TheRotofeed

Nationals, Josiah Gray Avoid Arbitration

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 21:15:07 +0000

The Nationals announced that they have signed a one-year deal with right-hander Josiah Gray to avoid arbitration. Gray will make $1.35MM in 2026, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. That’s the same salary he made in 2025 while recovering from elbow surgery.

More to come.

Sean Reynolds To Sign With NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars

Steve Adams — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 21:03:10 +0000

Former Padres right-hander Sean Reynolds is signing with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. It’ll be the first overseas stint for the Ballengee Group client.

Reynolds, 27, was non-tendered by the Padres last month. He pitched parts of two seasons with the Friars after coming over alongside first baseman/outfielder Garrett Cooper in the trade that sent lefty Ryan Weathers back to the Marlins. Reynolds was outstanding in a small sample with the ’24 Padres, yielding only one run while piling up 21 punchouts in 11 innings (42.9% strikeout rate). He was hit hard in 2025, however, surrendering 16 runs on 20 hits and 17 walks in 27 frames. The resulting 5.33 ERA was an eyesore, and Reynolds saw his massive 2024 strikeout rate quite literally halved (21.4%).

Health may have played some role in Reynolds’ 2025 struggles. He opened the year on the shelf due to a stress reaction in his right foot and was promptly tagged for five runs in only 1 2/3 innings upon returning from the injured list. Reynolds then settled in with a tidy 2.14 earned run average over his next 21 frames before being optioned to Triple-A El Paso. He pitched well for the Chihuahuas for the next couple months and was recalled in September — only to be tagged for six runs (with nine walks) in his final 4 1/3 big league innings.

Reynolds has been a pure reliever throughout his professional career and will presumably be used in that same role over in Japan. The righty sat 96 mph with his four-seamer this past season and coupled the pitch with a slider clocking in at an average of 86.1 mph. He won’t turn 28 until April, so with a strong year or two pitching in Asia, there’s potential for him to eventual return to North American ball.

Diamondbacks Designate Bryce Jarvis For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:35:02 +0000

The Diamondbacks announced that right-hander Bryce Jarvis has been designated for assignment. That’s the corresponding 40-man move for their signing of Michael Soroka, which is now official.

Jarvis, 28 this month, was Arizona’s first-round pick in the 2020 draft. The Snakes took him with the 18th overall pick and signed him with a $2.65MM bonus. He was a notable prospect for a bit but his stock has been dropping effectively since he was drafted.

He posted lackluster results as he worked his way up the minor league ladder, working mostly as a starter. In 2022, he made 25 Double-A starts but allowed 8.28 earned runs per nine in the process.

In 2023, he had a 5.08 ERA on the farm, slightly better but obviously still not ideal. Nonetheless, the Diamondbacks called him up to work out of the big league bullpen. He posted a 3.04 ERA there, although that number was misleading. His 9.8% walk rate was subpar and his 13% strikeout rate well below average. A tiny .162 batting average on balls in play and a high strand rate of 74.5% helped him out.

It was a similar story in 2024. Jarvis posted a 3.19 ERA but with subpar numbers under the hood. In 2025, his luck corrected, as he had a 5.73 ERA. He also continued to make starts at the Triple-A level, but with an 8.47 ERA in those.

Over the past three years, Jarvis has logged 105 big league innings. His 3.69 ERA doesn’t look bad but his 15.8% strikeout rate and 11.8% walk rate are both poor figures. He would have allowed more runs if not for a .251 BABIP and 76% strand rate. His 4.97 FIP and 5.11 SIERA are likely more accurate representations of the work he has done so far.

Jarvis has now been bumped off the roster in Arizona and will be in DFA limbo for a week at most. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Snakes could take five days to explore trades. Jarvis does have an option remaining, so it’s possible some club takes a shot on his draft pedigree and hopes for a breakout.

Photo courtesy of Joe Rondone, Imagn Images

Red Sox Showing Interest In Willson Contreras

Steve Adams — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:14:56 +0000

After missing out on both Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber, the Red Sox continue to pursue upgrades for their lineup. One target they’re recently looked into, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, is Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras.

