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The Minnesota Twins are adding some major league experience to their minor league coaching staff. Former MLB outfielder José Martínez announced Friday that he is beginning a new chapter as a hitting coach in the Twins organization. The move brings a familiar name to baseball fans who followed his productive seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. According to the reported hiring, Martínez will work as a minor league hitting coach. This will be his first coaching position in affiliated baseball. A Productive Major League Career Martínez is best remembered for his time in St. Louis from 2016 through 2019. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals late in 2016 before quickly establishing himself as a productive offensive option. In 2017, he hit .309/.379/.518 with 14 home runs and 46 RBI across 106 games. He followed that performance with a .305 batting average, 17 home runs, and 83 RBI in 152 games during the 2018 season.The 2019 campaign brought another 10 home runs, giving Martínez three consecutive seasons with double-digit home run totals. Across 432 games with St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and the Chicago Cubs, Martínez collected 360 hits, 43 home runs, and 182 RBI. His career slash line was .289/.356/.447. His 118 wRC+ indicates he produced offensively at a rate 18% above league average. Martínez wasn't a hitter who relied exclusively on home runs. His career batting average and on-base percentage point to someone who consistently found ways to reach base, while his power numbers show he could do damage when he connected. Young hitters in the organization will have an opportunity to learn from someone who experienced success against big league pitching. A New Chapter After an Unfortunate Injury Martínez's playing career also included some setbacks. After being traded to Tampa Bay, he split the 2020 season between the Rays and Cubs. He signed with the New York Mets before the 2021 season, hoping to compete for a roster spot, but suffered a torn meniscus during spring training. The injury happened as he pursued a batted ball and attempted to avoid a collision with the first base umpire. Martínez underwent surgery and missed the entire season. He never returned to the major leagues. He continued playing in Mexico and winter baseball in Venezuela before wrapping up his playing career in 2025. Now, he gets an opportunity to share those experiences with the next generation of players. What Martínez Brings to Minnesota The Twins have continued building out the staff responsible for developing their minor league talent. Adding a former major league hitter with Martínez's track record gives the organization another perspective in its efforts to help young players refine their approaches. His journey also provides an example for prospects working toward their own big league opportunities. Martínez worked through years of professional baseball before establishing himself in the majors. He understands the challenges of earning opportunities and making adjustments against increasingly difficult competition. His first assignment in affiliated coaching will be a new challenge, but his playing career gives him a strong foundation. The Twins are hoping that experience translates into helping the next wave of Minnesota hitters take another step toward the major leagues. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins are adding some major league experience to their minor league coaching staff. Former MLB outfielder José Martínez announced Friday that he is beginning a new chapter as a hitting coach in the Twins organization. The move brings a familiar name to baseball fans who followed his productive seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. According to the reported hiring, Martínez will work as a minor league hitting coach. This will be his first coaching position in affiliated baseball. A Productive Major League Career Martínez is best remembered for his time in St. Louis from 2016 through 2019. He made his major league debut with the Cardinals late in 2016 before quickly establishing himself as a productive offensive option. In 2017, he hit .309/.379/.518 with 14 home runs and 46 RBI across 106 games. He followed that performance with a .305 batting average, 17 home runs, and 83 RBI in 152 games during the 2018 season.The 2019 campaign brought another 10 home runs, giving Martínez three consecutive seasons with double-digit home run totals. Across 432 games with St. Louis, Tampa Bay, and the Chicago Cubs, Martínez collected 360 hits, 43 home runs, and 182 RBI. His career slash line was .289/.356/.447. His 118 wRC+ indicates he produced offensively at a rate 18% above league average. Martínez wasn't a hitter who relied exclusively on home runs. His career batting average and on-base percentage point to someone who consistently found ways to reach base, while his power numbers show he could do damage when he connected. Young hitters in the organization will have an opportunity to learn from someone who experienced success against big league pitching. A New Chapter After an Unfortunate Injury Martínez's playing career also included some setbacks. After being traded to Tampa Bay, he split the 2020 season between the Rays and Cubs. He signed with the New York Mets before the 2021 season, hoping to compete for a roster spot, but suffered a torn meniscus during spring training. The injury happened as he pursued a batted ball and attempted to avoid a collision with the first base umpire. Martínez underwent surgery and missed the entire season. He never returned to the major leagues. He continued playing in Mexico and winter baseball in Venezuela before wrapping up his playing career in 2025. Now, he gets an opportunity to share those experiences with the next generation of players. What Martínez Brings to Minnesota The Twins have continued building out the staff responsible for developing their minor league talent. Adding a former major league hitter with Martínez's track record gives the organization another perspective in its efforts to help young players refine their approaches. His journey also provides an example for prospects working toward their own big league opportunities. Martínez worked through years of professional baseball before establishing himself in the majors. He understands the challenges of earning opportunities and making adjustments against increasingly difficult competition. His first assignment in affiliated coaching will be a new challenge, but his playing career gives him a strong foundation. The Twins are hoping that experience translates into helping the next wave of Minnesota hitters take another step toward the major leagues. View the full article

It's a silly exercise to do at the beginning of November, but if the season were to begin tomorrow, the San Diego Padres rotation would read something like this: Joe Musgrove, Randy Vásquez, JP Sears, and some mixture of Kyle Hart, Jhony Brito, and Yu Darvish. To say that this group is the most important to address this winter would serve as a massive understatement. The Padres need starting pitching in a way that is more pressing than that of any individual team in any individual phase of any roster. Actually acquiring help in the rotation, though, is easier said than done. The free-agent market is incredibly top-heavy, and it's not as if the Friars are going to be alone in their pursuit of starting arms. As the team also works with a depleted farm system, they're going to have to leverage at least a couple of names from the current big-league roster to satisfy their needs via trade. But who exactly is up for sale? The immediate assumption is that the team would look to move a catcher in such a deal. Ethan Salas arrived at the top level in September and considering the amount run he got down the stretch, it seems like a safe assumption to think that he'll begin 2027 as the No. 1 catcher. That means that, just as they finished 2026, the team would have three catchers on their roster when you take each of Freddy Fermin & Luis Campusano into account. That formula did, technically, work down the stretch. As Salas adjusted to the top level, the team ran him out until the late innings when Craig Stammen turned to Freddy Fermin. Campusano was mixed in as a regular starter too as he demonstrated significant defensive improvement and the most offensive upside of the trio. As such, it's not a situation that the Padres would necessarily want to rid themselves of. You have a blend of defensive and offensive upside in Salas, defensive excellence in Fermin, and reaching-average defensive quality combined with big power upside in Campusano. They don't have to move one. From a roster construction standpoint, however, it's going to be the best option. The catcher position is a rather starved one throughout the league. While Salas won't be included as part of any discussion, each of Fermin & Campusano present plenty of value for prospective teams that need help behind the plate in some form. Perhaps a team with solid organizational infrastructure can help Campusano take the final steps in his defensive growth while desiring to add his bat. Or the inverse, wherein a team needs to boost their glove work behind the plate and turns to someone like Fermin. Either way, this is where the Padres are going to be able to derive immediate value. One of them alone isn't going to net a starter for the front of the rotation, but someone who can handle innings in the latter half of it? Probably. The only other spot in the positional sense where the Padres could leverage their active roster is at second base. Jake Cronenworth feels like a prime change-of-scenery candidate; he hasn't realized the offensive upside he set forth in 2021 but still has a good approach and a bit of versatility to his game. His contract is far more reasonable than he gets credit for, with an $11.43 million AAV through 2030. The caveat with a Cronenworth deal is that where you're getting certainty in an addition like Fermin or Campusano, you're not getting it with him. He missed a chunk of time with a concussion last season and never really gained his footing afterwards. His approach is his hallmark, with power manifesting only occasionally. A team that takes on that contract isn't going to want to part with much. If anything, this would be something like your classic change-of-scenery swap wherein a pitcher with some upside and some team control could see Cronenworth on his way out. You have to squint far more to see this work than you would with the catchers, though. It also stands to reason that the Padres should utilize their relief arms to garner some help on the starting side. The bullpen isn't quite as robust as it was last winter given the imminent departures of Adrian Morejon & Jason Adam, but there are still some intriguing trade candidates. Don't forget that the Padres have been able to repeatedly develop arms for the late innings, which makes trading a leverage reliever now a little easier to stomach. There's a nuclear option here in Mason Miller that could yield a far more notable arm than the others. However, it's also possible that Jeremiah Estrada or David Morgan or Bradgley Rodríguez could be leveraged in some way as well, if not alone then as part of a larger package. This isn't nearly as obvious a route to take as it was last winter, but it remains possible nevertheless. That's kind of the whole list. The Padres aren't going to trade any of their core bats (nor is a team going to take on Xander Bogaerts, the one they actually would). Whether or not the Friars would be able to execute a 1-for-1 swap with any of the names that could, conceivably, be available is unclear. It may require a packaging of MLB players and prospects, depending on the caliber of arm. In any case, given just how many starters they need, the Padres will more than likely have to go through the trade market to acquire at least one. Their thin cache of assets will make that pursuit a little bit tougher than usual. View the full article

