 27th in overall winning percentage, ahead of only the Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals and Colorado Rockies. Player payroll has decreased under Sherman's watch, especially when adjusting for inflation. Miami's projected payroll of $75 million this season is easily the league's lowest, per Roster Resource. Despite that, Sherman insists that the franchise is in excellent health financially. To that end, his ownership group spent $1.2 billion to acquire the Marlins in 2017, but a recent transaction involving new minority owners was reportedly based on an updated $1.55 billion valuation. Also, he attributes spending in the areas of technology and player development to the uptick in winning that the Fish have enjoyed dating back to last summer. View the full article

“There were a couple adjustments that we made just [with] my hands.” For Mikey Romero, the 2026 season has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, as he enters the All-Star break hitting .239/.302/.379 in 71 games. Despite that, Romero had one of the strongest months of his professional career during June, when he slashed .300/.375/.571 with five home runs and 12 RBIs, showcasing the offensive talent that the Boston Red Sox have long been betting on. That torrid run continued into July, where he would begin the month 4-for-13 before popping out a rib while attempting to do a weighted squat. Despite the team managing to pop the rib back into place, Romero would miss five games due to overall soreness and the team playing it safe. His first game back resulted in an 0-for-4 showing, but he followed it up by going 2-for-5 along with the walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th on Sunday’s homestand finale. “Early in the year, I hit a lot of balls hard that weren’t falling. The launch angle I was hitting them at I felt like they were more like a line drive, right at people. Which is fine. But I feel like we kind of tried to get me to a spot where the balls I were hitting hard were more in the air so they would result in doubles and homers. The adjustment we made was moving my hands a little bit closer,” Romero explained when asked about his month-long success. The altered hand placement allows him to turn a bit better while swinging. He also credited a more patient approach at the plate for his success, as he walked nine times in 19 June games after walking just 15 times in his first 47 games. The infielder has stayed confident despite the early season slump. After opening the year with a 10-game hitting streak, he saw his monthly numbers plummet to a stat line of .179/.222/.310 with 20 strikeouts to four walks in 20 May games. That confidence paid off thanks to his strong June and the early results from five games in July. It's the kind of performance that could possibly put him back on track to play in the majors for Boston. “If you look at my underlying stuff, I’m one of the best hitters in minor-league baseball. But, obviously, that’s not how the game works. We want the stat lines to look and finally seeing stuff drop [for a hit], just for the mental [health=], that’s good. I hit the ball hard, but seeing it drop in and find holes, it’s been good.” Romero has been working on other aspects of his offense that may not show up in the box score, mentioning that he has worked on cutting down on his strikeouts. That really showed up in June, as he struck out just 15 times after doing so 40 times in his previous 43 games. Defensively, it’s been a season of learning. After the infielder spent spring training working with Isiah Kiner-Falefa and former manager Alex Cora to better learn second base, he’s taken those lessons to heart. And despite switching between second base and third base, Romero feels comfortable at both thanks to the vast number of innings he’s played since last season. “You’re going to get hit stuff harder at you [at third base]. For me, you’re just reacting at third base whereas at second base you have a little more time to get your feet going in the right direction. I’ve played so many innings and gotten so many balls at each position, I feel comfortable. The throw is different and that’ the biggest difference. Second base you can get into a habit of slinging the ball over and then you go to third base, and you are screwed a little because you gotta come back over the top. I’ve been focusing this year at second base is to feed from over the top and not just sling it over there.” Romero understands the ups and downs of a season; he experienced it when injured in 2023 along with coming back from that same injury in 2024. Last year, he had a great offensive season with Portland that saw some struggles upon his promotion to Worcester. If there’s anything he’s learned from over the years, it's that getting better is a process without linear development. “You can’t get too high or too low. I’ve been coming in every day and keeping the same mindset. Even if it’s frustrating, if I have an 0-for-4 and a couple barrels, it’s part of the game. And it’s not going to be the last time that happens.” View the full article

The New York Mets entered the 2026 campaign with big dreams and postseason aspirations. Fast-forward three and a half months, and it’s safe to say that the season has been a complete disaster. They entered the All-Star break with a 40-57 record, the second-worst in the National League. Obviously, the Mets expected to be at or near the top of their division at this point, not at the bottom. The Washington Nationals, one of the worst teams in the league in recent seasons, are eight games ahead of them. Eight. In the middle of all the disappointment, anger, frustration, and sadness associated with the Mets this year, All-Star outfielder Juan Soto has managed to keep his side of the bargain. He is paid to perform like one of the best hitters in MLB, and he has done just that. Even after missing a few games with a calf injury, Soto’s first half has been nothing short of amazing. He is slashing .290/.405/.562 with a 163 wRC+ that ranks fourth in the league among qualified hitters and second in the Senior Circuit behind James Wood’s 166. Juan Soto Is Still A Top-Tier Offensive Machine Here are some of Soto's National League ranks heading into the second half: Batting average: .290 (15th) On-base percentage: .405 (2nd) Slugging percentage: .562 (2nd) wOBA: .408 (2nd) xwOBA: .432 (2nd) BB%: 16.5 (2nd) K%: 12.9 (9th) fWAR: 2.9 (12th) Not too shabby, huh? It has to be heartbreaking for the Mets to have such a gifted offensive player and have nothing to show for it in the standings, but such is life in the competitive National League. New York made countless roster construction mistakes and is paying a hefty price for them, but none of what has happened to this point is Soto’s fault. Soto might not be a vocal leader. He might not be close friends with everybody in the clubhouse. But he doesn’t have to be those things. He just has to work hard, set an example for the young, up-and-coming hitters, and do his thing on the field. And that’s exactly what he does. At a time in which there are few certainties on the Mets, the organization knows that it can count on their big investment to play to the top of his abilities night in and night out. Throughout his Queens tenure thus far, Soto is slashing a jaw-dropping .272/.399/.537 with a .936 OPS, a 161 OPS+, 64 home runs, and 45 stolen bases in a year and a half. He's everything the team has paid him to be. Francisco Lindor might be struggling with the aftermath of his hamate bone surgery, and the young hitters, except A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge, might have failed to establish themselves as viable contributors. The pitching staff might be among the most inconsistent in baseball, with a 4.27 ERA that ranks 18th among 30 squads. Soto, however, is there in every game, representing a huge threat for opposing pitchers and showing the mental toughness, strength, and immense talent to produce even in adverse circumstances. Many fans are surely mad or disappointed at Steven Cohen and, mainly, David Stearns for some of their offseason decisions in the last two years. And yet, you can be sure that getting Soto was, and is, one of the best things they have done for the franchise since taking over. View the full article