Of course, the Red Sox and Cardinals already completed one trade sending a notable veteran to Boston; right-hander Sonny Gray was traded to the Sox in exchange for righty Richard Fitts and minor league lefty Brandon Clarke earlier in the offseason. (The Cardinals included $20MM in cash to help facilitate the swap.) Like Gray, Contreras is a veteran on a pricey contract with a full no-trade clause who St. Louis would like to move in order to clear payroll and create opportunities for younger players.

However, while Gray was very clear about his willingness to waive his no-trade clause this winter, Contreras has been more on the fence. The catcher-turned-first-baseman said at season’s end that he would consider certain scenarios but preferred to remain in St. Louis. Contreras has reportedly warmed a bit to the idea of approving a trade as the offseason has progressed, but he’s still going to be particular about his potential destination. It’s not yet clear to which teams Contreras would be willing to approve a trade, but he’d presumably prefer a contender. Boston clearly checks that box.

The fit in Boston is a natural one. First base was a question mark throughout the 2025 season. Young slugger Triston Casas struggled through a cold spell for the first three weeks and then suffered a season-ending knee injury just as he was beginning to show signs of emerging from that slump. Boston turned to Romy Gonzalez, Abraham Toro and eventual free agent pickup Nathaniel Lowe for much of the season. Gonzalez thrived against left-handed pitching but was below-average against righties, as is typical for him. Toro struggled and was eventually outrighted off the roster. Lowe performed decently down the stretch but was non-tendered due to a hefty arbitration price and a poor four months to begin the season.

Acquiring Contreras, who’s batted .256/.356/.461 (130 wRC+) across the past four seasons, would add an everyday option to the lineup and allow Gonzalez to be deployed in more of a utility role. Though he’s new to first base, Contreras made a smooth transition to the position in 2025. The longtime catcher had a poor defensive reputation behind the dish but turned in solid marks for his glovework at his new defensive home. Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric pegged him as a positive defender (+6), and Defensive Runs Saved had him as a nearly average defender (-1). Those numbers could feasibly improve a bit as he takes even more reps at the position.

Contreras is earning $36.5MM over the next two seasons and has a $5MM buyout on a $17.5MM club option for the 2028 season. That remaining $41.5MM in guaranteed money is roughly in line with market value — at least in terms of average annual value — for a first baseman who’ll turn 34 next May. Christian Walker landed a three-year, $60MM contract covering his age-34 through age-36 seasons just last winter, for instance.

For the Red Sox, the $20.75MM in remaining AAV would put them over the luxury tax threshold, though given their pursuit of so many notable free agents and trade targets, that doesn’t seem like it’ll be a big impediment this time around. If the Sox don’t want to go too far beyond the tax line, the Cardinals’ inclusion of $20MM in the Gray trade shows a clear willingness to pay down salary in exchange for a better return. Those prior talks surely gave both parties an idea of which remaining players in Boston’s system would be of interest. And while it may not be a deciding factor in Contreras’ decision, the familiarity of having former teammates like Gray and Aroldis Chapman already on the roster could be somewhat of a perk.

White Sox Claim Ryan Rolison

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 20:10:47 +0000

The White Sox announced that they have claimed left-hander Ryan Rolison off waivers from the Braves. Atlanta designated him for assignment this week as the corresponding move for their signing of right-hander Robert Suarez. The Sox had multiple 40-man vacancies and didn’t need to make a corresponding move.

Rolison, 28, was once a notable prospect with the Rockies. Colorado selected him 22nd overall in 2018, but then his path to the majors proved to be winding. The minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic and then Rolison was held back by injuries, most notably shoulder troubles. He didn’t pitch much from 2021 to 2023, missing the entirety of the 2022 campaign.

He finally got to the majors in 2025 but wasn’t able to put up good numbers. He tossed 42 1/3 innings for the Rockies this year but allowed 7.02 earned runs per nine. His 47.9% ground ball rate was above average but his 13% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate were subpar.

He had more intriguing numbers in the minors. In the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, he tossed 29 2/3 innings with a 3.34 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 48.8% ground ball rate.

Despite that solid work for the Isotopes, the Rockies decided to move on. He was designated for assignment last month. Atlanta acquired him in a cash deal but he eventually got squeezed off their roster a few weeks later by further moves.