It's a silly exercise to do at the beginning of November, but if the season were to begin tomorrow, the San Diego Padres rotation would read something like this: Joe Musgrove, Randy Vásquez, JP Sears, and some mixture of Kyle Hart, Jhony Brito, and Yu Darvish. To say that this group is the most important to address this winter would serve as a massive understatement. The Padres need starting pitching in a way that is more pressing than that of any individual team in any individual phase of any roster. Actually acquiring help in the rotation, though, is easier said than done. The free-agent market is incredibly top-heavy, and it's not as if the Friars are going to be alone in their pursuit of starting arms. As the team also works with a depleted farm system, they're going to have to leverage at least a couple of names from the current big-league roster to satisfy their needs via trade. But who exactly is up for sale? The immediate assumption is that the team would look to move a catcher in such a deal. Ethan Salas arrived at the top level in September and considering the amount run he got down the stretch, it seems like a safe assumption to think that he'll begin 2027 as the No. 1 catcher. That means that, just as they finished 2026, the team would have three catchers on their roster when you take each of Freddy Fermin & Luis Campusano into account. That formula did, technically, work down the stretch. As Salas adjusted to the top level, the team ran him out until the late innings when Craig Stammen turned to Freddy Fermin. Campusano was mixed in as a regular starter too as he demonstrated significant defensive improvement and the most offensive upside of the trio. As such, it's not a situation that the Padres would necessarily want to rid themselves of. You have a blend of defensive and offensive upside in Salas, defensive excellence in Fermin, and reaching-average defensive quality combined with big power upside in Campusano. They don't have to move one. From a roster construction standpoint, however, it's going to be the best option. The catcher position is a rather starved one throughout the league. While Salas won't be included as part of any discussion, each of Fermin & Campusano present plenty of value for prospective teams that need help behind the plate in some form. Perhaps a team with solid organizational infrastructure can help Campusano take the final steps in his defensive growth while desiring to add his bat. Or the inverse, wherein a team needs to boost their glove work behind the plate and turns to someone like Fermin. Either way, this is where the Padres are going to be able to derive immediate value. One of them alone isn't going to net a starter for the front of the rotation, but someone who can handle innings in the latter half of it? Probably. The only other spot in the positional sense where the Padres could leverage their active roster is at second base. Jake Cronenworth feels like a prime change-of-scenery candidate; he hasn't realized the offensive upside he set forth in 2021 but still has a good approach and a bit of versatility to his game. His contract is far more reasonable than he gets credit for, with an $11.43 million AAV through 2030. The caveat with a Cronenworth deal is that where you're getting certainty in an addition like Fermin or Campusano, you're not getting it with him. He missed a chunk of time with a concussion last season and never really gained his footing afterwards. His approach is his hallmark, with power manifesting only occasionally. A team that takes on that contract isn't going to want to part with much. If anything, this would be something like your classic change-of-scenery swap wherein a pitcher with some upside and some team control could see Cronenworth on his way out. You have to squint far more to see this work than you would with the catchers, though. It also stands to reason that the Padres should utilize their relief arms to garner some help on the starting side. The bullpen isn't quite as robust as it was last winter given the imminent departures of Adrian Morejon & Jason Adam, but there are still some intriguing trade candidates. Don't forget that the Padres have been able to repeatedly develop arms for the late innings, which makes trading a leverage reliever now a little easier to stomach. There's a nuclear option here in Mason Miller that could yield a far more notable arm than the others. However, it's also possible that Jeremiah Estrada or David Morgan or Bradgley Rodríguez could be leveraged in some way as well, if not alone then as part of a larger package. This isn't nearly as obvious a route to take as it was last winter, but it remains possible nevertheless. That's kind of the whole list. The Padres aren't going to trade any of their core bats (nor is a team going to take on Xander Bogaerts, the one they actually would). Whether or not the Friars would be able to execute a 1-for-1 swap with any of the names that could, conceivably, be available is unclear. It may require a packaging of MLB players and prospects, depending on the caliber of arm. In any case, given just how many starters they need, the Padres will more than likely have to go through the trade market to acquire at least one. Their thin cache of assets will make that pursuit a little bit tougher than usual. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have an interesting Rule 5 Draft decision approaching, but there are two reasons why this year's process might not be particularly demanding. The first involves the uncertainty surrounding Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement. The second is the relatively small group of prospects Minnesota needs to consider protecting. The Rule 5 Draft is currently scheduled for December 9 as part of the annual Winter Meetings in San Diego. However, that date falls just over a week after the current collective bargaining agreement expires. With a potential lockout looming, there are legitimate questions about whether the draft will happen as scheduled. Even if the event eventually takes place, the Twins don't have nearly as many difficult decisions as they did last offseason. One player from Twins Daily's top 20 prospect rankings is eligible, and only a handful of other players from the organization's top 50 merit serious consideration for a 40-man roster spot. The Rule 5 Draft Faces an Uncertain Future MLB's current collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1. Unless the league and players' union reach a new agreement, a lockout could begin December 2. That would put the scheduled December 9 Rule 5 Draft directly in the middle of a potential work stoppage. There is already a recent example of how a lockout can disrupt this process. During the previous labor stoppage in 2021, the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft was canceled. The Minor League portion was still conducted remotely, but teams did not get the usual opportunity to select players for their big-league rosters. The same possibility exists this offseason. The scheduled Winter Meetings could be disrupted, and the Major League portion of the draft could be postponed or canceled. If that happens, teams could eventually revisit the process after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. That uncertainty makes it difficult to know exactly what the Rule 5 landscape will look like in December. However, Minnesota still needs to make its protection decisions before that uncertainty is resolved. A Much Smaller Group of Twins Prospects Last offseason, Minnesota added six prospects to its 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 protection deadline. Connor Prielipp, Andrew Morris, Kendry Rojas, John Klein, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Hendry Mendez all received protection. The Twins could add a player or two this year, especially if they want to avoid losing someone with interesting upside. However, this year's group is considerably less imposing. Yasser Mercedes is the most intriguing name, while several other players have reached the upper levels of the organization without establishing themselves as must-protect prospects. Here are some of the players worth monitoring. Yasser Mercedes, OF, High-A Cedar Rapids Mercedes is the most interesting prospect in this group and the only player eligible from Twins Daily's top 20 prospect rankings. The 21-year-old outfielder was ranked No. 19 in the organization's updated rankings. Minnesota originally signed Mercedes for $1.7 million during the 2022 international signing period. He has long possessed an intriguing combination of athleticism, power, speed, and arm strength. His development has been uneven, but the tools remain exciting. Mercedes finished the 2026 season with a .249 batting average, 18 home runs, and 52 stolen bases. His overall .796 OPS shows some offensive production, although his numbers became less impressive after moving up to High-A. He still has plenty of work to do offensively, particularly when it comes to consistency against more advanced pitching. He is the highest-upside player Minnesota needs to consider protecting. However, his developmental stage creates a difficult decision. A player selected in the Major League Rule 5 Draft must remain on the selecting club's active roster throughout the following season, barring certain exceptions. Mercedes might not be ready for that type of responsibility. C.J. Culpepper, RHP, Triple-A St. Paul Culpepper is an interesting pitching option after spending time as both a starter and reliever during the 2026 season. The 24-year-old right-hander was a 13th-round selection by Minnesota in 2022. Last year, he appeared in 42 games, recording 84 strikeouts across 79 2/3 innings. His 4.29 ERA and 1.46 WHIP aren't particularly impressive, but he has some intriguing stuff. His fastball regained velocity during the season, and his slider remains his best offering. Culpepper reached Triple-A and transitioned into a relief role. That experience could make him more attractive to another organization looking for bullpen depth. Still, Minnesota would need to decide whether his overall profile warrants a 40-man roster spot. Paulshawn Pasqualotto, RHP, Triple-A St. Paul Pasqualotto is another potential bullpen option. The 25-year-old right-hander was selected in the 12th round of the 2023 MLB Draft and has steadily moved through the Twins' minor league system. He struck out 95 batters in 70 innings during the 2026 season while posting a 3.73 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. He pitched at three different levels, including a brief stint with the St. Paul Saints late in the season. His strikeout numbers are encouraging, but he has limited experience against Triple-A competition. Pasqualotto has a chance to become an organizational bullpen option, although the Twins might prefer to see him continue developing before committing a 40-man roster spot. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Triple-A St. Paul Rosario is one of the more intriguing offensive players on this list. The 24-year-old outfielder has consistently shown power throughout his minor league career, and he continued that trend in 2026. He hit .260 with 22 home runs, 54 RBI, and an .845 OPS across the minor league season. His promotion to Triple-A went well, as he hit 11 home runs and posted a .913 OPS in 42 games with St. Paul. Rosario has legitimate power potential, but there are questions about his ability to make consistent contact against advanced pitching. His performance at Triple-A gives the organization something to consider, especially with his age and experience. He is among the more realistic offensive candidates for a 40-man roster spot. Tanner Schobel, INF, Triple-A St. Paul Schobel was a competitive balance pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and entered professional baseball with plenty of expectations. He has spent much of his career developing as a middle infielder, but the offensive production has been inconsistent. The 25-year-old hit .228 with seven home runs and a .673 OPS during the 2026 season. He has some defensive versatility, but his offensive numbers don't make a particularly strong case for protecting him this offseason. Schobel still provides organizational depth, but Minnesota has other infield options competing for opportunities. He would be a difficult player to justify adding to the 40-man roster. Jake Rucker, INF, Triple-A St. Paul Rucker is another experienced minor league infielder who could be part of the discussion. The 27-year-old was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft and has continued working toward an opportunity in Minnesota. He hit .279 with 13 home runs, 40 RBI, and a .945 OPS in 219 at-bats during the 2026 season. Those numbers are impressive, although the limited sample size and his age are important considerations. Rucker can provide some organizational depth, but he doesn't have the same long-term upside as younger players in this group. The Twins would likely need to see a more immediate big-league role before dedicating a roster spot to him. Danny De Andrade, INF, Double-A Wichita De Andrade is the youngest position player on this list at 22 years old. The infielder reached Double-A during the 2026 season and continued showing some power potential. He finished the year with a .239 batting average, 15 home runs, 52 RBI, and a .726 OPS. Those numbers aren't overwhelming, but his age and experience at the upper levels of the minor leagues make him worth monitoring. De Andrade still has room to develop offensively, and the Twins could benefit from giving him additional time in the minors. He is an interesting depth prospect, but he isn't an obvious 40-man roster addition. November 17 Is an Important Date The Twins have considerably fewer difficult Rule 5 decisions than they did last offseason. Mercedes is the most intriguing prospect, while Rosario and the two Triple-A relievers provide some additional names worth discussing. However, none of these players represents an obvious must-protect decision. Minnesota could still add one or two players to the 40-man roster for protection purposes. Mercedes is the highest-upside prospect, while Rosario's power production and the bullpen potential of Culpepper and Pasqualotto provide other possibilities. The immediate deadline arrives November 17. That is also the deadline for free agents to accept or reject qualifying offers, making it an important date for the organization in multiple areas of its offseason planning. The Twins have plenty of other roster decisions to make, particularly as they look to improve a team that needs additional talent. Fortunately, their Rule 5 decisions shouldn't require the same level of attention as last year's group. Between a potentially disrupted draft and a less impressive collection of eligible prospects, this could be a relatively quiet part of Minnesota's offseason. Will the Twins add any of these players to the 40-man roster later this month? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have an interesting Rule 5 Draft decision approaching, but there are two reasons why this year's process might not be particularly demanding. The first involves the uncertainty surrounding Major League Baseball's collective bargaining agreement. The second is the relatively small group of prospects Minnesota needs to consider protecting. The Rule 5 Draft is currently scheduled for December 9 as part of the annual Winter Meetings in San Diego. However, that date falls just over a week after the current collective bargaining agreement expires. With a potential lockout looming, there are legitimate questions about whether the draft will happen as scheduled. Even if the event eventually takes place, the Twins don't have nearly as many difficult decisions as they did last offseason. One player from Twins Daily's top 20 prospect rankings is eligible, and only a handful of other players from the organization's top 50 merit serious consideration for a 40-man roster spot. The Rule 5 Draft Faces an Uncertain Future MLB's current collective bargaining agreement expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1. Unless the league and players' union reach a new agreement, a lockout could begin December 2. That would put the scheduled December 9 Rule 5 Draft directly in the middle of a potential work stoppage. There is already a recent example of how a lockout can disrupt this process. During the previous labor stoppage in 2021, the Major League phase of the Rule 5 Draft was canceled. The Minor League portion was still conducted remotely, but teams did not get the usual opportunity to select players for their big-league rosters. The same possibility exists this offseason. The scheduled Winter Meetings could be disrupted, and the Major League portion of the draft could be postponed or canceled. If that happens, teams could eventually revisit the process after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. That uncertainty makes it difficult to know exactly what the Rule 5 landscape will look like in December. However, Minnesota still needs to make its protection decisions before that uncertainty is resolved. A Much Smaller Group of Twins Prospects Last offseason, Minnesota added six prospects to its 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 protection deadline. Connor Prielipp, Andrew Morris, Kendry Rojas, John Klein, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Hendry Mendez all received protection. The Twins could add a player or two this year, especially if they want to avoid losing someone with interesting upside. However, this year's group is considerably less imposing. Yasser Mercedes is the most intriguing name, while several other players have reached the upper levels of the organization without establishing themselves as must-protect prospects. Here are some of the players worth monitoring. Yasser Mercedes, OF, High-A Cedar Rapids Mercedes is the most interesting prospect in this group and the only player eligible from Twins Daily's top 20 prospect rankings. The 21-year-old outfielder was ranked No. 19 in the organization's updated rankings. Minnesota originally signed Mercedes for $1.7 million during the 2022 international signing period. He has long possessed an intriguing combination of athleticism, power, speed, and arm strength. His development has been uneven, but the tools remain exciting. Mercedes finished the 2026 season with a .249 batting average, 18 home runs, and 52 stolen bases. His overall .796 OPS shows some offensive production, although his numbers became less impressive after moving up to High-A. He still has plenty of work to do offensively, particularly when it comes to consistency against more advanced pitching. He is the highest-upside player Minnesota needs to consider protecting. However, his developmental stage creates a difficult decision. A player selected in the Major League Rule 5 Draft must remain on the selecting club's active roster throughout the following season, barring certain exceptions. Mercedes might not be ready for that type of responsibility. C.J. Culpepper, RHP, Triple-A St. Paul Culpepper is an interesting pitching option after spending time as both a starter and reliever during the 2026 season. The 24-year-old right-hander was a 13th-round selection by Minnesota in 2022. Last year, he appeared in 42 games, recording 84 strikeouts across 79 2/3 innings. His 4.29 ERA and 1.46 WHIP aren't particularly impressive, but he has some intriguing stuff. His fastball regained velocity during the season, and his slider remains his best offering. Culpepper reached Triple-A and transitioned into a relief role. That experience could make him more attractive to another organization looking for bullpen depth. Still, Minnesota would need to decide whether his overall profile warrants a 40-man roster spot. Paulshawn Pasqualotto, RHP, Triple-A St. Paul Pasqualotto is another potential bullpen option. The 25-year-old right-hander was selected in the 12th round of the 2023 MLB Draft and has steadily moved through the Twins' minor league system. He struck out 95 batters in 70 innings during the 2026 season while posting a 3.73 ERA and 1.27 WHIP. He pitched at three different levels, including a brief stint with the St. Paul Saints late in the season. His strikeout numbers are encouraging, but he has limited experience against Triple-A competition. Pasqualotto has a chance to become an organizational bullpen option, although the Twins might prefer to see him continue developing before committing a 40-man roster spot. Kala'i Rosario, OF, Triple-A St. Paul Rosario is one of the more intriguing offensive players on this list. The 24-year-old outfielder has consistently shown power throughout his minor league career, and he continued that trend in 2026. He hit .260 with 22 home runs, 54 RBI, and an .845 OPS across the minor league season. His promotion to Triple-A went well, as he hit 11 home runs and posted a .913 OPS in 42 games with St. Paul. Rosario has legitimate power potential, but there are questions about his ability to make consistent contact against advanced pitching. His performance at Triple-A gives the organization something to consider, especially with his age and experience. He is among the more realistic offensive candidates for a 40-man roster spot. Tanner Schobel, INF, Triple-A St. Paul Schobel was a competitive balance pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and entered professional baseball with plenty of expectations. He has spent much of his career developing as a middle infielder, but the offensive production has been inconsistent. The 25-year-old hit .228 with seven home runs and a .673 OPS during the 2026 season. He has some defensive versatility, but his offensive numbers don't make a particularly strong case for protecting him this offseason. Schobel still provides organizational depth, but Minnesota has other infield options competing for opportunities. He would be a difficult player to justify adding to the 40-man roster. Jake Rucker, INF, Triple-A St. Paul Rucker is another experienced minor league infielder who could be part of the discussion. The 27-year-old was selected in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft and has continued working toward an opportunity in Minnesota. He hit .279 with 13 home runs, 40 RBI, and a .945 OPS in 219 at-bats during the 2026 season. Those numbers are impressive, although the limited sample size and his age are important considerations. Rucker can provide some organizational depth, but he doesn't have the same long-term upside as younger players in this group. The Twins would likely need to see a more immediate big-league role before dedicating a roster spot to him. Danny De Andrade, INF, Double-A Wichita De Andrade is the youngest position player on this list at 22 years old. The infielder reached Double-A during the 2026 season and continued showing some power potential. He finished the year with a .239 batting average, 15 home runs, 52 RBI, and a .726 OPS. Those numbers aren't overwhelming, but his age and experience at the upper levels of the minor leagues make him worth monitoring. De Andrade still has room to develop offensively, and the Twins could benefit from giving him additional time in the minors. He is an interesting depth prospect, but he isn't an obvious 40-man roster addition. November 17 Is an Important Date The Twins have considerably fewer difficult Rule 5 decisions than they did last offseason. Mercedes is the most intriguing prospect, while Rosario and the two Triple-A relievers provide some additional names worth discussing. However, none of these players represents an obvious must-protect decision. Minnesota could still add one or two players to the 40-man roster for protection purposes. Mercedes is the highest-upside prospect, while Rosario's power production and the bullpen potential of Culpepper and Pasqualotto provide other possibilities. The immediate deadline arrives November 17. That is also the deadline for free agents to accept or reject qualifying offers, making it an important date for the organization in multiple areas of its offseason planning. The Twins have plenty of other roster decisions to make, particularly as they look to improve a team that needs additional talent. Fortunately, their Rule 5 decisions shouldn't require the same level of attention as last year's group. Between a potentially disrupted draft and a less impressive collection of eligible prospects, this could be a relatively quiet part of Minnesota's offseason. Will the Twins add any of these players to the 40-man roster later this month? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