Since their inauguration in 1993, the Florida/Miami Marlins have had walk-off wins in just about every way imaginable. Heck, the Marlins even won their first playoff game and first World Series in walk-off fashion. On this day 30 years ago, the Florida Marlins picked up their first-ever win on a walk-off walk. Quilvio Veras drew the free pass to plate in the winning run in a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros. After recording the final out in the eighth inning at Joe Robbie Stadium on July 16, 1996, Todd Jones was sent out to pitch the bottom of the ninth for Houston. Jones started the inning by getting Devon White to fly out. From there on, however, Jones struggled to find the strike zone. Jones walked Greg Colbrunn on four pitches before getting Alex Arias to line out. Charles Johnson followed by drawing a six-pitch walk to put the winning run in scoring position. One pitch later, Jones hit Andre Dawson to load the bases. With Jones struggling to throw strikes, Veras, the Florida lead-off man, was the perfect hitter to come up with the bases loaded. Veras battled by fouling off pitches before taking the seventh pitch of the plate appearance low and inside for ball four, allowing Colbrunn to trot home for the winning run. The Marlins managed just four hits but never trailed in the contest. Veras plated the first run with an RBI single in the third to score Johnson. In the fifth, Johnson’s solo home run extended the lead to 2-0. Houston drew even with a pair of runs in the seventh. After a Ricky Gutiérrez RBI groundout broke up the shutout, Rick Wilkins singled home the tying run. Both starting pitchers allowed just two runs on four hits. Doug Drabek went 7 2/3 innings for the Astros. John Burkett gave the Marlins seven strong innings. Yorkis Pérez worked a scoreless ninth to earn the win. Édgar Rentería had two of the four hits for Florida; Derek Bell had two of the five knocks for the Astros. The Marlins would beat Houston again the following night to complete the three-game series sweep. The 1996 season for Florida would be the best in franchise history to that point with 80 wins. That included seven walk-off wins. The only one that didn’t require a swing came on this day three decades ago. View the full article

A Maryvale player exits due to injury, further highlighting the constraints placed on player development staffs across MiLB and the impact current roster limitations have on the state of baseball, especially at the lower levels. Transaction: Wilson DH/LF Jadyn Fielder traded to Houston for 40-man roster members RHP Lance McCullers, Jr. and LHP Colton Gordon. ACL Rangers 8, ACL Brewers 7, seven innings as scheduled Box Score & Game Log The Brewers took a 7-4 lead with a productive five-run top of the fifth. The first three batters of the inning walked followed by Brailyn Antunez knocking in two with a single. The rest of the inning was a blur for the Rangers' pitchers and catcher, as the Brewers stole four bases, Antunez scored on a wild pitch and Moises Polanco scored on an Engel Paulino hit by pitch. The Rangers manager was also ejected during the inning. It was all for naught, as the Desert Brewers gave one run back in the bottom of the fifth and two in the sixth. Antunez finished 3-4 with a double. Kenny Fenelon was 0-3 with a walk and stole his 22nd base of the season. Roderick Flores and Leonard Rijo both had RBI line drive singles to center to account for the Brewers first two runs of the game. Joan Pena pitched the last two innings giving up three earned runs while allowing three hits and walking three, but five of the six outs he recorded came via the strikeout. Catcher Jonathan Rangel was pulled from the game in the 4th as the game log noted an injury delay as successive run-scoring wild pitches were thrown by RH starter Dariel Jaquez, two of the five thrown by Jacquez in his four innings of work (5 R, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR). Rangel was replaced behind the dish by Malachai Halterman. A third catcher, Freider Rojas, has appeared in 17 games at catcher this season (13 starts). However, if Rangel, who also has 17 starts at first base, were to miss any time, it further depletes an extremely lean roster. The only non-catcher on the bench as this game started was middle infielder CJ Hughes. This lack of stateside roster flexibility across MiLB has been discussed to some extent in the national media this summer. Organizations are limited to 165 non-40-man roster stateside players (those on the 60-day or full-season injured list do not count, though the number of players that can be designated as long-term injured is capped at 15). Jake Mintz, Senior Baseball Writer at Yahoo, wrote an excellent piece on this topic in May, well worth your time: What a 29-2 score says about the state of low-level minor-league baseball — and why MLB fans should care The complex leagues are a vital part of the sport's talent pipeline, yet experts agree that the quality of play on has reached an all-time low The two Dominican League teams return to action Thursday morning, while the Arizona club hosts the Athletics in Maryvale. Full-season affiliates continue to enjoy time off (back in action on Friday). Organizational Scoreboard including starting pitcher info, game times, MiLB TV links, and box scores Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Batting Stats and Depth Current Milwaukee Brewers Organization Pitching Stats and Depth View the full article