For the White Sox, it’s a sensible flier. They improved a bit in 2025 but nonetheless lost 102 games and are clearly still in rebuilding mode. That’s not ideal but the upside is that they are better positioned than other clubs to take chances on unproven guys. Rolison also still has an option year remaining, so he could be sent to Triple-A and back throughout the season. He has less than three years of service time, meaning he could be controlled through 2029 if he breaks out in Chicago.

Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images

Diamondbacks Sign Michael Soroka

Steve Adams — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:50:05 +0000

December 12th: The Diamondbacks made it official today, announcing they signed Soroka to a one-year deal with a mutual option. Fellow righty Bryce Jarvis has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.

December 8th: The Diamondbacks and free agent right-hander Michael Soroka are in agreement on a one-year deal that will reportedly pay the ISE Baseball client a guaranteed $7.5MM. Soroka can tack on an additional $2MM worth of incentives. The deal is pending a physical. Once complete, he’ll be penciled into the team’s rotation.

Soroka, still just 28 years old, is already signing the second free-agent contract of his career. He inked a one-year, $9MM deal with the Nats last offseason after an uneven year with the White Sox, wherein he struggled immensely as a starting pitcher before posting huge numbers as a reliever down the stretch. Washington plugged Soroka back into a starting role in 2025, eventually flipping him to the Cubs at the trade deadline. Soroka posted a middling 4.52 ERA in 89 2/3 innings (17 starts, six relief appearances) but continued to intrigue with sharp rate stats: 25.1% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate, 44.1% ground-ball rate.

Arizona is in need of help both in the rotation and in the bullpen, so even though Soroka is bound for the starting staff, he could be a fallback in the bullpen if the initial plan doesn’t work out. For now, he’ll join the trio of Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt as one of manager Torey Lovullo’s starters.

It still wasn’t that long ago that Soroka looked like one of the game’s most promising young arms. The 2015 first-round pick ranked as one of baseball’s top prospects prior to his debut with Atlanta, and the first two seasons of his career more than justified that billing. In 200 1/3 innings from his late-2018 callup through the end of the 2019 season, Soroka pitched to a sparkling 2.79 earned run average. His 20% strikeout rate was below-average, but he compensated for that with an excellent 5.9% walk rate, a 50.2% grounder rate and plenty of weak contact.

Injuries decimated the next several years of Soroka’s career and eventually pushed him out of the Braves’ plans. He’s twice torn his Achilles tendon and also missed time due to multiple shoulder injuries and a biceps strain. Soroka hasn’t reached even 100 innings in a major league season since that outstanding 2018-19 run; in fact, he’s pitched only 215 1/3 big league innings total since that time — just 15 more than he pitched in that initial MLB run.

Soroka will be one of multiple additions in general manager Mike Hazen’s rotation. The D-backs entered the offseason in dire need of pitching depth. Of the aforementioned trio of starters, only Nelson (3.39 ERA, 154 innings) posted quality bottom-line results last year. Both Rodriguez and Pfaadt posted ERAs north of 5.00, though each (Pfaadt in particular) was viewed more favorably by fielding-independent metrics.

Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick has already indicated that payroll will decline after last year’s mark topped $200MM for the first time in franchise history. However, he’s also made clear that the team is fully intent on striving to contend despite that reduction. It’s not clear exactly where the ultimate budget lies, but Hazen and his staff should have plenty of spending room even with the budget scaling down. The addition of Soroka pushes next year’s projected payroll to just over $151MM, per RosterResource.

Arizona has also been looking into a reunion with righty Merrill Kelly, whom they traded to the Rangers in July ahead of his free agent departure this offseason. There’s mutual interest there, though Kelly’s annual salary will likely more than double what Soroka just commanded. Pete Fairbanks is a known target on the bullpen side of things, though he’s surely just one of many. The D-backs are also at least hearing out other clubs who inquire on star second baseman Ketel Marte, though a trade is seen as unlikely, and they’re listening to offers on lefty-swinging outfielders Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy.

Suffice it to say, it’ll be a busy few days for the D-backs in Orlando at this week’s Winter Meetings, though it’s unlikely the check off every item on their to-do list before MLB’s premier offseason event concludes.