On Friday, Boston-area reporter Ari Alexander announced on Twitter that right-handed veteran pitcher Hobie Harris would be signing a Minor League deal with the Kansas City Royals for the upcoming season. The New York Yankees drafted Harris in the 31st round in 2015 out of the University of Pittsburgh. Harris has had only one Major League stint, in 2023 with the Nationals. In that 19.1 IP, he posted a 5.12 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 5.69 FIP, and -4.4 K-BB%. Last year, Harris pitched for the Worcester Woo Sox, the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate. In 24.2 IP with Worcester, he posted a 2.55 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 3.43 FIP, and 10.4% K-BB%. In his tenure in Worcester last year, Harris was known for limiting barrels and hard contact and throwing a lot of strikes, both called and swinging. Overall, his TJ Stuff+ is below average; his 96 TJ Stuff+ ranked in the 29th percentile last year with the Woo Sox. However, his splitter, cutter, and curveball all rated at 100 or higher in TJ Stuff+, and lackluster movement weighed him down on his four-seam fastball and sinker. Despite two sub-par pitches, that didn't seem to hurt him in important categories such as whiff rate and xwOBACON, as illustrated in the TJ Stuff+ Summary below. Finding the zone consistently (45.2% zone rate last year) has been a challenge for Harris, but that's to be expected for a splitter-heavy pitcher. He generated a ton of chase on his splitter last year (37.4%), and it proved to be his best pitch in many categories. Even in 2023 with the Nationals, when he located it well, his splitter could be a nasty offering to opposing hitters, as shown in this strikeout of the Mets' Francisco Alvarez. dzdBcUFfWGw0TUFRPT1fQkFJQVZsd05VUUFBQ2xVQUJ3QUFDQUVBQUZoVVVRQUFCMU1NQ0FJR0F3SUhBZ1JU.mp4 Because he is on a Minor League contract, Harris will have to earn a spot on the 40-man roster in Spring Training. That said, he should at least provide solid organizational bullpen depth in Omaha, something the Royals lacked a season ago. View the full article

On Friday, Boston-area reporter Ari Alexander announced on Twitter that right-handed veteran pitcher Hobie Harris would be signing a Minor League deal with the Kansas City Royals for the upcoming season. The New York Yankees drafted Harris in the 31st round in 2015 out of the University of Pittsburgh. Harris has had only one Major League stint, in 2023 with the Nationals. In that 19.1 IP, he posted a 5.12 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 5.69 FIP, and -4.4 K-BB%. Last year, Harris pitched for the Worcester Woo Sox, the Boston Red Sox's Triple-A affiliate. In 24.2 IP with Worcester, he posted a 2.55 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 3.43 FIP, and 10.4% K-BB%. In his tenure in Worcester last year, Harris was known for limiting barrels and hard contact and throwing a lot of strikes, both called and swinging. Overall, his TJ Stuff+ is below average; his 96 TJ Stuff+ ranked in the 29th percentile last year with the Woo Sox. However, his splitter, cutter, and curveball all rated at 100 or higher in TJ Stuff+, and lackluster movement weighed him down on his four-seam fastball and sinker. Despite two sub-par pitches, that didn't seem to hurt him in important categories such as whiff rate and xwOBACON, as illustrated in the TJ Stuff+ Summary below. Finding the zone consistently (45.2% zone rate last year) has been a challenge for Harris, but that's to be expected for a splitter-heavy pitcher. He generated a ton of chase on his splitter last year (37.4%), and it proved to be his best pitch in many categories. Even in 2023 with the Nationals, when he located it well, his splitter could be a nasty offering to opposing hitters, as shown in this strikeout of the Mets' Francisco Alvarez. dzdBcUFfWGw0TUFRPT1fQkFJQVZsd05VUUFBQ2xVQUJ3QUFDQUVBQUZoVVVRQUFCMU1NQ0FJR0F3SUhBZ1JU.mp4 Because he is on a Minor League contract, Harris will have to earn a spot on the 40-man roster in Spring Training. That said, he should at least provide solid organizational bullpen depth in Omaha, something the Royals lacked a season ago. View the full article

Thomas White has topped Marlins prospect lists for years, but Baseball America's Jacob Rudner explains why there's now a strong case to be made for Cam Cannarella coming off his terrific 2026 season. View the full article

Thomas White has topped Marlins prospect lists for years, but Baseball America's Jacob Rudner explains why there's now a strong case to be made for Cam Cannarella coming off his terrific 2026 season. View the full article

Standing 6-foot-5 and towering over the competition, Sadbiel Delzine appears poised to be the next breakout pitching prospect for the Boston Red Sox. Signed out of Venezuela in January of 2025 for $500K—the largest bonus given to an international arm by the organization since 2019—expectations have been high ever since. While he didn’t pitch much in 2025 (just 9⅓ innings across three starts in the Dominican Summer League), he showed enough promise that the organization brought him stateside for the 2026 season. To say it went well would be an understatement; making 11 appearances in the Florida Complex League, Delzine tossed 39⅔ innings while allowing just 12 earned runs on 24 hits and 18 walks. He showcased his potential to get out of trouble thanks in part to his 43 strikeouts. By the end of the season, Delzine was promoted to Low-A Salem and appeared to get stronger as his season went on. At that level, he struck out 36 batters in 25 innings. In each start, Delzine battled on the mound, going at least three innings. While not officially stated, it appeared that he was on a pitch limit, as he threw around 60 pitches in all but one outing. Notably, he struck out at least five batters in all but one of his starts, and in his final appearance of the season, Delzine flashed signs of ace potential. Going four innings, he allowed just one unearned run on four hits while walking no one and striking out six. Entering his final inning of work during that outing, Delzine labored as fatigue began to set in. After allowing leadoff single that quickly became a runner in scoring position due to a throwing error, Delzine gave up a one-out single to make it a 2-1 game. At that point, you could see that the right-hander was tiring. Despite that, he pushed through as he managed to strand the tying run on second base after ending the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. Delzine’s dominance in Salem cannot be talked about enough. Entering his final start of the season, left-handed batters were just 5-for-26 against him while right-handed batters were 12-for-54. If a runner made it into scoring position against him, Delzine also kicked it up a notch, as opponents were just 3-for-29 in those situations. As a pitcher, Delzine relies heavily on a four-pitch mix that is led by his fastball. He also has good feel for his changeup and curveball, as they’re ahead of his slider when it comes to development and usage. His fastball especially has made a jump in 2026, going from the low-90s in 2025 to now sitting in the mid-90s and topping out at 98 mph. Part of that increase could be from the 20 pounds he added to his frame since signing with the Red Sox. His changeup has shown bat-missing ability early on in his career and in 2026 it sat around 86 mph. Meanwhile, his curveball has an 11-to-5 break that, at its best, has been able to be buried down and away from right-handed hitters. During 2026, his curveball sat between 79 and 82 mph. Delzine's dominance is thanks in part to his ability to throw strikes, whether by landing his pitches in the zone (51.5% of the time with Salem) or getting opponents to chase (29%). Both results helped him strike out 34.6% of batters while walking just 5.8% of them. While both of those numbers may be unsustainable when he moves up the minor-league ladder, they're a really positive sign for an 18-year-old. The scary part is he still has room to grow. Despite being 6-foot-5 with a strong frame, the right-hander is likely to get even stronger as he matures. Thus, the Red Sox could very well have another top pitching prospect in the lower ranks of the organization on their hands. Boston will work slowly with Delzine, making sure he properly develops, but if he takes the foundation he built in 2026 and runs with it, he’ll clim top prospect lists rapidly. View the full article

Standing 6-foot-5 and towering over the competition, Sadbiel Delzine appears poised to be the next breakout pitching prospect for the Boston Red Sox. Signed out of Venezuela in January of 2025 for $500K—the largest bonus given to an international arm by the organization since 2019—expectations have been high ever since. While he didn’t pitch much in 2025 (just 9⅓ innings across three starts in the Dominican Summer League), he showed enough promise that the organization brought him stateside for the 2026 season. To say it went well would be an understatement; making 11 appearances in the Florida Complex League, Delzine tossed 39⅔ innings while allowing just 12 earned runs on 24 hits and 18 walks. He showcased his potential to get out of trouble thanks in part to his 43 strikeouts. By the end of the season, Delzine was promoted to Low-A Salem and appeared to get stronger as his season went on. At that level, he struck out 36 batters in 25 innings. In each start, Delzine battled on the mound, going at least three innings. While not officially stated, it appeared that he was on a pitch limit, as he threw around 60 pitches in all but one outing. Notably, he struck out at least five batters in all but one of his starts, and in his final appearance of the season, Delzine flashed signs of ace potential. Going four innings, he allowed just one unearned run on four hits while walking no one and striking out six. Entering his final inning of work during that outing, Delzine labored as fatigue began to set in. After allowing leadoff single that quickly became a runner in scoring position due to a throwing error, Delzine gave up a one-out single to make it a 2-1 game. At that point, you could see that the right-hander was tiring. Despite that, he pushed through as he managed to strand the tying run on second base after ending the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. Delzine’s dominance in Salem cannot be talked about enough. Entering his final start of the season, left-handed batters were just 5-for-26 against him while right-handed batters were 12-for-54. If a runner made it into scoring position against him, Delzine also kicked it up a notch, as opponents were just 3-for-29 in those situations. As a pitcher, Delzine relies heavily on a four-pitch mix that is led by his fastball. He also has good feel for his changeup and curveball, as they’re ahead of his slider when it comes to development and usage. His fastball especially has made a jump in 2026, going from the low-90s in 2025 to now sitting in the mid-90s and topping out at 98 mph. Part of that increase could be from the 20 pounds he added to his frame since signing with the Red Sox. His changeup has shown bat-missing ability early on in his career and in 2026 it sat around 86 mph. Meanwhile, his curveball has an 11-to-5 break that, at its best, has been able to be buried down and away from right-handed hitters. During 2026, his curveball sat between 79 and 82 mph. Delzine's dominance is thanks in part to his ability to throw strikes, whether by landing his pitches in the zone (51.5% of the time with Salem) or getting opponents to chase (29%). Both results helped him strike out 34.6% of batters while walking just 5.8% of them. While both of those numbers may be unsustainable when he moves up the minor-league ladder, they're a really positive sign for an 18-year-old. The scary part is he still has room to grow. Despite being 6-foot-5 with a strong frame, the right-hander is likely to get even stronger as he matures. Thus, the Red Sox could very well have another top pitching prospect in the lower ranks of the organization on their hands. Boston will work slowly with Delzine, making sure he properly develops, but if he takes the foundation he built in 2026 and runs with it, he’ll clim top prospect lists rapidly. View the full article

It wasn't difficult to predict, but the New York Mets struggled badly at first base this year. In his end-of-season press conference, David Stearns acknowledged that the organization will look for external alternatives to strengthen the position. Obviously, none of those available on the free-agent market will come close to offering Pete Alonso’s offensive production, but some of them could somewhat offset what has been lost in the wake of his departure. We have discussed several candidates here, among whom Jake Bauers stood out, though he will have to respond to a pending $23.15 million qualifying offer from the Milwaukee Brewers. Among the available candidates is 32-year-old Ty France, who elected free agency on October 29 after starring in one of the most interesting comebacks of the season with the San Diego Padres. The first baseman went from needing an opportunity through a minor-league contract to producing a .295/.363/.502 slash line with 21 home runs, 72 RBIs, and a 141 wRC+. France posted career highs with 3.6 fWAR—practically matching his combined 4.1 total between the 2022 and 2025 seasons—a .207 ISO, a 7.4% walk rate, and a .342 BABIP, the best among all qualified first basemen in the majors. That offensive improvement brings him quite close to what had been his previous best stretch as a hitter when he posted 5.8 fWAR and hit 28 home runs between the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, with the added value of improvements in contact quality and plate discipline. France finished in the 86th percentile in exit velocity and the 84th in Hard-Hit%, but I feel we should be cautious about his power, since his slugging percentage exceeded his xSLG by 81 points. So, we would have to see whether he can sustain his outstanding BABIP, especially when considering his chase rate rose to 34.5% and his whiff rate sat at 28.1%. Even with some flaws in his offensive game, France still possesses a huge floor thanks to a recent leap in defensive performance, finishing among the Gold Glove finalists at first base this year. After posting -12 Outs Above Average at the position in 2024, France moved to +10 in 2025 and won the American League Gold Glove. This year, he finished in the 93rd percentile in OAA and was the second-most efficient first baseman in the league at picking throws of all difficulty levels, with a +5 Receiving OAA mark, despite his 5’10” height not being ideal for the cold corner. France’s ability around the first base bag saved his teammates from throwing errors and avoided complications for the Padres’ pitching staff. Mark Vientos and Jared Young, who were usually responsible for the Mets’ first base duties, finished with +1 Receiving OAA combined, but Vientos was a disaster in every other aspect, finishing with -8 Fielding Run Value. Most likely, France will seek a multi-year contract, with a total value between $30 and $40 million, although some projections point to a smaller investment. Either way, the Mets would be able to afford him, and he'd bring a well-rounded skillset to Queens that would go a long way toward replacing Alonso. View the full article