The San Diego Padres will be without a key reliever to begin their most important road trip thus far in 2026. Left-hander Wandy Peralta was put on the bereavement list Wednesday by the Padres, who called up right-hander Jhony Brito from Triple-A El Paso. Peralta can be away from the team for up to three days, although with the All-Star break lasting through Thursday, it isn't clear when Peralta must return to the team. Peralta could miss just one game or the entire series against the Kansas City Royals. Peralta has a 3.93 FIP (2.23 ERA) across 41 outings, second-most on the team, and 48⅓ innings. He has a 9.6% walk rate and 15.7% strikeout rate. Brito returned to the Padres on July 7 following an internal brace procedure and flexor tendon surgery from April 2025. He appeared in two games, pitching 4⅓ innings and allowing two runs on three hits and a walk with two strikeouts, before being sent down just Saturday. One of the hits he allowed was a homer. View the full article

TRANSACTIONS No moves were made on Wednesday. State of the System With just one DSL game on the agenda today, it felt wrong to leave a dearth of unused report space here, unwritten and blank, with the lone match as the only discussion point. What fun is that? So, I thought I would shoot from the hip a bit about the state of the farm system, how the minor league season has gone, and how the draft class looks to affect matters. First, this year has been a little disappointing amongst the best in the system. Not bad, just a little disappointing. Perhaps no individual outcome so far has been worse than Emmanuel Rodriguez, who continues to be plagued by injuries, and is suddenly staring down the barrel of having two option seasons burned before he can even reach the majors. That’s tough. Not just for Rodriguez’s development, but for the Twins, who could run into roster logistical issues trying to integrate him into the major league roster (assuming he stays healthy enough to even be able to play). So, thank the Lord for Marek Houston. What a season so far. He’s hit the ground running, and hitting, and fielding. He played his way to AA less than a month ago and has played essentially the same in a small sample; he remains a contact-oriented slick-fielding machine more akin to a shortstop in the aughts and throughout the 2000s before the position grew as powerful as any on the diamond (not that the 6’3” Houston doesn’t look the modern part). Between him and Kaelen Culpepper, it seems likely the Twins have a shortstop of the future currently residing in their farm system. The pitching is… in a strange place. It’s hard to say the group is weak considering Connor Prielipp and Andrew Morris graduated into major league contributors, which places them in an awkward “non-prospect youngster” tier. Still, matters aren’t ideal. Dasan Hill has struggled mightily. Charlee Soto is technically back but only has 2 2/3 innings under his belt. Riley Quick has struggled to throw strikes. Kendry Rojas has struggled to throw strikes. Adrian Bohorquez has struggled to throw strikes. Marco Raya and C.J. Culpepper are relievers. There’s no one yet like a Zebby Matthews or David Festa from years before who breaks out as a late-round college pitcher the team develops into a major league arm. Finally, I’m beyond excited for Vahn Lackey. What a dynamo. The Twins found themselves in a situation like 2023, with an opportunity to take one of the few blue-chip guys in the draft, and Lackey was their reward. He’ll add a solid injection into what is already a thoroughly talented system, and—like with Houston and Culpepper—Minnesota now likely has a long-term fixture at catcher in their organization, whether it be Lackey or Eduardo Tait. Dominican Daily DSL Twins 7, DSL Rangers Red 8 Box Score Yolcar Garcia: 3 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K HR: None Multi-hit games: Juan Holmann (2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB), Anibal Beltre (2-for-5, 2B, R) The DSL Twins lost on a walk-off on Wednesday. This was a DSL game through and through, with hits and walks aplenty, and unearned runs costing the Twins badly. Anibal Beltre led the charge offensively: the 17-year-old stroked a double, and singled. The lineup as a whole flourished, with every batter sans Emmanuel Merlo reaching base safely, and only the aforementioned Merlo and Jeferson Abreu failed to get a hit. Alam Soriano was perhaps the best pitcher of the day, though Arthur De La Cruz flashed quality until the ninth collapsed on him. Soriano covered 3 1/3 innings, allowing a run when Carlos Done tripled for the second time of the day and scored on a sacrifice fly. De La Cruz breezed through the eighth before an error greeted him in the ninth. Faced with trouble, De La Cruz surrendered a single, struck out two, walked two, then watched helplessly as Wisarly Rosario gave up the game-winning knock. TWINS DAILY PLAYERS OF THE DAY Twins Daily Minor League Pitcher of the Day – Alam Soriano Twins Daily Minor League Hitter of the Day – Anibal Beltre PROSPECT SUMMARY Here’s a look at how the Twins Daily Top 20 Twins Prospects performed: THURSDAY’S PROBABLE STARTERS FCL Pirates @ FCL Twins (11:00 AM) - TBD View the full article