Jesse Rogers and Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the one-year agreement between the two parties. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic first reported the salary terms, incentives and Soroka’s role.

Dodgers Claim Michael Siani

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:45:19 +0000

The Dodgers announced that they have claimed outfielder Michael Siani off waivers from the Braves. Atlanta designated him for assignment when they signed Mike Yastrzemski earlier this week. The Dodgers had a couple of 40-man roster vacancies. This move technically brings them to 39 but Edwin Díaz will take the final spot once his signing becomes official.

Siani, 26, is a glove-first depth outfielder. He has appeared in the past four major league seasons, spending time with the Reds and Cardinals. He was sent to the plate 383 times in that span. His 6.3% walk rate and 27.9% strikeout rate thus far in his career are both subpar figures. His .221/.277/.270 batting line is well below average. His minor league numbers aren’t much better. He has a .217/.329/.337 line on the farm over the past three years.

But he has been able to provide value elsewhere. He has stolen 21 bases in 26 attempts. He has logged 1,014 innings on the grass, playing all three spots, but mostly in center. He has been credited with 17 Outs Above Average in that time and seven Defensive Runs Saved.

Siani still has an option, meaning he can be send to Triple-A without being exposed to waivers. Regardless, the Cards put him on the wire at the end of the 2025 season. Atlanta scooped him up but he lasted barely a month on their roster.

The Dodgers have some fluidity in their outfield group. On paper, they have Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages in two spots. There have been some trade rumblings around Hernández but general manager Brandon Gomes has pushed back on those. Pages had a good regular season but struggled in the playoffs and lost playing time. Tommy Edman could be involved but he’s recovering from ankle surgery right now and might be needed at second base. Hyeseong Kim is another multi-positional guy who could get some outfield time. Alex Call is in the mix.

Siani jumps into a depth group that also consists of Ryan Ward and Esteury Ruiz, all three of whom have options. Siani could be sent to Triple-A with those two but he could also carve out a bench role as a defensive specialist and pinch runner. He has less than two years of service time, meaning he hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration and can theoretically be retained for several years if the Dodgers find him useful.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

Hitting Prospects to Debut in 2026: National League

Matt Heckman — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:30:59 +0000

National League hitting prospects to debut in 2026.

The post Hitting Prospects to Debut in 2026: National League appeared first on Pitcher List.

Marlins To Sign Christopher Morel

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:15:40 +0000

The Marlins and infielder/outfielder Christopher Morel have agreed to a major league deal, according to reporter Mike Rodriguez. It’s a one-year deal, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, though Morel can be controlled beyond 2026 via arbitration. The salary for the ISE Baseball client hasn’t yet been publicly reported. Morel is expected to mostly play first base for the Fish, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Marlins have an open roster spot but this will fill the 40-man once it’s official.

Morel, 26, has occasionally thrust himself into the spotlight with his ability to put the ball over the fence. However, he also strikes out a lot and hasn’t been able to find a true defensive home. The end result has been a clearly talented player struggling to fully establish himself as a viable big league regular.

Coming up as a prospect, Morel played a lot of shortstop and third base, with some time in the outfield and at second base also mixed in. He debuted with the Cubs in 2022 and showed off his power by hitting 16 home runs in 425 plate appearances. However, he also struck out in 32.2% of those trips to the plate. In 2023, he added another 26 homers in just 429 plate appearances, an even better rate than the previous year. His strikeout rate dropped a bit but stayed quite high at 31%.

Defensively, the Cubs bounced him around the diamond but without him fully taking hold of any one spot. His glovework was graded as subpar at shortstop, third base and in the outfield. He was more passable at second but the Cubs didn’t have regular playing time there due to the presence of Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson up the middle.

At last year’s deadline, the Cubs acquired Isaac Paredes from the Rays, with Morel being one of three players going back to Tampa. The Cubs later flipped Paredes to the Astros as part of the Kyle Tucker deal. The Rays still have Ty Johnson and Hunter Bigge from that swap but the Morel pick-up did not work out for them.

From the time of the trade through the end of 2025, Morel took 495 plate appearances as a Ray. He was punched out in 165 of those, exactly one third, also known as 33.3%. He hit just 14 home runs and produced a .208/.277/.355 batting line. That translated to a 78 wRC+, indicating he was 22% worse than the league average hitter in that time. The Rays mostly kept him in left field, where he received poor grades for his defense.