It wasn't difficult to predict, but the New York Mets struggled badly at first base this year. In his end-of-season press conference, David Stearns acknowledged that the organization will look for external alternatives to strengthen the position. Obviously, none of those available on the free-agent market will come close to offering Pete Alonso’s offensive production, but some of them could somewhat offset what has been lost in the wake of his departure. We have discussed several candidates here, among whom Jake Bauers stood out, though he will have to respond to a pending $23.15 million qualifying offer from the Milwaukee Brewers. Among the available candidates is 32-year-old Ty France, who elected free agency on October 29 after starring in one of the most interesting comebacks of the season with the San Diego Padres. The first baseman went from needing an opportunity through a minor-league contract to producing a .295/.363/.502 slash line with 21 home runs, 72 RBIs, and a 141 wRC+. France posted career highs with 3.6 fWAR—practically matching his combined 4.1 total between the 2022 and 2025 seasons—a .207 ISO, a 7.4% walk rate, and a .342 BABIP, the best among all qualified first basemen in the majors. That offensive improvement brings him quite close to what had been his previous best stretch as a hitter when he posted 5.8 fWAR and hit 28 home runs between the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, with the added value of improvements in contact quality and plate discipline. France finished in the 86th percentile in exit velocity and the 84th in Hard-Hit%, but I feel we should be cautious about his power, since his slugging percentage exceeded his xSLG by 81 points. So, we would have to see whether he can sustain his outstanding BABIP, especially when considering his chase rate rose to 34.5% and his whiff rate sat at 28.1%. Even with some flaws in his offensive game, France still possesses a huge floor thanks to a recent leap in defensive performance, finishing among the Gold Glove finalists at first base this year. After posting -12 Outs Above Average at the position in 2024, France moved to +10 in 2025 and won the American League Gold Glove. This year, he finished in the 93rd percentile in OAA and was the second-most efficient first baseman in the league at picking throws of all difficulty levels, with a +5 Receiving OAA mark, despite his 5’10” height not being ideal for the cold corner. France’s ability around the first base bag saved his teammates from throwing errors and avoided complications for the Padres’ pitching staff. Mark Vientos and Jared Young, who were usually responsible for the Mets’ first base duties, finished with +1 Receiving OAA combined, but Vientos was a disaster in every other aspect, finishing with -8 Fielding Run Value. Most likely, France will seek a multi-year contract, with a total value between $30 and $40 million, although some projections point to a smaller investment. Either way, the Mets would be able to afford him, and he'd bring a well-rounded skillset to Queens that would go a long way toward replacing Alonso. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins enter the offseason with an understanding that things need to change. After several seasons of payroll restrictions, ownership has acknowledged that the organization cannot consistently compete for a postseason spot while operating with a payroll around $100 million. New chairman Tom Pohlad has promised to provide general manager Jeremy Zoll with additional financial resources, but the qualifying offer system could complicate Minnesota's pursuit of several intriguing free agents. During the team's end-of-season press conference in September, Pohlad made his expectations clear. “I have said over and over that a $100 million payroll or anything close to that is not sufficient to be consistently competitive and in the playoffs, and so we intend to take the offseason and meaningfully invest,” Pohlad said. Those comments were encouraging for a fan base that has watched the Twins operate with significant financial limitations. However, spending more money does not automatically mean Minnesota will pursue every available player. The front office must consider contract costs, roster needs, and the draft-pick implications of signing players who received qualifying offers. That final consideration became particularly important when MLB announced its eight qualifying-offer recipients. Eight Players Receive Qualifying Offers Earlier this week, eight players received one-year qualifying offers worth $23.15 million. Players have until November 17 to decide whether to accept the offer or decline it and enter free agency. The eight recipients include: Randy Arozarena, Seattle Mariners Jake Bauers, Milwaukee Brewers David Bednar, New York Yankees Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins Brandon Lowe, Pittsburgh Pirates Adrián Morejón, San Diego Padres Trevor Rogers, Baltimore Orioles Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs For Minnesota, the list contains some interesting names. Jeffers is obviously an important part of the Twins' offseason plans, but four other recipients could have made sense as potential additions. Jake Bauers, Brandon Lowe, Adrián Morejón, and David Bednar were already somewhat unlikely targets because of their expected contracts. Now, their qualifying-offer status creates another obstacle for Minnesota. First, because there is a chance some of these players accept the one-year, $23.15 million contract and never become free agents. But even if they do become free agents, the draft-pick compensation the Twins would need to give up would be a significant deterrent to a small-market team that depends on building from within. Jake Bauers Could Address First Base The Twins need to address their first-base situation after Josh Bell reached free agency. One intriguing option would have been Milwaukee's Jake Bauers. The 31-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career in 2026, hitting .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs and 86 RBI across 144 games. He also demonstrated some defensive versatility, appearing at first base and in the outfield. Bauers would give Minnesota another left-handed power option while providing an opportunity to improve its production at first base. His .389 on-base percentage would also represent an appealing addition to the lineup. There are reasons to believe Bauers could have been a reasonable free agent target. However, his breakout season puts him in a different position financially, and the qualifying offer complicates matters further. The Twins would have to compete with other interested clubs while considering the additional draft-pick cost. Bauers was already a somewhat unlikely target, and the qualifying offer makes that possibility even less realistic. Brandon Lowe Would Add Power at Second Base Another intriguing name is Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe. Minnesota could use another established offensive presence on the right side of its infield, and Lowe would provide exactly that. Lowe put together an impressive 2026 campaign, hitting .260/.331/.493 with 35 home runs and 96 RBI across 150 games. He also posted an .824 OPS, making him one of the more productive offensive second basemen in baseball. The 32-year-old has established himself as a consistent power threat throughout his career. His ability to hit for power from the left side would give the Twins another dimension offensively. There are some questions about how long Lowe can maintain that production, especially considering his age. Still, his recent performance makes him an appealing option for a Minnesota team looking to strengthen its infield. Unfortunately, Lowe's qualifying-offer status makes the situation more complicated. The Twins would need to commit significant money to bring him aboard while sacrificing a valuable draft selection. That is a substantial price for a player who was already expected to be an expensive free agent. Adrián Morejón Could Strengthen the Bullpen Relief pitching should be one of Minnesota's biggest offseason priorities. The Twins need more dependable high-leverage options, particularly from the left side of the bullpen. San Diego's Adrián Morejón would have been an excellent fit. The 27-year-old left-hander appeared in 76 games during the 2026 season, posting a 2.83 ERA across 86 innings. He struck out 107 hitters while recording a 1.08 WHIP. Morejón also accumulated 28 holds, demonstrating his ability to handle important situations. His combination of strikeout stuff, versatility, and experience in a high-leverage role would make him an attractive addition. Morejón could provide Minnesota with a dependable option in the seventh or eighth inning while potentially giving the team another late-game weapon. The biggest obstacle would be the financial commitment. Morejón is entering free agency following consecutive productive seasons, and teams searching for bullpen help should have considerable interest. Adding the qualifying-offer penalty makes him an even less likely target. Minnesota needs bullpen upgrades, but sacrificing a draft selection while making a significant financial investment might be more than the front office wants to consider. David Bednar Would Provide a Proven Closer David Bednar might be the most recognizable name among these four potential targets. The former Pittsburgh Pirates closer enjoyed another excellent season after joining the New York Yankees. Bednar recorded 35 saves while posting a 2.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts across 69 1/3 innings. He established himself as a reliable ninth-inning option for New York. The Twins could certainly use that type of experience at the back of their bullpen. While Minnesota has internal options for late-inning duties, adding an established closer would give manager Derek Shelton additional flexibility. Bednar would likely command one of the more lucrative relief-pitching contracts available this offseason. His track record, recent performance, and experience in high-pressure situations make him an attractive option for multiple contenders. Minnesota could use someone with his abilities, but the financial and draft-pick requirements make this another difficult possibility. Bednar was already a long shot, and his qualifying offer further reduces the likelihood of a potential agreement. The Draft Pick Complicates Everything The financial commitment required to sign Bauers, Lowe, Morejón, or Bednar is only part of the equation. Because Minnesota receives revenue sharing, the Twins would forfeit their third-highest selection in the 2027 MLB Draft if they signed a player who declined a qualifying offer. That penalty is less severe than what some other organizations face. Teams paying the competitive balance tax must surrender multiple selections, while other clubs can lose a higher selection and international bonus-pool money. However, losing that third-highest pick still carries considerable value. The Twins have invested heavily in rebuilding their farm system, and surrendering a valuable selection would limit their ability to add another young player to the organization. There is also an interesting situation involving their own qualifying-offer recipient. Jeffers received a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer from Minnesota. If he declines, the Twins can still negotiate with him on the open market and potentially bring him back on a conventional contract. Re-signing their own qualifying-offer free agent would not require Minnesota to surrender a draft selection. However, the organization would lose the draft-pick compensation attached to Jeffers if he returned to Minnesota. If he signs elsewhere for at least $50 million, the Twins would receive a compensatory selection after the first round. A contract below that threshold would generate a selection before the third round. That draft compensation could also influence Jeffers' market. Interested teams must consider the draft-pick penalty associated with signing him, potentially reducing the number of organizations willing to make an aggressive offer. The Twins Need to Find Other Opportunities Pohlad's comments about increasing payroll are encouraging, but the Twins still face several challenges when constructing their 2027 roster. They need to find ways to improve the offense, address their catching situation, and add multiple reliable bullpen arms. Bauers, Lowe, Morejón, and Bednar each offer something Minnesota could use. Unfortunately, the qualifying-offer system makes all four players more difficult to pursue. The organization should not allow draft-pick compensation to prevent it from pursuing meaningful upgrades. However, Minnesota must also recognize that its farm system remains an important part of its long-term success. The Twins have an opportunity to approach this offseason differently than they have in recent years. Pohlad has publicly acknowledged that a payroll around $100 million is insufficient to build a consistent playoff contender. Now, the front office needs to demonstrate that the organization is willing to follow through. That does not mean Minnesota needs to win every bidding war. It means finding the right opportunities to spend money, improve the roster, and build a team capable of competing in October. The qualifying-offer system has made several appealing targets more expensive. The Twins will need to get creative if they want to make this a meaningful offseason. Should the Twins still target players who received qualifying offers? Which player makes the most sense? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins enter the offseason with an understanding that things need to change. After several seasons of payroll restrictions, ownership has acknowledged that the organization cannot consistently compete for a postseason spot while operating with a payroll around $100 million. New chairman Tom Pohlad has promised to provide general manager Jeremy Zoll with additional financial resources, but the qualifying offer system could complicate Minnesota's pursuit of several intriguing free agents. During the team's end-of-season press conference in September, Pohlad made his expectations clear. “I have said over and over that a $100 million payroll or anything close to that is not sufficient to be consistently competitive and in the playoffs, and so we intend to take the offseason and meaningfully invest,” Pohlad said. Those comments were encouraging for a fan base that has watched the Twins operate with significant financial limitations. However, spending more money does not automatically mean Minnesota will pursue every available player. The front office must consider contract costs, roster needs, and the draft-pick implications of signing players who received qualifying offers. That final consideration became particularly important when MLB announced its eight qualifying-offer recipients. Eight Players Receive Qualifying Offers Earlier this week, eight players received one-year qualifying offers worth $23.15 million. Players have until November 17 to decide whether to accept the offer or decline it and enter free agency. The eight recipients include: Randy Arozarena, Seattle Mariners Jake Bauers, Milwaukee Brewers David Bednar, New York Yankees Ryan Jeffers, Minnesota Twins Brandon Lowe, Pittsburgh Pirates Adrián Morejón, San Diego Padres Trevor Rogers, Baltimore Orioles Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs For Minnesota, the list contains some interesting names. Jeffers is obviously an important part of the Twins' offseason plans, but four other recipients could have made sense as potential additions. Jake Bauers, Brandon Lowe, Adrián Morejón, and David Bednar were already somewhat unlikely targets because of their expected contracts. Now, their qualifying-offer status creates another obstacle for Minnesota. First, because there is a chance some of these players accept the one-year, $23.15 million contract and never become free agents. But even if they do become free agents, the draft-pick compensation the Twins would need to give up would be a significant deterrent to a small-market team that depends on building from within. Jake Bauers Could Address First Base The Twins need to address their first-base situation after Josh Bell reached free agency. One intriguing option would have been Milwaukee's Jake Bauers. The 31-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career in 2026, hitting .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs and 86 RBI across 144 games. He also demonstrated some defensive versatility, appearing at first base and in the outfield. Bauers would give Minnesota another left-handed power option while providing an opportunity to improve its production at first base. His .389 on-base percentage would also represent an appealing addition to the lineup. There are reasons to believe Bauers could have been a reasonable free agent target. However, his breakout season puts him in a different position financially, and the qualifying offer complicates matters further. The Twins would have to compete with other interested clubs while considering the additional draft-pick cost. Bauers was already a somewhat unlikely target, and the qualifying offer makes that possibility even less realistic. Brandon Lowe Would Add Power at Second Base Another intriguing name is Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe. Minnesota could use another established offensive presence on the right side of its infield, and Lowe would provide exactly that. Lowe put together an impressive 2026 campaign, hitting .260/.331/.493 with 35 home runs and 96 RBI across 150 games. He also posted an .824 OPS, making him one of the more productive offensive second basemen in baseball. The 32-year-old has established himself as a consistent power threat throughout his career. His ability to hit for power from the left side would give the Twins another dimension offensively. There are some questions about how long Lowe can maintain that production, especially considering his age. Still, his recent performance makes him an appealing option for a Minnesota team looking to strengthen its infield. Unfortunately, Lowe's qualifying-offer status makes the situation more complicated. The Twins would need to commit significant money to bring him aboard while sacrificing a valuable draft selection. That is a substantial price for a player who was already expected to be an expensive free agent. Adrián Morejón Could Strengthen the Bullpen Relief pitching should be one of Minnesota's biggest offseason priorities. The Twins need more dependable high-leverage options, particularly from the left side of the bullpen. San Diego's Adrián Morejón would have been an excellent fit. The 27-year-old left-hander appeared in 76 games during the 2026 season, posting a 2.83 ERA across 86 innings. He struck out 107 hitters while recording a 1.08 WHIP. Morejón also accumulated 28 holds, demonstrating his ability to handle important situations. His combination of strikeout stuff, versatility, and experience in a high-leverage role would make him an attractive addition. Morejón could provide Minnesota with a dependable option in the seventh or eighth inning while potentially giving the team another late-game weapon. The biggest obstacle would be the financial commitment. Morejón is entering free agency following consecutive productive seasons, and teams searching for bullpen help should have considerable interest. Adding the qualifying-offer penalty makes him an even less likely target. Minnesota needs bullpen upgrades, but sacrificing a draft selection while making a significant financial investment might be more than the front office wants to consider. David Bednar Would Provide a Proven Closer David Bednar might be the most recognizable name among these four potential targets. The former Pittsburgh Pirates closer enjoyed another excellent season after joining the New York Yankees. Bednar recorded 35 saves while posting a 2.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 76 strikeouts across 69 1/3 innings. He established himself as a reliable ninth-inning option for New York. The Twins could certainly use that type of experience at the back of their bullpen. While Minnesota has internal options for late-inning duties, adding an established closer would give manager Derek Shelton additional flexibility. Bednar would likely command one of the more lucrative relief-pitching contracts available this offseason. His track record, recent performance, and experience in high-pressure situations make him an attractive option for multiple contenders. Minnesota could use someone with his abilities, but the financial and draft-pick requirements make this another difficult possibility. Bednar was already a long shot, and his qualifying offer further reduces the likelihood of a potential agreement. The Draft Pick Complicates Everything The financial commitment required to sign Bauers, Lowe, Morejón, or Bednar is only part of the equation. Because Minnesota receives revenue sharing, the Twins would forfeit their third-highest selection in the 2027 MLB Draft if they signed a player who declined a qualifying offer. That penalty is less severe than what some other organizations face. Teams paying the competitive balance tax must surrender multiple selections, while other clubs can lose a higher selection and international bonus-pool money. However, losing that third-highest pick still carries considerable value. The Twins have invested heavily in rebuilding their farm system, and surrendering a valuable selection would limit their ability to add another young player to the organization. There is also an interesting situation involving their own qualifying-offer recipient. Jeffers received a one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer from Minnesota. If he declines, the Twins can still negotiate with him on the open market and potentially bring him back on a conventional contract. Re-signing their own qualifying-offer free agent would not require Minnesota to surrender a draft selection. However, the organization would lose the draft-pick compensation attached to Jeffers if he returned to Minnesota. If he signs elsewhere for at least $50 million, the Twins would receive a compensatory selection after the first round. A contract below that threshold would generate a selection before the third round. That draft compensation could also influence Jeffers' market. Interested teams must consider the draft-pick penalty associated with signing him, potentially reducing the number of organizations willing to make an aggressive offer. The Twins Need to Find Other Opportunities Pohlad's comments about increasing payroll are encouraging, but the Twins still face several challenges when constructing their 2027 roster. They need to find ways to improve the offense, address their catching situation, and add multiple reliable bullpen arms. Bauers, Lowe, Morejón, and Bednar each offer something Minnesota could use. Unfortunately, the qualifying-offer system makes all four players more difficult to pursue. The organization should not allow draft-pick compensation to prevent it from pursuing meaningful upgrades. However, Minnesota must also recognize that its farm system remains an important part of its long-term success. The Twins have an opportunity to approach this offseason differently than they have in recent years. Pohlad has publicly acknowledged that a payroll around $100 million is insufficient to build a consistent playoff contender. Now, the front office needs to demonstrate that the organization is willing to follow through. That does not mean Minnesota needs to win every bidding war. It means finding the right opportunities to spend money, improve the roster, and build a team capable of competing in October. The qualifying-offer system has made several appealing targets more expensive. The Twins will need to get creative if they want to make this a meaningful offseason. Should the Twins still target players who received qualifying offers? Which player makes the most sense? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