Shortly after Gold Glove shortstop Dansby Swanson had a 10-game stretch for the history books, his left-side counterpart in third baseman Alex Bregman showed signs of heating up heading into the All-Star Break. The veteran corner infielder is still on track to have a down season by his standards, but let’s dive into what metrics could imply that he’s capable of salvaging a promising first year in the Friendly Confines. Alex Bregman's First-Half Struggles and Second-Half Hopes For starters, Bregman is a 32-year-old veteran who is on his third team in as many seasons. After being a pivotal part of the Houston Astros for nine years, he spent a season with the Boston Red Sox before joining the Cubs for the first time in 2026. Heading into the second half, he has nine home runs, 41 runs batted in and is slashing .241/.336/.359 with a .696 OPS, a mark that would be the lowest of his career to date. To make matters worse, Bregman is in the first year of a five-year, $175 million contract with Chicago. It’s a deal that pays out $35 million per year on average, and he simply hasn’t provided the offensive firepower the Cubs were expecting for most of the season so far. A Rough June Bregman experienced his fair share of peaks and valleys to start the year, but he struggled mightily in the month of June. The veteran infielder slashed .200/.348/.300 with two home runs and 12 runs batted in over 90 at-bats. He got on base a decent amount, but the slugging percentage took a huge hit and has stayed in the .300s for the majority of this season. Advanced Power Numbers Bregman’s power numbers have been the most glaring issue for him so far, and it isn’t just because he’s yet to hit his 10th home run. Most of the power-hitting analytics imply that he simply isn’t a “thumper” anymore. Let’s start with his bat speed; Bregman’s stick gets through the zone at just 69.8 miles per hour, putting him in the 17th percentile among big league hitters (per Baseball Savant). Other analytics follow as expected, with Bregman generating a below-average exit velocity of 87.9 miles per hour, placing him in the 27th percentile. His barrel percentage (4.2, 17th percentile) and hard-hit percentage (35.5, 28th percentile) all lead to a common denominator: Bregman is not the 25-homer threat he once was in Houston. Mature Approach That doesn't have to be a death knell for his value, though. He is still flexing one of the most mature approaches in all of baseball. Players who can walk almost as often as they strike out will have a future in this league, and much like last year’s huge acquisition in Kyle Tucker, Bregman is doing just that. His strikeout rate of just 15.3 percent is one of the best in the game, slotting him in the 80th percentile. His walk rate, meanwhile, is well above average at 11.4 percent, putting him in the 76th percentile. This has been a trend for Bregman’s whole career, as he’s walked 676 times and struck out on 782 occasions in 5,758 plate appearances. A Subtle, Key Adjustment While the law of large numbers (i.e., sample size) will kick in, and Bregman should get closer to his career averages in the second half, he may be better suited trying to rope doubles in the gap instead of hitting for true home run power. Bregman seems to be making that adjustment, as his average launch angle has gone down in back-to-back years and is a full 1.1 degrees shallower than his 18.2 degree mark in 2024. With his average exit velocity reading the second lowest number in his career, more line drives may could suit a slugger in the back half of his career. They'd also better suit Wrigley Field's generous alleyways, which are far more hitter-friendly than the dead-pull zone in left field Bregman has targeted since his days with the Astros. View the full article

The Cubs selected Florida State first baseman Myles Bailey with the No. 75 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. In this video, we cover his injury-shortened 2026 season, where he slugged .913 with 13 home runs in 26 games before an ankle injury ended his year, his two-year 1.222 OPS at Florida State, his reputation for some of the best raw power in the class, and how he fits Chicago's power-hungry farm system. View the full article

The Brewers selected Florida outfielder Kyle Jones with the No. 102 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, their second straight college outfielder. In this video, we cover his path from Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year at Stetson, through the shoulder surgery that limited him to four games in his first Florida season, to his 2026 bounce-back, where he hit .317 with 16 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 58 games. View the full article