Morel crossed three years of service time in 2025, qualifying him for arbitration for the first time. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a $2.6MM salary next year. The Rays decided to move on and non-tendered him, sending him to free agency.

It was reported back in October that the Marlins would be looking for a lineup upgrade this winter. The team had some positive developments in their position player group in 2025 but no one took hold of the first base position. Seven different players lined up at the position during the season but Eric Wagaman was the only one to get more than 100 plate appearances at a first baseman. He finished the year with a .250/.296/.378 line and 85 wRC+.

Upgrading at first base was a sensible goal for the offseason. No one expected them to make a run at Pete Alonso but there had been some rumblings that the club could be more aggressive in free agency than in years past. Going after someone like Ryan O’Hearn or Rhys Hoskins seemed within the realm of possibility.

Instead, they are taking a shot on Morel, who has no professional experience at the position. First base is generally considered the least-demanding position on the diamond, so perhaps Morel can be more viable there than at the other spots he has tried, but there’s still risk in going with an unproven option.

There’s also risk within the bat, as mentioned. Though Morel has power, he has yet to prove he can strike out at rate less than 30% for a meaningful stretch of time. It is possible to strike out that much and still be good. Guys like James Wood and Riley Greene did so in 2025. Morel himself had a combined 115 wRC+ with the Cubs in the 2022-23 seasons, but his production tailed off more recently.

It’s a fairly low-risk move for the Marlins. Salary figures haven’t been reported but he’s surely not being paid much above the league minimum. It was reported yesterday by Edwin Hernández Jr. that Morel was getting interest from clubs in Japan. It’s unclear if he gave serious consideration to going overseas but the calls coming from Asia are perhaps a sign that his MLB interest was muted.

Though the Fish aren’t going to break the bank with this move, it’s perhaps disappointing for any fans who may have dreamt bigger after a somewhat encouraging 2025 campaign. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes that no significant payroll increase is likely forthcoming. He adds that the Marlins will be looking to add another bat this winter but most likely via the trade market.

Morel is probably not guaranteed anything in terms of playing time. If he doesn’t thrive with his chance in Miami, they could go back to Wagaman and also have guys like Connor Norby, Agustín Ramírez, Liam Hicks, Griffin Conine, Graham Pauley, Deyvison De Los Santos and others in the mix. If Morel doesn’t pan out, he is out of options. If it does work, he could theoretically be retained through 2028 via arbitration.

It’s a defensible enough signing in a vacuum but seems to be an omen of another frugal offseason for the Marlins, which has become a habit under president of baseball operations Peter Bendix. Two years ago, their biggest deal was $5MM for Tim Anderson. Last winter, it was $3.5MM for Cal Quantrill. This is their first free agent deal of the 2025-26 offseason. Time will tell if they have anything bigger in the works.

Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

Hitting Prospects to Debut in 2026-American League

Martin Sekulski — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 19:00:49 +0000

Nearly 50 American League prospects are featured in the 2026 edition!

The post Hitting Prospects to Debut in 2026-American League appeared first on Pitcher List.

Royals Finalizing Extension With Maikel Garcia

Steve Adams — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:51:30 +0000

The Royals and infielder Maikel Garcia are finalizing a five-year contract extension that’ll contain a club option for a sixth season, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. He’d previously been under club control through 2029 but will now be on a guaranteed contract through 2030. Between that 2030 season and the 2031 club option, Kansas City is picking up control over two would-be free-agent seasons for the 25-year-old Garcia, who is represented by Wasserman.

Garcia, who’ll turn 26 in March, was arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a $4.8MM salary on the heels of a breakout showing in 2025. As a Super Two player, Garcia would have been arb-eligible four times and thus due three more raises in subsequent seasons.

Though Garcia has been a regular with the Royals for three seasons now, the 2025 campaign was the first in which he provided any real value with the bat. He was a valuable player in 2023-24, but that was primarily due to plus speed (combined 60 steals) and quality defense at multiple infield positions.