On Friday, Miami Marlins outfield prospect Max Williams had one of his most productive games of the Arizona Fall League season. In his only plate appearance, he reached base safely because a 95 mph fastball plunked him on the left foot. Unable to put his full weight on the foot without discomfort, he was removed for a pinch-runner. Yes, that qualified as a successful day at the office as Williams wraps up a historically poor showing in the desert. With two games remaining for the Glendale Desert Dogs, Fish On First's 22nd-ranked prospect is slashing .157/.214/.157 while striking out 30.3% of the time in what is a notoriously hitter-friendly league. His .371 OPS is second-lowest among all qualified AFL hitters. No extra-base hits. No balls that even reached the warning track. That is despite having the platoon advantage against 82.1% of opposing pitchers. For position players, being selected to participate in the AFL is typically a significant career milestone. It means your MLB organization has made it a priority for you to get additional game reps. On the heels of a brilliant but abbreviated 2026 minor league season, has this AFL stint actually stunted Williams' growth rather than accelerated it? Prior to this year, we have comprehensive public data from 20 other AFL seasons (2005-19 and 2021-25). Only 15 players from that period accrued at least 50 plate appearances while posting a lower OPS than Williams. Of those 15, ten reached the major leagues, but of those ten, just one went on to have any seasons as a qualified MLB hitter (Joc Pederson). Being lenient due to the volatility of small sample sizes, let's also consider the 15 AFL players since 2005 directly ahead of Williams in terms of OPS. Unfortunately, their MLB debut rate was even lower and the most notable career of the bunch belongs to Owen Miller (0.7 fWAR in 304 games across parts of six seasons). Adding more context does not brighten Williams' outlook. At 22 years old, he's approximately the same age as the average AFL hitter. He already had some experience at the Double-A level prior to this. Although the 2025 draft pick was sidelined for most of this year coming off shoulder surgery, he was injury-free from July 9 onward. There was still rust to shake off as a fielder— Marlins affiliates mainly used him as a designated hitter upon his return from the IL—but not at the plate. Entering Friday, Williams had been swinging at 61.1% of total pitches, according to TJ Stats, placing him in the 98th percentile among AFL hitters. That extremely aggressive approach is failing him in part because a lot of those swings are chases outside the strike zone, but more concerningly, he's frequently whiffing inside the zone (sixth percentile in Z-Contact%). For all of the doom and gloom in this article so far, I'll remind you that Williams' primary problem in the fall league has been the absence of power. His amateur and professional track record strongly suggests that is an anomaly. He slugged .582 as a college sophomore in 2024, followed by .598 in 2025. This past summer, he bumped it up further to .620. That distinguishes him from fellow Marlins prospect PJ Morlando, who similarly stunk in the AFL last year and has done little before or since to show he's capable of handling an eventual major league role. Williams is a guess hitter, and when he guesses right, he sends balls out of sight to all fields. With such simple, repeatable swing mechanics, he can rebound by seeing the ball more clearly and making better decisions. This past month has unquestionably been a disappointment, but it doesn't disqualify him from contributing to the Marlins in the coming years. View the full article

On Friday, Miami Marlins outfield prospect Max Williams had one of his most productive games of the Arizona Fall League season. In his only plate appearance, he reached base safely because a 95 mph fastball plunked him on the left foot. Unable to put his full weight on the foot without discomfort, he was removed for a pinch-runner. Yes, that qualified as a successful day at the office as Williams wraps up a historically poor showing in the desert. With two games remaining for the Glendale Desert Dogs, Fish On First's 22nd-ranked prospect is slashing .157/.214/.157 while striking out 30.3% of the time in what is a notoriously hitter-friendly league. His .371 OPS is second-lowest among all qualified AFL hitters. No extra-base hits. No balls that even reached the warning track. That is despite having the platoon advantage against 82.1% of opposing pitchers. For position players, being selected to participate in the AFL is typically a significant career milestone. It means your MLB organization has made it a priority for you to get additional game reps. On the heels of a brilliant but abbreviated 2026 minor league season, has this AFL stint actually stunted Williams' growth rather than accelerated it? Prior to this year, we have comprehensive public data from 20 other AFL seasons (2005-19 and 2021-25). Only 15 players from that period accrued at least 50 plate appearances while posting a lower OPS than Williams. Of those 15, ten reached the major leagues, but of those ten, just one went on to have any seasons as a qualified MLB hitter (Joc Pederson). Being lenient due to the volatility of small sample sizes, let's also consider the 15 AFL players since 2005 directly ahead of Williams in terms of OPS. Unfortunately, their MLB debut rate was even lower and the most notable career of the bunch belongs to Owen Miller (0.7 fWAR in 304 games across parts of six seasons). Adding more context does not brighten Williams' outlook. At 22 years old, he's approximately the same age as the average AFL hitter. He already had some experience at the Double-A level prior to this. Although the 2025 draft pick was sidelined for most of this year coming off shoulder surgery, he was injury-free from July 9 onward. There was still rust to shake off as a fielder— Marlins affiliates mainly used him as a designated hitter upon his return from the IL—but not at the plate. Entering Friday, Williams had been swinging at 61.1% of total pitches, according to TJ Stats, placing him in the 98th percentile among AFL hitters. That extremely aggressive approach is failing him in part because a lot of those swings are chases outside the strike zone, but more concerningly, he's frequently whiffing inside the zone (sixth percentile in Z-Contact%). For all of the doom and gloom in this article so far, I'll remind you that Williams' primary problem in the fall league has been the absence of power. His amateur and professional track record strongly suggests that is an anomaly. He slugged .582 as a college sophomore in 2024, followed by .598 in 2025. This past summer, he bumped it up further to .620. That distinguishes him from fellow Marlins prospect PJ Morlando, who similarly stunk in the AFL last year and has done little before or since to show he's capable of handling an eventual major league role. Williams is a guess hitter, and when he guesses right, he sends balls out of sight to all fields. With such simple, repeatable swing mechanics, he can rebound by seeing the ball more clearly and making better decisions. This past month has unquestionably been a disappointment, but it doesn't disqualify him from contributing to the Marlins in the coming years. View the full article