The Twins selected Virginia Tech right-hander Brett Renfrow with the No. 74 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft. In this video, we cover his three years as a Hokies starter, including a 2026 season with 88 strikeouts against 25 walks in 73.2 innings, his fastball that reached 98 with a deep secondary mix, his strike-throwing profile, and why his ACC experience could put him on a fast track. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins are just one game below .500 and only three games back of the White Sox and Guardians in the AL Central. For most of the season, they've been viewed as deadline sellers, but that might not end up being the case. Their offense has been the best in the AL this season, and a few additions to the pitching staff might get them over the hump. The bullpen, in particular, has been extremely shaky. So, who are some relief pitchers the Twins could target over the next couple of weeks? Here are three names that make a lot of sense. Kenley Jansen On paper, the Tigers probably have the best roster in the AL Central. But in fact, they're eight games below .500, and Jansen is a 38-year-old reliever. There have been injuries. There have been blowups. There have even been way too many walks, which is a bit uncharacteristic. Jansen is one of the best closers of his generation, but he's very much in the later stages of his career. He's no longer the guy who carved out a plausibly Hall of Fame-caliber career shutting the door in the ninth inning. But that's also exactly why he feels like such an intriguing buy-low candidate, should Detroit be willing to move him to a division rival. The underlying metrics offer a lot more encouragement than the ERA does. Jansen owns a 3.82 expected ERA and continues to limit hard contact at a very impressive rate. While the cutter isn't the 98-MPH weapon it once was, he's still throwing it over 80% of the time, and hitters aren't doing much with it. He can still be one of the most uncomfortable at-bats in baseball when he's commanding that pitch. He can't be the relief ace that every contender is chasing at the deadline, which could work in Minnesota's favor. If the Twins are looking for an experienced late-inning arm without paying a premium prospect cost, Jansen feels like someone who could really stabilize this bullpen. Brock Burke Burke profiles similarly to Jansen, in the sense that both have struggled with command this season, but both are also excellent at limiting hard contact. Burke's hard-hit rate sits in the 90th percentile of all pitchers, and until this season, he consistently generated a ton of ground balls. That's been one of the biggest differences in 2026. Formerly a reliable ground-ball arm with solid command, Burke and the Reds made a few adjustments to both his delivery and pitch mix entering the season. Neither has really worked. He's lost the strike zone far more often than in previous years, and his ground-ball rate has dropped roughly 13 percentage points from where it was a year ago. Even with those issues, though, Burke has still managed to post a 3.02 ERA. The Twins wouldn't necessarily be acquiring him for what he's looked like over the last few months. They'd be betting on getting him back to the pitcher he had been for several years before that. As a low-salary rental arm, Burke is exactly the type of reliever teams love taking a chance on at the deadline, hoping a new coaching staff can unlock the version of the pitcher that's been buried underneath ill-conceived adjustments. Minnesota could certainly use another dependable left-handed reliever. Kody Funderburk and Kendry Rojas have both bounced between Triple-A and the major leagues this season, leaving the Twins without much consistency from the left side of the bullpen. Burke could provide exactly that, and since he'll be a free agent after the season, it wouldn't take much to bring him to Minnesota. Keaton Winn Of the three pitchers mentioned here, Winn would almost certainly cost the most to acquire. He's putting together an excellent season with the Giants, posting a 3.09 ERA across 32 innings while striking out 26 batters compared to just 10 walks. Unlike some of the other bullpen options who may become available, command really isn't a concern with Winn. He also comes with something teams always value: club control. Winn still has another year of pre-arbitration remaining on his contract, meaning the Twins would have him under team control well beyond this season. That added value is almost certainly going to increase the asking price, but it's also part of what makes him such an attractive target. Beyond his contract situation, this is an arm that could really benefit the Twins. Winn is one of the best pitchers in baseball at generating weak contact. His average exit velocity allowed and hard-hit rate both rank in at least the 95th percentile among major-league pitchers, while his barrel rate isn't far behind, in the 88th percentile. He throws strikes, he throws hard, and he keeps the ball on the ground. That's exactly the type of profile the Twins could use at the back end of their bullpen. Adding Winn wouldn't just be about fixing a problem for the rest of 2026. It would also strengthen Minnesota's relief corps moving forward, giving them another controllable late-inning option alongside the pieces already in place. Whether the Twins ultimately decide to buy or sell over the next few weeks will depend on how they play leading up to the deadline. But if they continue hovering around a playoff spot, standing pat probably isn't the best option. The offense has already proven it's capable of carrying this team. Now, it's up to the front office to decide whether adding to the bullpen is enough to turn the Twins from a fringe Wild Card contender into a legitimate playoff threat. Kenley Jansen, Brock Burke, and Keaton Winn are three relievers who could help make that happen. Let me know down in the comments what other relief pitchers you'd like to see the Twins go after! View the full article