The 2025 campaign brought a full-fledged breakout. After batting just .249/.300/.344 in 1141 plate appearances from ’23-’24, Garcia erupted with a .286/.351/.449 showing in a career-high 666 plate appearances. He posted career-best tallies in home runs (16) and doubles (39), tied a career-high with five triples, swiped another 23 bags and notched career-best walk and strikeout rates of 9.3% and 12.6%, respectively.

Garcia continued on as a plus, versatile defender this past season. He spent the bulk of his time at third base but also appeared at second base, shortstop and in center field. Third base has been his most frequent and best position, evidenced both by superlative defensive grades (15 Defensive Runs Saved, 18 Outs Above Average in 1144 innings) and the first of what could very well end up being multiple Gold Glove Awards.

Garcia profiles as the Royals’ long-term option at third base. With shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. also signed long-term, Kansas City should have an outstanding left side of the infield, on both sides of the ball, for the better part of the next half decade. It’s always possible that Garcia slides to a different position somewhere down the road, but the Royals tendered Jonathan India a contract this offseason and plan to deploy him regularly at second base after using him at multiple positions in 2025.

That left-side infield duo of Garcia and Witt will now be the Royals’ only players signed beyond the 2027 season, though right-handers Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha can be retained via club options. Kansas City also controls lefty Cole Ragans and first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino — another extension candidate — through the 2028 season. Team captain and franchise icon Salvador Perez is signed through 2027 and seems likely to continue re-signing in Kansas City until he opts to retire. That could increasingly be as a designated hitter, given the emergence of top catching prospect Carter Jensen (with fellow backstop Blake Mitchell not far behind him).

More to come.

Front Office Subscriber Chat With Anthony Franco: TODAY At 2:00pm Central

Anthony Franco — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:44:34 +0000

MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be holding a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!

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Guardians Manager Stephen Vogt Signed Multi-Year Extension

Steve Adams — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:32:55 +0000

When the Guardians originally hired Stephen Vogt as their new manager following the 2023 season, it was announced that he’d signed a three-year contract covering the 2024-26 seasons. Vogt, however, isn’t coming up on the final year of his contract as it might have seemed. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the Guardians quietly signed Vogt to a multi-year extension following the 2024 campaign. The new contract was never announced, nor was it reported at the time.

Vogt, 41, has been named American League Manager of the Year in each of his two seasons as Cleveland’s skipper. Under his watch, the Guardians have twice enjoyed late-season rallies to force their way into the postseason. The ’24 Guardians won 88 games and topped the Tigers in the ALDS before falling to the Yankees in the ALCS. In 2025, Cleveland won 92 games but lost to the Tigers in a 2-1 Wild Card series defeat. Overall, Vogt is 180-143 as a big league manager.

It’s not entirely clear how long Vogt’s new contract runs, but he’s likely signed through at least the 2028 season now. He’ll continue overseeing a club that’s anchored by perennial MVP candidate José Ramirez and is on the cusp of welcoming a new wave of top prospects who could comprise the Guardians’ long-term core.

Outfield prospect Chase DeLauter made his big league debut in 2025. He’ll be joined by 2024 No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana at some point in 2026, and fellow top prospects like infielder Angel Genao and catcher Cooper Ingle could make their debuts this coming season as well. Bazzana and Ingle both reached Triple-A in 2025; Genao held his own as a 21-year-old in Double-A. Pitching prospect Khal Stephen, acquired from the Blue Jays in the deadline deal sending Shane Bieber to Toronto, dominated up through the Double-A level in ’25 and could be an option to join Vogt’s rotation in 2026.

Though the Guardians are unlikely to ever field a payroll that’s consistently in the top half of the league, the presence of Ramirez, some quality arms (e.g. Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee), looming young prospects and a perennially successful player development department should continue to put Vogt and the Guardians organization in position for success within the American League Central.

Finding Pitch Type Comparables for Andrew Painter and Thomas White

Matthew Creally — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 17:30:11 +0000

Finding pitches around MLB that resemble 2 of the game's top prospects.

The post Finding Pitch Type Comparables for Andrew Painter and Thomas White appeared first on Pitcher List.

Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro Signs Five-Year Extension

Steve Adams — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 16:18:11 +0000

Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro has signed a five-year contract extension, Rogers Communications (which owns the Jays) announced Friday.