It takes a lot out of Mets Roster Central, the early days of November. While minors leagues who have failed to advance and the Mets are parting ways, the organization is also involved in a league-wide game of Hot Potato. They want to clear room on their roster for valuable minor-league vets that they want to protect from the Rule 5 Draft, but ... so do other teams. So no sooner do they clear spaces than players from across the league appear on the waiver wire. The Mets (a) like some of these guys, and so (b) claim them, at which point (c) they again have to create room on the roster by putting somebody else through waivers or refuse-able minor-league assignments, which (d) often include the players they just claimed. Circles within circles. Transactions, 10/29/2026 GOING GOING GOING GOING Released Released Released Released Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Infielders Cristian Dudamel Jesús Griman Angel Ozuna José Padilla R/R DoB: 2006-11-06 High Level: DSL (2026) R/R DoB: 2008-03-13 High Level: DSL (2026) S/R DoB: 2007-07-06 High Level: DSL (2026) L/R DoB: 39623 High Level: DSL (2026) Some minor-league players fail to advance, some advance but just not fast enough to beat the clock the team has on their reserve powers, and some just use up too much of that time recovering from injury. While all of these are from the first group, the fascinating (and tragic) figure here is Angel Ozuna. The Dominican infielder originally agreed with the Yankees to a $5 million dollar deal, as a member of the 2027 class. Well, you'll all realize right now that 2027 hasn't happened yet, and that is because he was, not one, not two, but three years older than his listed age. And with that baby face appearing to your left, you can see how folks were fooled. But, you know, caveat emptor and all that The Yankees quickly lost interest, as Ozuna served a one-year suspension, and he ultimately came to an agreement with the Twins for $500,000 in November. That's 10% of $5 million, but, you know, it's more money than Mets Roster Central has in our pockets. But he must've made an additionally terrible first impression, because the deal fell through, and the Mets signed him in June, for $10,000, which is 2% of $5 million. And that may be the last money the young man and his misled family see from baseball, because after a half season and only 70 plate appearances, the Mets, too, are walking away. More tears are being shed for Cristian Dudamel, who Mets Roster Central believed to be descended from both Lucas Duda and Duke Carmel. Transactions, 11/1/2026 GOING GOING GOING GOING Removed from 40-Player Roster and Assigned to Syracuse Removed from 40-Player Roster and Assigned to Syracuse Removed from 40-Player Roster and Assigned to Syracuse Cleared Waivers, Removed from 40-Player Roster and Assigned to Syracuse Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Infielders Outfielders Philip Abner Cameron Weston Eric Wagaman Cristian Pache L/L DoB: 2002-05-04 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2000-08-27 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2020-08-21 High Level: MLB (2026) Philip Abner and Cameron Weston are two players caught up in the ugly game that gives this thread its name. You grab players off waivers, only to put them on waivers yourself, never intending to carry him on the roster, gambling the price of a claiming fee that nobody behind you will be claiming him a day or too later. As often as not, the player is grabbed again, and he moves on, never having suited up for your team, never even shaken the hand of a member of the organization he's technically a member of for a few days. If anything, some MLB.com web editor will change the hat on his thumbnail portrait, it'll get proliferated over the Internet, and decades later, his kids will ask, "Dad, when did you ever play for the Mets." They will show the thumbnail to the now-myopic former player, he will squint with confusion and whisper, "I have no memory of this place." More traditional are the removal from the roster of Eric Wagaman, a hitter who was lacking in hits in 2026, and Cristian Pache, a speedster who was lacking in appearances. Both should be expected to refuse these assignments. Transactions, 11/2/2026 GOING GOING GOING GOING Claimed off Waivers by BAL Claimed off Waivers by MIA Refused Minor-League Assignment, Becoming Free Agent Designated for Assignment Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Infielders Outfielders Philip Abner Cameron Weston Eric Wagaman Kyren Paris L/L DoB: 2002-05-04 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2000-08-27 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2001-11-11 High Level: MLB (2026) GOING COMING COMING COMING Elected Free Agency Claimed off Waivers from MIN, Projected for Syracuse Claimed off Waivers from COL, Projected for Syracuse Re-Signed, Projected for Syracuse, Designated for Assignment Outfielders Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Infielders José Ramos Jack Anderson Pierson Ohl Christian Cairo R/R DoB: 36892 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1999-11-23 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1999-09-10 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2001-06-11 High Level: MLB (2026) Going, going, GONE! are are Philip Abner and Cameron Weston. They pay a waiver claim fee, and we guess they receive one. So there's nothing lost but a few days' interest fees, but the dehumanization of treating players as fungible commodities is a price we all pay. You didn't even get a chance to appreciate that Abner was one of those mysterious one-L Philips. Not a Phillip, but a Philip. Waggy unsurprisingly puts out a FREE AGENT shingle in front of is house, and Kyren Paris becomes the next claimee to be re-exposed to new claimants. But are the Mets still claiming guys to replace those guys they claimed that they then exposed and saw get claimed again?! OH, YEAH! Please welcome to the Mets seat on the November MLB Merry-Go-Round Jack Anderson and Pierson Ohl! Look at those sexy Mets hats that they've never worn but somebody digitally put on their heads! (Disclaimer: By the time you read this, those hats may be replaced.) Met legacy Cristian Cairo gets a double dose of merry-go-round misery, getting re-signed and waived on the same f#@%-ing day! Transactions, 11/3/2026 GOING GOING GOING GOING Removed from Projected Coaching Staff, Projected for Syracuse Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Projected Co-Hitting Coach Starting Pitchers Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Nate Irving Bryce Conley Joander Suarez Joshua Corniely R/R DoB: 1992-10-17 High Level: AAA (2026) R/R DoB: 1994-08-22 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2000-02-27 High Level: AAA (2026) R/R DoB: 2001-01-15 High Level: AAA (2025) GOING GOING GOING GOING Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Carlos Guzman José Marte Matt Seelinger Guillo Zuñiga R/R DoB: 1998-05-16 High Level: AAA (2026) R/R DoB: 1996-06-14 High Level: MLB (2024) R/R DoB: 1995-04-19 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1998-10-10 High Level: MLB (2026) GOING GOING NEUTRAL COMING Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Refused Minor-League Assignment, Becoming Free Agent Transferred from Projected Strategy Coach Hired as Strategy Coach Catchers Outfielders Co-Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Vincent Perozo Cristian Pache Mariano Duncan A.J. Ellis L/R DoB: 2003-03-06 High Level: AAA (2026) R/R DoB: 2020-08-21 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1963-03-13 High Level: AA (2026) R/R DoB: 1981-04-09 High Level: AAA (2026) We're starting to see Mets manager Andy Green put his own stamp on a coaching staff that had largely been formed by and for his predecessor Carlos Mendoza. New strategy coach A.J. Ellis likely crossed his path during his days as manager of the Padres, where Ellis toiled in the front office. Mystery coach Mariano Duncan similarly worked with Green on the development side with the Mets. This forces Mets Roster Central to put park Dunc in the co-hitting coach slot, as it is the only one that's open, and jettison speculative placeholder Nate Irving and his burry thumbnail pic. Bryce Conley and Joander Suarez were never top prospects for the Mets, but they pitched well enough to the very top of the system without being pushed to the bullpen, and were in a good position to get a Spring Training invite and thrown an sink-or-swim emergency start to see what happens. Conley even got so tantalizingly close to receive a callup in early August, but he was DFA'd two days later without making an appearance. Suarez was lovingly known as "Joander vander Meer" in MRC circles, as he once reeled off consecutive no-hit starts back in late August/early September of 2023. Of course, those were six- and seven-inning starts due to the conspiracy of those in charge to make everything about baseball worse. Combined with his previous and following starts Joander wound up throwing and astounding 20 consecutive innings of one-hit ball with the Cyclones and Rumble Ponies that fall. We are sorry to see him file for free agency and wish him well. Similarly progressing-but-out-of-time are relievers Joshua Cornielly, Carlos Guzman, and Matt Seelinger. Seelinger, along with Guillo Zuñiga, made one-game cameos with the Mets. Zuñiga, whose aunt won John Cusack's heart in The Sure Thing, did alright, but poor Seelinger was absolutely hammered for seven runs in an inning in his MLB debut, and then did about the manliest thing any Met did in 2026, going back out there for one more inning and shutting the Royals down. Transactions, 11/5/2026 NEUTRAL GOING Transferred from Projected Co-HItting Coach Hired away from ATL Assistant Coach Co-Hitting Coach Mariano Duncan Johnny Washington R/R DoB: 1963-03-13 High Level: AA (2026) R/R DoB: 1984-05-06 High Level: MLB (2026) While we round out he staff with Johnny Washington — one more figure with a San Diegan background — we are forced to concede that the shadowy coachship of Mariano Duncan is to remain cloudy for the immediate future, tagged with the ambiguous title of "assistant coach," his duties possibly not to be revealed until the 2027 media guide drops. More interestingly, as former Mets batting instructor Eric Chavez has gone hither and yon telling everyone who would listen that the Mets were foolish in splitting up the batting instruction between two positions, the team is seemingly trolling him by flattening their organizational structure even further. While previously there was at least hierarchy in the batting staff, with one coach designated as "director of major league hitting" and the other as simply "hitting coach" or even "assistant hitting coach," now we have two guys (Washington and Brian Snitker) each labeled as "co-hitting coach." Something has to give, right? Something indeed has to give, and that's why we invite you to stick with Mets Roster Central, as the big league roster evolves into the well oiled unit that will bring wins by the dozens in 2027. Your Projected 2027 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Sean Manaea Nolan McLean Christian Scott Zach Thornton Jonah Tong R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 L/L DoB: 2002-01-17 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 Relief Pitchers Chayce McDermott Tobias Myers Cionel Pérez Kodai Senga Robert Stock Austin Warren Devin Williams L/R DoB: 1998-08-22 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 R/L DoB: 1996-04-21 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 L/R DoB: 1989-11-21 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Jefry Yan Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio Jorge Polanco L/L DoB: 1996-08-17 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 Infielders Outfielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Jared Young Brett Baty Carson Benge A.J. Ewing Juan Soto R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 L/R DoB: 2004-08-10 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Jack Anderson Tylor Megill Daniel Duarte Reed Garrett Justin Hagenman Nathan Lavender Dedniel Núñez DoB: 1999-11-23 DoB: 1995-07-28 DoB: 1996-12-04 DoB: 1993-01-02 DoB: 1996-10-07 DoB: 2000-01-20 DoB: 1996-06-05 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Pierson Ohl Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Jack Weisen- berger Hayden Senger Christopher Morel Nick Morabito DoB: 1999-09-10 DoB: 1997-11-07 DoB: 2000-09-01 DoB: 1997-10-08 DoB: 1997-04-03 DoB: 1999-06-24 DoB: 2003-05-07 Your Projected Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Co-Hitting Coord. Co-Hitting Coach Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Andy Green Kai Correa Justin Willard Troy Snitker Johnny Washington Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado DoB: 1977-07-07 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1984-05-06 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 Strategy Coach Assistant Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Pract. Pitcher Equip. Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers A.J. Ellis Mariano Duncan J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Jonathon Cramman Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1981-04-09 DoB: 1963-03-13 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1991-03-23 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Recond. Coordinator Recond. Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB:1972-07-17 DoB:1978-??-?? DoB:Circa 1980 DoB:1988-06-23 DoB:1996-??-?? DoB:1987-??-?? DoB:1991-??-?? DoB:????-??-?? DoB:1962-07-19 2026-2027 MLB Free Agents Hitting Coord. Strategy Coach Bat'g Pract. Pitcher Relief Pitchers Infielders Jeff Albert Danny Barnes Kevin Mahoney Joey Gerber Eric Waga- man DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1997-05-03 DoB: 1997-08-14 2026-2027 Minor-League Free Agents Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Eris Albino Bryce Conley Dalton Mall Matteo Morelli Christopher Rochin Joander Suarez Omar Victorino Luis Alvarez Jesüs Anton Mike Baumann R/R DoB: 2004-02-24 R/R DoB: 1994-08-22 R/R DoB: 1999-08-27 R/R DoB: 2006-02-27 R/R DoB: 2006-09-18 R/R DoB: 2000-02-27 R/R DoB: 2005-06-09 R/R DoB: 2003-05-05 R/R DoB: 2006-02-17 R/R DoB: 1995-09-10 Relief Pitchers Yoralbert Cadíz Joe Charles Joshua Corniely Colton Cosper Anthony Crespo Xzavion Curry Chris Devenski Franyel Diaz Cristian Dudamel Carlos Guzman R/R DoB: 2004-10-24 R/R DoB: 2000-04-05 R/R DoB: 2001-01-15 L/L DoB: 2002-09-08 R/R DoB: 2004-05-04 R/R DoB: 36003 R/R DoB: 1990-11-13 R/R DoB: 2004-12-18 R/R DoB: 2006-11-06 R/R DoB: 1998-05-16 Relief Pitchers Kevin Herget Joe Jacques Wilson Lopez José Marte Yoelvis Martinez Trey McGough Pablo Medina Jahzeel Montas Layonel Ovalles Zach Peek L/R DoB: 1991-04-03 L/L DoB: 34769 R/R DoB: 2002-07-15 R/R DoB: 1996-06-14 R/R DoB: 2006-06-21 L/L DoB: 1998-03-29 L/L DoB: 2006-10-12 R/R DoB: 2005-01-06 R/R DoB: 2003-06-16 R/R DoB: 35921 Relief Pitchers Catchers Anthony Reynoso Matt Seelinger Jun-Seok Shim Jermayne Verdu Deivy Victora Brandon Waddell Guillo Zuñiga José Aular Austin Barnes Jesús Griman L/L DoB: 39102 R/R DoB: 1995-04-19 R/R DoB: 2004-04-09 ?/R DoB: 2006-07-27 R/R DoB: 2005-08-14 L/L DoB: 1994-06-03 R/R DoB: 1998-10-10 R/R DoB: 2004-01-02 R/R DoB: 1989-12-28 R/R DoB: 2008-03-13 Catchers Infielders Vincent Perozo Daniel Silva Christian Arroyo TT Bowens Vidal Brujan Taylor Darden Jefrey De Los Santos Alexander Eneas Cole Fowler Leandy Mella L/R DoB: 2003-03-06 S/R DoB: 2005-01-12 R/R DoB: 1995-05-30 R/R DoB: 1998-05-27 S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 R/R DoB: 2000-01-16 R/R DoB: 2003-05-30 R/R DoB: 2007-09-12 L/R DoB: 2002-12-10 L/R DoB: 2007-02-24 Infielders Diego Mosquera "Angel Ozuna " José Padilla Sam Robertson José Rojas Nick Roselli Dangelo Sarmiento JT Schwartz Zack Short Kevin Villav- incencio L/R DoB: 2005-05-14 S/R DoB: 2007-07-06 L/R DoB: 39623 R/R DoB: 2004-07-17 L/R DoB: 1993-02-24 L/R DoB: 2003-03-31 R/R DoB: 38356 L/R DoB: 1999-12-17 R/R DoB: 1995-05-29 R/R DoB: 2003-11-24 Infielders Outfielders Trace Willhoite Wyatt Young Haniel German Simon Juan MJ Melendez Adolfo Miranda Jared Oliva Jaylen Palmer José Ramos Jeffry Rosa R/R DoB: 2000-11-17 L/R DoB: 1999-12-05 R/R DoB: 2005-12-05 R/R DoB: 2005-07-13 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 R/R DoB: 2006-10-04 R/R DoB: 1995-11-27 R/R DoB: 2007-07-31 R/R DoB: 36892 R/R DoB: 2004-09-11 Outfielders Matt Rudick AJ Salgado Mike Tauchman L/L DoB: 1998-07-02 L/R DoB: 2001-09-16 L/L DoB: 1990-12-03 View the full article