It's not hard to see what the Brewers like about Colton Gordon. He's not a standout guy, but he has upside. The 6-foot-4 lefty gets down the mound well and has plus extension, which the Brewers always love. He's shown the ability to work east and west with a sweeper and a slow but slurvy curveball, and he's shown the feel to create depth with his changeup. There are just two problems: he doesn't throw hard, and so far, he sucks. In 95 1/3 innings over 24 appearances in the majors going back to 2025, Gordon has a 5.95 career ERA. This season, he's spent most of his time in the minors—not because the Astros haven't needed him, but because he's surrendered six home runs in 50 batters faced and his ERA is on the wrong side of 11.00. He's had steady and impressive success at Triple-A Sugar Land over the last two and a half seasons, with an ERA under 4.00 each year as a starter, but that hasn't carried over to the majors. He throws 91 miles per hour, and the shapes of his fastballs just don't work. He has below-average carry on his four-seamer, even for a low three-quarters arm slot, and he doesn't get the heavy action you'd like on his sinker, either. Nothing sets up his softer stuff well, so despite what looks like a plus sweeper in a vacuum, he runs into barrels way too often and can't consistently miss bats the way he needs to. On the other hand, he fills up the strike zone exceptionally well. Between Triple-A and the majors, Gordon has faced 958 batters since the start of last season. He's only walked 52 of them. He's allowed more homers (27) than free passes (22) in his brief big-league career. Though that sinker lacks the movement you'd prefer to see from it, he locates so well with it that hitters rarely do damage. He has good feel for the sweeper to the glove side and the curveball as a backdoor offering against righties. He's just in the middle of the plate with that hittable four-seamer far too often. As the Brewers take control of Gordon, they probably do so without grand plans. He's good depth to have, with a demonstrated ability to start and throw strikes and one more year of optionability beyond this season. However, they might also have multiple ways to unlock him and get more from him, in the short and the long term. First, expect them to ask him to lean into his sinker and cutter a bit more, at least for the balance of this season. The former should work well against lefties, and even against righties, using that pitch more at the expense of the four-seamer should allow the defense to work behind him. Gordon's cutter has been more slider-like this season than in the past, and is slowly replacing a true slider as his sixth pitch, but Chris Hook and Jim Henderson might ask him to tinker with the harder, more fastball-flavored version of that offering for a bit. Just as importantly, though, the team will almost surely make some mechanical changes. You can see a Brewers-like pitcher in the body of Gordon, but not in the way he moves it. He starts on the third-base side of the rubber and uses a fairly extreme crossfire stride pattern. The Brewers are likely to move him to the first-base side and try to get him on a slightly straighter line to the plate, without losing the facility with the zone that is his trademark skill. With a bit better posture near release, he can also naturally lower his arm slot and add deception to his fastball. TkFOMzJfWGw0TUFRPT1fQlFsVFVGTUhVUUlBV1ZwWFVnQUhCQTlVQUZnRlZGTUFCd0JUVWxaV0J3VURWbEFB.mp4 As strange as it sounds for a 27-year-old with subpar velocity and so much polish in terms of strike-throwing, the Brewers will see Gordon as a ball of clay with real potential. His delivery doesn't fit their preferences, but it shows the mobility they need to make the changes they'll want. His pitch mix is unimpressive, but the differences between the pitching philosophies of the Astros and Milwaukee leave ample room for tweaks even before they make any big physical changes. Gordon is insurance, for now, for a team that needed reinforcement because of injuries and medium-term durability concerns among their stable of existing hurlers. He can be a lot more, though. As Bob Howsam built some great teams as the general manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1960s and the Cincinnati Reds from the late 1960s through the late 1970s, he gained a reputation for frequently extracting a throw-in player in trades who turned out to be much more than that. Matt Arnold is getting exceptionally good at the same thing. Not all multi-player deals have that dynamic, but just as the one that brought in Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton and Shane Drohan felt that way, this one does. Lance McCullers Jr. has the big name, and he's at least a bit more likely to help the Brewers for the balance of 2026. They would not have made this deal without also acquiring Gordon, though, and a year from now, Gordon's stock is likely to be higher than it is right now. He's a quintessential Brewers pickup, and an excellent candidate to get a boost from a spin through the H & H Car Wash. View the full article

Could there be another blockbuster involving the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees? The Yankees are reportedly interested in All-Star Padres closer Mason Miller, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The two teams hooked up in the 2023 offseason blockbuster in which the Padres shipped superstar outfielder Juan Soto and center fielder Trent Grisham to the Yankees for pitchers Michael King, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe and catcher Kyle Higashioka. Miller would give the Yankees a better back end of the bullpen, moving current closer David Bednar to a setup role. Bednar is also a free agent following this season, while Miller is under club control through 2029. The Yankees have a few pitching prospects to dangle in front of the Padres, including right-handers Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange and Ben Hess. Top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. is likely off the table unless there is more involved coming from the Friars. Rodriguez made his MLB debut in June, appearing in four games, while Lagrange is at Triple-A and Hess at Double-A. As the Padres have found out this year, you can never have too much pitching depth. View the full article

There are three main ways to thrive in player acquisition as a major-league ball club: nail free agency; make brilliant trades; or draft sharply and develop well. The Minnesota Twins got the big names like Vahn Lackey early on, but they also swiped some steals in the 2026 MLB Draft. Let’s dive in. Tommy LaPour (Round 4, Pick 107) A dearth of pitching depth has been a hot topic for the Twins lately, so it should come as no shock that they used three straight picks (starting in Competitive Balance Round B) to address that need. Tommy LaPour could go down as a serious bargain buy. The TCU right-handed pitcher could’ve gone earlier in the draft, per MLB.com, but elbow issues stifled his 2026 campaign and knocked his draft stock down a bit. LaPour looked remarkable in the 2025 season, registering an 8-3 record with a 3.09 earned run average and 88 punchouts over 90 1/3 innings pitched. LaPour’s fastball leads his arsenal, coming in with a 60 grade on MLB Pipeline’s 20-to-80 scouting grade scale. The 21-year-old can push his fastball through the zone in the 95-98 MPH range (and he has reached 101 before), with plenty of sinking action. His secondary offering is a mid-80s slider, operating with two-plane depth and coming in at a 55 grade. LaPour is still learning to harness the breaking ball, as he can’t always control the pitch or land it for strikes on command. Thomas Burns (Round 8, Pick 227) One could argue the Twins got Thomas Burns right around his true value, as Minnesota picked MLB Pipeline’s 221st-ranked draft prospect in the 227th spot. Another pitcher, Burns works with a large frame and can do serious damage with his fastball. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Hortonville, Wis. product has a 70-grade fastball that sits between 95-98 miles per hour. Burns was a rotational piece for the Arizona State Sun Devils before tendinitis pushed him to the injured list and eventually led him to relief obligations with the Texas Longhorns. Burns only managed an unsightly 5.64 ERA this year, but he struck out an impressive 42% of his opposing hitters. Burns also flashes a 50-grade cutter, but he struggles to land the bullet-spin breaker for strikes. His stuff can be overpowering, but the 35-grade control means that he's often working from behind or catching too much of the zone. If the Twins can toy with a pretty complex delivery and shave down what was a 16% walk rate over three years in college, this could be a dynamite reliever. Aidan Teel (Round 11, Pick 317) Aidan Teel is the final member of this list, and his last name is no coincidence. The brother of former first-round pick Kyle Teel, Aidan proved to be a key piece in Mississippi State’s success throughout the 2026 season. The red-shirt Junior was set up to have a decorated season, and was the 28th-ranked outfielder in the country, per D1Baseball; 82nd-ranked junior, per Perfect Game; and even a Preseason All-American Fourth Team honoree. Teel was a cornerstone for this year’s group. He put up a .294 batting average with five home runs, 22 runs batted in and a .449 slugging percentage. He hit north of the .300 mark over a pair of seasons before this, showcasing an ability to hit at a high level while walking (52) nearly as much as he struck out (70) over his collegiate career. He's not as talented as his brother, but between his family ties and his production, there's cause to hope that he'll be much better than your standard-issue 11th-rounder. View the full article

It's great to be recognized by your peers, as Pete Crow-Armstrong was when the Cubs center fielder was selected for the National League All-Star team by player vote. It's great to play on a field with the very best of your peers, as Crow-Armstrong did when he replaced starter Andy Pages mid-game Tuesday night. There's just one problem: Arguably, Crow-Armstrong has no peers right now. At the All-Star break, Crow-Armstrong is on pace to meet each of the following criteria this season, according to Baseball Reference: 40 or more batting runs above average 5 or more baserunning runs above average 15 or more fielding runs above average That magnitude of well-rounded excellence is extremely rare. How much so? Here are all the player-seasons that meet those three criteria, in baseball history: Willie Mays, 1958 Henry Aaron, 1961 Mays, 1964 Rickey Henderson, 1980 Henderson, 1990 Craig Biggio, 1997 Álex Rodríguez, 2000 Mike Trout, 2012 Mookie Betts, 2018 There have, of course, been several other seasons in which a player was more valuable overall, and simply had their value more concentrated in their bat and/or glove. The list above, though, is a pretty neat collection of the best players in the history of the game, in terms of showing all five tools and the remarkable ability to put all of them to work at once. But wait! The company gets even more exclusive. Since May 22, Crow-Armstrong has been on such a torrid pace at the plate that, if he keeps up at anywhere near that clip, he could get to 50 batting runs. If he does, he'll be in a group barely half that size. Only Mays (both years), Henderson (1990 only), Rodríguez, Trout and Betts have gotten to 50 batting runs in a season in which they were also so good in the field and on the bases. Neither metrically (you aren't obligated to believe that the values assigned by Baseball Reference are correct, especially when it comes to fielding) nor philosophically does this exclude considering other players as the game's most well-rounded ever. Johnny Bench had extraordinary value as an elite hitter and superb defensive catcher, and he ran well, too—for a catcher. It's not wholly fair to punish such a player for not being an elite baserunner, and after all, baserunning is much less important than hitting or fielding, even if it's disproportionately fun to watch and can feel game-breaking when done at the level we've seen from Crow-Armstrong. Cal Ripken Jr. wasn't consistently elite with the bat, but for a long time, he was an excellent defensive shortstop, and he had two years (1984 and 1991) when he easily cleared the non-baserunning thresholds here. Roberto Clemente was incredibly well-rounded; Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio have to come up in this conversation. Shohei Ohtani is, of course, a unique case. Still, you can argue cogently that Crow-Armstrong is in a race to join a list of the half-dozen most well-rounded superstars in baseball history. Comps to Mays, Henderson, Rodríguez, Trout or even Betts would have felt ludicrously optimistic even a few months ago, but the talent Crow-Armstrong is putting on display has gone from powerful but conventional to nuclear. He's turned a corner at the plate, and as a result, his all-around excellence has reached a new level. In the unofficial second half of the season, one of the best stories around the Cubs will be whether their best player can complete his MVP case and claim a place among the best players ever—if only, so far, for one season. View the full article

We're at the MLB All-Star break, and the Chicago Cubs finished strong. What are the expectations the rest of the way? Who played the role of hero in the first half? Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-north-side-baseball-podcast/id1798599313 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/75wMGhBwlrDDYPt3kaF453 Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-north-side-baseball-po-268998437/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/eey7h6ih Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@northsidebaseball View the full article