It takes a lot out of Mets Roster Central, the early days of November. While minors leagues who have failed to advance and the Mets are parting ways, the organization is also involved in a league-wide game of Hot Potato. They want to clear room on their roster for valuable minor-league vets that they want to protect from the Rule 5 Draft, but ... so do other teams. So no sooner do they clear spaces than players from across the league appear on the waiver wire. The Mets (a) like some of these guys, and so (b) claim them, at which point (c) they again have to create room on the roster by putting somebody else through waivers or refuse-able minor-league assignments, which (d) often include the players they just claimed. Circles within circles. Transactions, 10/29/2026 GOING GOING GOING GOING Released Released Released Released Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Infielders Cristian Dudamel Jesús Griman Angel Ozuna José Padilla R/R DoB: 2006-11-06 High Level: DSL (2026) R/R DoB: 2008-03-13 High Level: DSL (2026) S/R DoB: 2007-07-06 High Level: DSL (2026) L/R DoB: 39623 High Level: DSL (2026) Some minor-league players fail to advance, some advance but just not fast enough to beat the clock the team has on their reserve powers, and some just use up too much of that time recovering from injury. While all of these are from the first group, the fascinating (and tragic) figure here is Angel Ozuna. The Dominican infielder originally agreed with the Yankees to a $5 million dollar deal, as a member of the 2027 class. Well, you'll all realize right now that 2027 hasn't happened yet, and that is because he was, not one, not two, but three years older than his listed age. And with that baby face appearing to your left, you can see how folks were fooled. But, you know, caveat emptor and all that The Yankees quickly lost interest, as Ozuna served a one-year suspension, and he ultimately came to an agreement with the Twins for $500,000 in November. That's 10% of $5 million, but, you know, it's more money than Mets Roster Central has in our pockets. But he must've made an additionally terrible first impression, because the deal fell through, and the Mets signed him in June, for $10,000, which is 2% of $5 million. And that may be the last money the young man and his misled family see from baseball, because after a half season and only 70 plate appearances, the Mets, too, are walking away. More tears are being shed for Cristian Dudamel, who Mets Roster Central believed to be descended from both Lucas Duda and Duke Carmel. Transactions, 11/1/2026 GOING GOING GOING GOING Removed from 40-Player Roster and Assigned to Syracuse Removed from 40-Player Roster and Assigned to Syracuse Removed from 40-Player Roster and Assigned to Syracuse Cleared Waivers, Removed from 40-Player Roster and Assigned to Syracuse Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Infielders Outfielders Philip Abner Cameron Weston Eric Wagaman Cristian Pache L/L DoB: 2002-05-04 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2000-08-27 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2020-08-21 High Level: MLB (2026) Philip Abner and Cameron Weston are two players caught up in the ugly game that gives this thread its name. You grab players off waivers, only to put them on waivers yourself, never intending to carry him on the roster, gambling the price of a claiming fee that nobody behind you will be claiming him a day or too later. As often as not, the player is grabbed again, and he moves on, never having suited up for your team, never even shaken the hand of a member of the organization he's technically a member of for a few days. If anything, some MLB.com web editor will change the hat on his thumbnail portrait, it'll get proliferated over the Internet, and decades later, his kids will ask, "Dad, when did you ever play for the Mets." They will show the thumbnail to the now-myopic former player, he will squint with confusion and whisper, "I have no memory of this place." More traditional are the removal from the roster of Eric Wagaman, a hitter who was lacking in hits in 2026, and Cristian Pache, a speedster who was lacking in appearances. Both should be expected to refuse these assignments. Transactions, 11/2/2026 GOING GOING GOING GOING Claimed off Waivers by BAL Claimed off Waivers by MIA Refused Minor-League Assignment, Becoming Free Agent Designated for Assignment Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Infielders Outfielders Philip Abner Cameron Weston Eric Wagaman Kyren Paris L/L DoB: 2002-05-04 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2000-08-27 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1997-08-14 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2001-11-11 High Level: MLB (2026) GOING COMING COMING COMING Elected Free Agency Claimed off Waivers from MIN, Projected for Syracuse Claimed off Waivers from COL, Projected for Syracuse Re-Signed, Projected for Syracuse, Designated for Assignment Outfielders Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Infielders José Ramos Jack Anderson Pierson Ohl Christian Cairo R/R DoB: 36892 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1999-11-23 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1999-09-10 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2001-06-11 High Level: MLB (2026) Going, going, GONE! are are Philip Abner and Cameron Weston. They pay a waiver claim fee, and we guess they receive one. So there's nothing lost but a few days' interest fees, but the dehumanization of treating players as fungible commodities is a price we all pay. You didn't even get a chance to appreciate that Abner was one of those mysterious one-L Philips. Not a Phillip, but a Philip. Waggy unsurprisingly puts out a FREE AGENT shingle in front of is house, and Kyren Paris becomes the next claimee to be re-exposed to new claimants. But are the Mets still claiming guys to replace those guys they claimed that they then exposed and saw get claimed again?! OH, YEAH! Please welcome to the Mets seat on the November MLB Merry-Go-Round Jack Anderson and Pierson Ohl! Look at those sexy Mets hats that they've never worn but somebody digitally put on their heads! (Disclaimer: By the time you read this, those hats may be replaced.) Met legacy Cristian Cairo gets a double dose of merry-go-round misery, getting re-signed and waived on the same f#@%-ing day! Transactions, 11/3/2026 GOING GOING GOING GOING Removed from Projected Coaching Staff, Projected for Syracuse Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Projected Co-Hitting Coach Starting Pitchers Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Nate Irving Bryce Conley Joander Suarez Joshua Corniely R/R DoB: 1992-10-17 High Level: AAA (2026) R/R DoB: 1994-08-22 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 2000-02-27 High Level: AAA (2026) R/R DoB: 2001-01-15 High Level: AAA (2025) GOING GOING GOING GOING Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Relief Pitchers Carlos Guzman José Marte Matt Seelinger Guillo Zuñiga R/R DoB: 1998-05-16 High Level: AAA (2026) R/R DoB: 1996-06-14 High Level: MLB (2024) R/R DoB: 1995-04-19 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1998-10-10 High Level: MLB (2026) GOING GOING NEUTRAL COMING Opted for Minor-League Free Agency Refused Minor-League Assignment, Becoming Free Agent Transferred from Projected Strategy Coach Hired as Strategy Coach Catchers Outfielders Co-Hitting Coach Strategy Coach Vincent Perozo Cristian Pache Mariano Duncan A.J. Ellis L/R DoB: 2003-03-06 High Level: AAA (2026) R/R DoB: 2020-08-21 High Level: MLB (2026) R/R DoB: 1963-03-13 High Level: AA (2026) R/R DoB: 1981-04-09 High Level: AAA (2026) We're starting to see Mets manager Andy Green put his own stamp on a coaching staff that had largely been formed by and for his predecessor Carlos Mendoza. New strategy coach A.J. Ellis likely crossed his path during his days as manager of the Padres, where Ellis toiled in the front office. Mystery coach Mariano Duncan similarly worked with Green on the development side with the Mets. This forces Mets Roster Central to put park Dunc in the co-hitting coach slot, as it is the only one that's open, and jettison speculative placeholder Nate Irving and his burry thumbnail pic. Bryce Conley and Joander Suarez were never top prospects for the Mets, but they pitched well enough to the very top of the system without being pushed to the bullpen, and were in a good position to get a Spring Training invite and thrown an sink-or-swim emergency start to see what happens. Conley even got so tantalizingly close to receive a callup in early August, but he was DFA'd two days later without making an appearance. Suarez was lovingly known as "Joander vander Meer" in MRC circles, as he once reeled off consecutive no-hit starts back in late August/early September of 2023. Of course, those were six- and seven-inning starts due to the conspiracy of those in charge to make everything about baseball worse. Combined with his previous and following starts Joander wound up throwing and astounding 20 consecutive innings of one-hit ball with the Cyclones and Rumble Ponies that fall. We are sorry to see him file for free agency and wish him well. Similarly progressing-but-out-of-time are relievers Joshua Cornielly, Carlos Guzman, and Matt Seelinger. Seelinger, along with Guillo Zuñiga, made one-game cameos with the Mets. Zuñiga, whose aunt won John Cusack's heart in The Sure Thing, did alright, but poor Seelinger was absolutely hammered for seven runs in an inning in his MLB debut, and then did about the manliest thing any Met did in 2026, going back out there for one more inning and shutting the Royals down. Transactions, 11/5/2026 NEUTRAL GOING Transferred from Projected Co-HItting Coach Hired away from ATL Assistant Coach Co-Hitting Coach Mariano Duncan Johnny Washington R/R DoB: 1963-03-13 High Level: AA (2026) R/R DoB: 1984-05-06 High Level: MLB (2026) While we round out he staff with Johnny Washington — one more figure with a San Diegan background — we are forced to concede that the shadowy coachship of Mariano Duncan is to remain cloudy for the immediate future, tagged with the ambiguous title of "assistant coach," his duties possibly not to be revealed until the 2027 media guide drops. More interestingly, as former Mets batting instructor Eric Chavez has gone hither and yon telling everyone who would listen that the Mets were foolish in splitting up the batting instruction between two positions, the team is seemingly trolling him by flattening their organizational structure even further. While previously there was at least hierarchy in the batting staff, with one coach designated as "director of major league hitting" and the other as simply "hitting coach" or even "assistant hitting coach," now we have two guys (Washington and Brian Snitker) each labeled as "co-hitting coach." Something has to give, right? Something indeed has to give, and that's why we invite you to stick with Mets Roster Central, as the big league roster evolves into the well oiled unit that will bring wins by the dozens in 2027. Your Projected 2027 New York Mets Starting Pitchers Sean Manaea Nolan McLean Christian Scott Zach Thornton Jonah Tong R/L DoB: 1992-02-01 R/R DoB: 2001-07-24 R/R DoB: 1999-06-15 L/L DoB: 2002-01-17 R/R DoB: 2003-06-19 Relief Pitchers Chayce McDermott Tobias Myers Cionel Pérez Kodai Senga Robert Stock Austin Warren Devin Williams L/R DoB: 1998-08-22 R/R DoB: 1998-08-05 R/L DoB: 1996-04-21 L/R DoB: 1993-01-30 L/R DoB: 1989-11-21 R/R DoB: 1996-02-05 R/R DoB: 1994-09-21 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Jefry Yan Francisco Alvarez Luís Torrens Bo Bichette Francisco Lindor Ronny Mauricio Jorge Polanco L/L DoB: 1996-08-17 R/R DoB: 2001-11-01 R/R DoB: 1996-05-02 R/R DoB: 1998-03-05 S/R DoB: 1993-11-14 S/R DoB: 2001-04-04 S/R DoB: 1999-11-13 Infielders Outfielders Marcus Semien Mark Vientos Jared Young Brett Baty Carson Benge A.J. Ewing Juan Soto R/R DoB: 1990-09-17 R/R DoB: 1993-12-11 L/R DoB: 1995-07-09 L/R DoB: 1999-11-13 L/R DoB: 2003-01-20 L/R DoB: 2004-08-10 L/L DoB: 1998-10-25 Also on 40-Player Roster Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Jack Anderson Tylor Megill Daniel Duarte Reed Garrett Justin Hagenman Nathan Lavender Dedniel Núñez DoB: 1999-11-23 DoB: 1995-07-28 DoB: 1996-12-04 DoB: 1993-01-02 DoB: 1996-10-07 DoB: 2000-01-20 DoB: 1996-06-05 Relief Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Pierson Ohl Jonathan Pintaro Dylan Ross Jack Weisen- berger Hayden Senger Christopher Morel Nick Morabito DoB: 1999-09-10 DoB: 1997-11-07 DoB: 2000-09-01 DoB: 1997-10-08 DoB: 1997-04-03 DoB: 1999-06-24 DoB: 2003-05-07 Your Projected Mets Coaching Staff Manager Bench Coach Pitching Coach Co-Hitting Coord. Co-Hitting Coach Third Base Coach First Base Coach Bullpen Coach Andy Green Kai Correa Justin Willard Troy Snitker Johnny Washington Tim Leiper Gilbert Gomez José Rosado DoB: 1977-07-07 DoB: 1989-07-14 DoB: 1990-09-09 DoB: 1988-12-05 DoB: 1984-05-06 DoB: 1996-07-19 DoB: 1992-03-08 DoB: 1974-11-09 Strategy Coach Assistant Coach Catching Coach Coaching Assistant Bat'g Pract. Pitcher Equip. Manager Bullpen Catchers Bullpen Catchers A.J. Ellis Mariano Duncan J.P. Arencibia Rafael Fernandez Jonathon Cramman Kevin Kierst Eric Langill Dave Racaniello DoB: 1981-04-09 DoB: 1963-03-13 DoB: 1986-01-05 DoB: 1988-08-03 DoB: 1991-03-23 DoB: 1964-07-09 DoB: 1979-04-09 DoB: 1978-06-03 Your Mets Training Staff Director of Player Health Head Athletic Trainer Assistant Athletic Trainer Recond. Coordinator Recond. Therapist Head Performance Coach Assistant Performance Coach Performance Coordinator Soft Tissue Specialist Brian Chicklo Joseph Golia Bryan Baca Sean Bardanett Josh Bickel Dustin Clarke Tanner Miracle Jeremy Chiang Hiroto Kawamura DoB:1972-07-17 DoB:1978-??-?? DoB:Circa 1980 DoB:1988-06-23 DoB:1996-??-?? DoB:1987-??-?? DoB:1991-??-?? DoB:????-??-?? DoB:1962-07-19 2026-2027 MLB Free Agents Hitting Coord. Strategy Coach Bat'g Pract. Pitcher Relief Pitchers Infielders Jeff Albert Danny Barnes Kevin Mahoney Joey Gerber Eric Waga- man DoB: 1992-08-16 DoB: 1989-10021 DoB: 1987-05-11 DoB: 1997-05-03 DoB: 1997-08-14 2026-2027 Minor-League Free Agents Starting Pitchers Relief Pitchers Eris Albino Bryce Conley Dalton Mall Matteo Morelli Christopher Rochin Joander Suarez Omar Victorino Luis Alvarez Jesüs Anton Mike Baumann R/R DoB: 2004-02-24 R/R DoB: 1994-08-22 R/R DoB: 1999-08-27 R/R DoB: 2006-02-27 R/R DoB: 2006-09-18 R/R DoB: 2000-02-27 R/R DoB: 2005-06-09 R/R DoB: 2003-05-05 R/R DoB: 2006-02-17 R/R DoB: 1995-09-10 Relief Pitchers Yoralbert Cadíz Joe Charles Joshua Corniely Colton Cosper Anthony Crespo Xzavion Curry Chris Devenski Franyel Diaz Cristian Dudamel Carlos Guzman R/R DoB: 2004-10-24 R/R DoB: 2000-04-05 R/R DoB: 2001-01-15 L/L DoB: 2002-09-08 R/R DoB: 2004-05-04 R/R DoB: 36003 R/R DoB: 1990-11-13 R/R DoB: 2004-12-18 R/R DoB: 2006-11-06 R/R DoB: 1998-05-16 Relief Pitchers Kevin Herget Joe Jacques Wilson Lopez José Marte Yoelvis Martinez Trey McGough Pablo Medina Jahzeel Montas Layonel Ovalles Zach Peek L/R DoB: 1991-04-03 L/L DoB: 34769 R/R DoB: 2002-07-15 R/R DoB: 1996-06-14 R/R DoB: 2006-06-21 L/L DoB: 1998-03-29 L/L DoB: 2006-10-12 R/R DoB: 2005-01-06 R/R DoB: 2003-06-16 R/R DoB: 35921 Relief Pitchers Catchers Anthony Reynoso Matt Seelinger Jun-Seok Shim Jermayne Verdu Deivy Victora Brandon Waddell Guillo Zuñiga José Aular Austin Barnes Jesús Griman L/L DoB: 39102 R/R DoB: 1995-04-19 R/R DoB: 2004-04-09 ?/R DoB: 2006-07-27 R/R DoB: 2005-08-14 L/L DoB: 1994-06-03 R/R DoB: 1998-10-10 R/R DoB: 2004-01-02 R/R DoB: 1989-12-28 R/R DoB: 2008-03-13 Catchers Infielders Vincent Perozo Daniel Silva Christian Arroyo TT Bowens Vidal Brujan Taylor Darden Jefrey De Los Santos Alexander Eneas Cole Fowler Leandy Mella L/R DoB: 2003-03-06 S/R DoB: 2005-01-12 R/R DoB: 1995-05-30 R/R DoB: 1998-05-27 S/R DoB: 1998-02-09 R/R DoB: 2000-01-16 R/R DoB: 2003-05-30 R/R DoB: 2007-09-12 L/R DoB: 2002-12-10 L/R DoB: 2007-02-24 Infielders Diego Mosquera "Angel Ozuna " José Padilla Sam Robertson José Rojas Nick Roselli Dangelo Sarmiento JT Schwartz Zack Short Kevin Villav- incencio L/R DoB: 2005-05-14 S/R DoB: 2007-07-06 L/R DoB: 39623 R/R DoB: 2004-07-17 L/R DoB: 1993-02-24 L/R DoB: 2003-03-31 R/R DoB: 38356 L/R DoB: 1999-12-17 R/R DoB: 1995-05-29 R/R DoB: 2003-11-24 Infielders Outfielders Trace Willhoite Wyatt Young Haniel German Simon Juan MJ Melendez Adolfo Miranda Jared Oliva Jaylen Palmer José Ramos Jeffry Rosa R/R DoB: 2000-11-17 L/R DoB: 1999-12-05 R/R DoB: 2005-12-05 R/R DoB: 2005-07-13 L/R DoB: 1993-11-29 R/R DoB: 2006-10-04 R/R DoB: 1995-11-27 R/R DoB: 2007-07-31 R/R DoB: 36892 R/R DoB: 2004-09-11 Outfielders Matt Rudick AJ Salgado Mike Tauchman L/L DoB: 1998-07-02 L/R DoB: 2001-09-16 L/L DoB: 1990-12-03 View the full article

Earlier this week, Baseball America unveiled their ranking of the top 10 Miami Marlins prospects for the 2027 season. Jacob Rudner joins Isaac Azout and Ely Sussman to take us inside the process, detailing each player's upside and risks, and why certain familiar names missed the cut. Use promo code FISH30 to get 30% off any digital Baseball America subscription: https://www.baseballamerica.com/sign-up/ This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. 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. Here is Rudner's top 10 list: LHP Thomas White OF Cam Cannarella LHP Robby Snelling SS Jacob Lombard SS/3B Aiva Arquette SS Starlyn Caba RHP Eliazar Dishmey RHP Karson Milbrandt LHP Ethan Kleinschmit OF/1B Brandon Compton It includes nine of the same players who sit atop the Fish On First Top 30, with outfielder Dillon Lewis being the only snub (Kleinschmit fills the void). View the full article

Earlier this week, Baseball America unveiled their ranking of the top 10 Miami Marlins prospects for the 2027 season. Jacob Rudner joins Isaac Azout and Ely Sussman to take us inside the process, detailing each player's upside and risks, and why certain familiar names missed the cut. Use promo code FISH30 to get 30% off any digital Baseball America subscription: https://www.baseballamerica.com/sign-up/ This podcast is brought to you by Jet Ski Rentals of South Florida—offering Miami’s best jet ski and boat adventures. With six jet ski locations and over 120 boats, there’s something for every style and every budget. They’re reservation-based only. To inquire, call 305-990-2192, or check them out online at SFJetskiRentals.com. Make sure to use promo code FISHONFIRST to receive 10% off your next booking. 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. Here is Rudner's top 10 list: LHP Thomas White OF Cam Cannarella LHP Robby Snelling SS Jacob Lombard SS/3B Aiva Arquette SS Starlyn Caba RHP Eliazar Dishmey RHP Karson Milbrandt LHP Ethan Kleinschmit OF/1B Brandon Compton It includes nine of the same players who sit atop the Fish On First Top 30, with outfielder Dillon Lewis being the only snub (Kleinschmit fills the void). View the full article

As the offseason officially gets underway for the San Diego Padres, they're left confronting a familiar question: who will play first base? The team's preference is obviously to re-sign Ty France. He had an exceptional season on both sides of the ball, and the player & organization very clearly have a positive relationship. Barring some sort of massive fallout in that relationship wrought by negotiations for a new contract, France returning to the Padres seems like as sure a bet as almost any transaction across the big-league landscape this offseason. Should the unthinkable happen, though, it's possible there's a pivot in store on the trade market in the form of a former No. 1 overall pick. Spencer Torkelson could be on the outs with the Detroit Tigers. Despite the former top-prospect pedigree he carries, his inability to remain consistent and the possibility of highly touted prospect Josue Briceño eating into his playing time in the near future could make him a change-of-scenery candidate this winter. Is there a fit in San Diego? On paper, sure. The Padres need a first baseman and some additional power. Torkelson mans the cold corner and has touched the 30-homer threshold twice and hit 26 in 2026. He's been an above-average hitter by wRC+ in three of the last four seasons and carries two more years of team control. One doesn't have to squint to see the appeal. At the same time, there are a couple of things that could give A.J. Preller pause in pursuing such a deal. For one, Torkelson's lack of consistency is part of the reason Detroit might be willing to part with his upside in the first place. He had multiple months of an on-base percentage under .300 this year, and his strikeout rate hit at least 33 percent in four of them. He also had individual months where his ISO, which sat at .205 for the year, dipped to .168 (May) and .060 (August). Any player is liable to experience stretches of poor performance, but this has been a regular feature for Torkelson throughout his career. And no matter how hot he gets at the plate, the strikeouts are always present. Defense represents another area of concern. Torkelson turned in an Outs Above Average figure of -12 in 2026 and is at -22 for his career. He's only ever been average in just one year. Coming off a season where France's defensive impact was notable as a Gold Glove finalist, that would be a severe drop-off for San Diego. When you factor in the idea that the Tigers don't have to trade Torkelson, one can imagine the prospect cost could be more exorbitant than the Padres are able to afford given their ever-barren farm system. So, while the idea of bringing the former first overall pick to San Diego has its merits, his shortcomings and the associated cost in a trade would probably lead the Padres to seek solutions elsewhere. Replacing France continues to seem much more difficult than simply retaining him. View the full article

As the offseason officially gets underway for the San Diego Padres, they're left confronting a familiar question: who will play first base? The team's preference is obviously to re-sign Ty France. He had an exceptional season on both sides of the ball, and the player & organization very clearly have a positive relationship. Barring some sort of massive fallout in that relationship wrought by negotiations for a new contract, France returning to the Padres seems like as sure a bet as almost any transaction across the big-league landscape this offseason. Should the unthinkable happen, though, it's possible there's a pivot in store on the trade market in the form of a former No. 1 overall pick. Spencer Torkelson could be on the outs with the Detroit Tigers. Despite the former top-prospect pedigree he carries, his inability to remain consistent and the possibility of highly touted prospect Josue Briceño eating into his playing time in the near future could make him a change-of-scenery candidate this winter. Is there a fit in San Diego? On paper, sure. The Padres need a first baseman and some additional power. Torkelson mans the cold corner and has touched the 30-homer threshold twice and hit 26 in 2026. He's been an above-average hitter by wRC+ in three of the last four seasons and carries two more years of team control. One doesn't have to squint to see the appeal. At the same time, there are a couple of things that could give A.J. Preller pause in pursuing such a deal. For one, Torkelson's lack of consistency is part of the reason Detroit might be willing to part with his upside in the first place. He had multiple months of an on-base percentage under .300 this year, and his strikeout rate hit at least 33 percent in four of them. He also had individual months where his ISO, which sat at .205 for the year, dipped to .168 (May) and .060 (August). Any player is liable to experience stretches of poor performance, but this has been a regular feature for Torkelson throughout his career. And no matter how hot he gets at the plate, the strikeouts are always present. Defense represents another area of concern. Torkelson turned in an Outs Above Average figure of -12 in 2026 and is at -22 for his career. He's only ever been average in just one year. Coming off a season where France's defensive impact was notable as a Gold Glove finalist, that would be a severe drop-off for San Diego. When you factor in the idea that the Tigers don't have to trade Torkelson, one can imagine the prospect cost could be more exorbitant than the Padres are able to afford given their ever-barren farm system. So, while the idea of bringing the former first overall pick to San Diego has its merits, his shortcomings and the associated cost in a trade would probably lead the Padres to seek solutions elsewhere. Replacing France continues to seem much more difficult than simply retaining him. View the full article

Free agency is officially underway, and over the coming weeks, the Minnesota Twins will have several decisions to make as they look to build a roster capable of competing in 2027. There are some obvious needs for the club, starting with a bullpen that struggled for much of the 2026 season. The Twins could also have a need behind the plate, depending on what Ryan Jeffers decides to do with the qualifying offer he received. However, another position that deserves some attention this offseason is first base. As things currently stand, Royce Lewis is the de facto first baseman on the Twins' roster. While Lewis certainly has the offensive potential to be an impact player, his struggles have made it difficult to envision him as the everyday answer at the position. If the Twins head into 2027 with Lewis as their starting first baseman, it would be difficult to consider the offseason a success. Minnesota could pursue a traditional first baseman in free agency, or, as Cody Pirkl discussed in his recent article, the Twins could move Kody Clemens to first base and pursue an upgrade at second base instead. If the latter approach is something Minnesota considers, there is one familiar name who could make a lot of sense: Luis Arraez. Everyone remembers Luis Arraez's tenure in Minnesota, he was a true fan favorite. He quickly established himself as one of the best contact hitters in baseball and became an excellent leadoff hitter for the Twins over his four seasons in Minnesota. His time in Minnesota culminated in winning the American League batting title in 2022 before the Twins traded him to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Pablo López following that season. Arraez didn't slow down after leaving Minnesota, winning two more consecutive batting titles in 2023 and 2024 while playing for Miami and San Diego. After spending time with the Padres and Giants, he eventually landed with the Philadelphia Phillies. In many ways, Arraez remains the same player Twins fans remember. He hits for a high average, rarely strikes out, doesn't offer much power, and consistently produces an above-average offensive season. His 110 OPS+ in 2026 is a good representation of what teams can expect from him at the plate. However, there is one significant difference between the player who left Minnesota and the one who could potentially return. Arraez has completely transformed his defensive game. During his time with the Twins, Arraez initially played second base before his defensive struggles prompted the organization to move him to first base full time. After being traded to Miami, he moved back to second base, where his defensive limitations continued to be an issue. That remained the case during his time with the Padres, but something changed in 2026. Under the tutelage of infield guru Ron Washington, Arraez seemingly figured things out defensively and became a legitimate strength at second base. The numbers tell an incredible story. From 2019 through 2025, Arraez posted negative Outs Above Average numbers at second base every season, routinely finishing with marks of -8, -10, or even -11. In 2026, he flipped that narrative entirely, recording 12 Outs Above Average. That was the fifth-best mark among all second basemen in baseball. Going from one of the worst defensive second basemen in the league to one of its best is a remarkable transformation, and it completely changes the conversation about what Arraez could bring to a team. Offensively, Arraez would give the Twins something they could use more of: consistency. Minnesota actually had a pretty productive offense in 2026, finishing ninth in baseball in runs scored. However, there were too many stretches when the lineup went cold, struggling to string together quality at-bats and going multiple games without generating much offense. Arraez is the type of hitter who can help prevent those prolonged slumps. He consistently puts the ball in play, works quality at-bats, and finds ways to get on base. He isn't going to provide much power or drive in a ton of runs, but he would give the Twins a dependable presence near the top of the lineup who can help set the table for the hitters behind him. His defensive improvement might actually be an even bigger selling point. The Twins finished the 2026 season ranked 22nd in baseball in infield Outs Above Average. Second base was a particular problem, with Minnesota ranking 26th in baseball at the position with -6 OAA. Arraez's 2026 performance of 12 OAA would represent an 18-out swing compared to what the Twins received from their second basemen this past season. That is a substantial improvement at a position where Minnesota could desperately use one. Pairing that defensive production with his consistent offensive output would give the Twins an upgrade on both sides of the ball. There is also a financial component that makes this potential reunion intriguing. Arraez doesn't necessarily carry the same name recognition as some of the other notable offensive players who could be available this offseason, such as Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki. That could make him a more affordable option for a Twins organization that will need to be smart about how it allocates its resources. ESPN currently projects Arraez to receive a three-year, $54 million contract. For a 29-year-old coming off a season in which he contributed 4.1 WAR, that seems like a pretty reasonable contract. Of course, Arraez isn't going to solve every problem on the Twins' roster. He isn't a power hitter, and adding him wouldn't eliminate the need to address the bullpen or potentially find another catcher. However, if Minnesota decides that moving Clemens to first base is the best path forward, Arraez would be an incredibly logical addition. He would fill a position of need, provide a consistent offensive presence, and bring defensive value that Twins fans probably never expected to see from him again. The Twins have an opportunity to bring back a player who already knows the organization, is still an above-average hitter, and has developed into a completely different defensive player since leaving Minnesota. Would you like to see the Twins bring Luis Arraez back this offseason? Would a three-year, $54 million investment make sense for Minnesota, or would you prefer to see the Twins pursue a different option at second base? View the full article