The next 16 games may determine the direction of the Minnesota Twins for years to come. The 2026 MLB Trade Deadline has become a franchise-altering moment for an organization that wasn't expected to contend this season. Minnesota has surged into a tie for the final American League Wild Card spot thanks to an impressive stretch leading into the All-Star Break, putting the club on the verge of climbing back to .500. That unexpected success has complicated what once looked like an obvious selling period at the deadline. While the Twins have exceeded expectations, they're still trying to balance a surprising postseason push against the long-term outlook of a roster that may not yet be ready to seriously challenge for a World Series title. No player embodies that dilemma more than Joe Ryan. Diamond Centric recently ranked Ryan as the No. 2 player with a chance to be traded before the deadline, citing his combination of durability, swing-and-miss stuff, and remaining club control as attributes that make him one of the most desirable starters available. The rankings noted that Ryan continues to miss bats at an elite level despite not overpowering hitters with velocity, relying instead on multiple fastball shapes, a deep mix of breaking pitches, and an occasional splitter that neutralizes left-handed hitters. He's also continued to pair high strikeout totals with excellent command while significantly reducing the home run issues that occasionally plagued him earlier in his career. With Ryan coming off a second consecutive All-Star appearance, his value may never be higher. That leaves Minnesota with four realistic options. Option 1: Trade Ryan at the Peak of His Value If maximizing organizational value is the goal, this is likely the strongest argument. Starting pitchers carry enormous value at the deadline—especially frontline arms with another full season of team control remaining. Ryan isn't a rental. Any acquiring club would have him through the 2027 season, allowing Minnesota to command one of the biggest prospect packages available this summer. Pitchers are also notoriously unpredictable. Ryan has established himself as one of the American League's better starters, but there are no guarantees that continues. He's faded somewhat during the second half in recent seasons, and every pitcher carries injury risk. The Twins have already experienced that harsh reality this year after Pablo López suffered an elbow injury during spring training that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Trading Ryan would undoubtedly hurt the 2026 club. It would also signal that the organization isn't prioritizing this year's playoff chase. However, if the Twins believe they're still a year or two away from legitimate championship contention, adding another premium group of prospects to one of baseball's highest-ranked farm systems could accelerate the next competitive window. It would be difficult for fans to accept, but championship organizations often make uncomfortable decisions before they become obvious ones. Option 2: Hold Ryan and Trade Him This Winter The middle ground may be waiting. Ryan remains under team control through the 2027 season, meaning Minnesota wouldn't lose much leverage by waiting until the offseason. In fact, there is a blueprint for that approach. The Milwaukee Brewers, another small-market organization that has consistently developed high-end starting pitching, have frequently traded pitchers with roughly one season of control remaining. More often than not, those deals have come during the winter rather than at the deadline, allowing Milwaukee to better evaluate its roster before making a franchise-changing move. The Twins could take a similar path. Waiting would also allow them to see whether this surprising second-half push develops into a legitimate postseason run. If Minnesota reaches October, Ryan would be central to those hopes. Still, there are risks. The possibility of a looming lockout following the season could create an abbreviated offseason with a much smaller trade window than normal. If negotiations between MLB owners and the Players Association disrupt the calendar, the Twins may not have the luxury of patiently shopping Ryan throughout the winter. Instead of maximizing leverage, they could find themselves trying to complete a blockbuster under an accelerated timeline. Option 3: Keep Ryan Into 2027 and Reevaluate at Next Year's Trade Deadline The Twins also have the option of delaying the decision for another full year. If Minnesota believes its young core is capable of taking another step in 2027, Ryan could remain at the front of the rotation and help lead another postseason push. Should the Twins find themselves back in contention, keeping him would be an easy decision. However, if the season unfolds differently and the club falls out of the playoff race, Ryan could become one of the premier names available at the 2027 MLB Trade Deadline. The return likely wouldn't match what Minnesota could receive this summer. At that point, Ryan would be a true rental with only a few months remaining before free agency, limiting the number of years of team control that acquiring clubs value so highly. Even so, frontline starting pitching is always in demand at the deadline, and recent history has shown that contenders are willing to pay significant prospect capital for impact arms, even on expiring contracts. The downside is obvious. By waiting another year, the Twins would assume another full season of injury risk and the possibility that Ryan's performance declines. They would also lose the leverage that comes with offering an additional season of team control. Still, if the organization believes it can compete in 2027, keeping Ryan for another season while preserving the option to move him next July could provide the best balance between trying to win now and recouping value later. It wouldn't maximize his trade return, but it would give the Twins one more opportunity to contend before making a franchise-changing decision. Option 4: Keep Ryan Through Free Agency The simplest option may also be the riskiest. Minnesota could simply keep Ryan through the remainder of his arbitration years and allow him to anchor the rotation through the end of the 2027 season. If he departs in free agency, the Twins could extend him a qualifying offer and potentially receive draft pick compensation if he signs elsewhere. That strategy would allow the current core to compete while providing some long-term value if Ryan eventually leaves. But there are significant unknowns. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement expires after the 2026 season, meaning there's no guarantee the qualifying offer system even exists by the time Ryan reaches free agency. Banking on draft compensation that may disappear would be a considerable gamble. Even if the qualifying offer remains intact, injuries can dramatically change a player's value overnight. López's season-ending elbow injury served as another reminder that pitchers represent one of baseball's most volatile assets. Waiting always introduces the possibility that circumstances change before the Twins have another opportunity to capitalize on Ryan's value. A Defining Decision There isn't a wrong answer. Trading Ryan now likely maximizes his value and could further strengthen an already impressive farm system. Waiting until the winter gives the Twins more time to evaluate whether this season is the beginning of something larger while still preserving much of his trade value. Keeping him through 2027 prioritizes winning at the major league level but exposes the organization to significant financial, injury, and collective bargaining risks. What makes the decision so fascinating is that all four paths are defensible. The Twins weren't expected to be here. Their resurgence has forced the front office to weigh the excitement of an unexpected playoff chase against the discipline required to build the next championship-caliber roster. Whatever direction they choose with Ryan won't simply shape the remainder of 2026—it could define the organization's trajectory for years to come. What is the best option for the Twins? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article