“The opportunity to lead the Blue Jays organization over the past 10 years has been incredibly fulfilling,” Shapiro said in a statement within today’s announcement. “Together we have built an organization with people who care deeply about baseball an take immense pride in being Canada’s team. I am grateful and honoured to be able to continue that work.”

More to come.

MLBTR Podcast: Winter Meetings Recap

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:36:50 +0000

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

The Phillies bringing back Kyle Schwarber on a five-year deal (1:35)
The Orioles signing Pete Alonso to a five-year deal (8:10)
The Pirates and Reds reportedly coming close to signing Schwarber (14:25)
The Dodgers agreeing to a three-year deal with Edwin Díaz (19:45)
The Mets losing Alonso, Díaz and Brandon Nimmo in the span of a few weeks (23:50)
The Mariners trading Harry Ford and Isaac Lyon to the Nationals for Jose A. Ferrer (29:10)
The Twins reportedly planning to hold their candidates and compete in 2026 (41:55)

Check out our past episodes!

An Agent’s Perspective with B.B. Abbott – Also, Cease, Williams, Helsley, And Gray – listen here
Some “Classic Baseball Trades,” Nimmo For Semien, And Ward For Rodriguez – listen here
Offseason Preview Megapod: Top 50 Free Agents – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

The Opener: Alonso, Signings, Relief Market

Nick Deeds — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:52:15 +0000

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Alonso’s introductory press conference:

The Orioles are holding an introductory press conference for newly-minted first baseman Pete Alonso today at 4pm local time in Baltimore. Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias, principal owner David Rubenstein, and agent Scott Boras will be on hand to give statements and take questions alongside Alonso. The presser should offer some insight into Alonso’s free agency and departure from the Mets, as well as the Orioles’ future plans — both this offseason and in the longer term.

2. Signings to be made official:

With this year’s Winter Meetings now in the rearview mirror, there’s a number of reported signings that have yet to be made official. Agreements between outfielder Lane Thomas and the Royals, reliever Mark Leiter Jr. and the Athletics, left-hander Hoby Milner and the Cubs, lefty Steven Matz and the Rays, right-hander Michael Soroka and the D-backs, closer Kyle Finnegan and the Tigers, and southpaw Gregory Soto and the Pirates have yet to be finalized and formally announced. Most notably, the Dodgers have yet to announce their signing of Edwin Diaz.

Most of those teams have spots available on their 40-man roster, so making the signing official is little more than a formality. For the Diamondbacks, Rays, and Tigers, however, their full rosters mean a corresponding move will be necessary in order for each club to finalize their respective additions. That will likely come by designating a player for assignment, though it’s also possible that those clubs could look to work out a minor trade to clear 40-man space.

3. Top relief options dwindling:

Right-hander Robert Suarez came off the board yesterday when he signed in Atlanta, and in doing so he joined Diaz, Devin Williams, Raisel Iglesias, Ryan Helsley and Kyle Finnegan as established closers who have already found a home this winter. That leaves the pickings as relatively slim for clubs interested in adding to the back of their bullpen at this point. Right-hander Brad Keller, who emerged as an outstanding setup man and part-time closer for the Cubs this past year, longtime Rays closer Pete Fairbanks, veteran submariner Tyler Rogers, and former Yankees righty Luke Weaver are among the top remaining arms on the market. Who will be next to sign?

In The Pen 144 – Winter Meetings Recap

Jake Crumpler — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 07:39:36 +0000

Rick and Jake break down the latest bullpen news and notes.

The post In The Pen 144 – Winter Meetings Recap appeared first on Pitcher List.

Braves Sign Robert Suarez

Steve Adams — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:59:47 +0000

The Braves further solidified the back of their bullpen Thursday, announcing the signing of former Padres closer Robert Suarez on a three-year, $45MM contract. Suarez, a client of Primo Sports Group, became a free agent at season’s end when he opted out of the final two years and $16MM on his five-year contract with San Diego. He’ll be paid $13MM in 2026 and $16MM in both 2027 and 2028, per the team. There are reportedly no deferrals in the contract. Atlanta designated lefty Ryan Rolison for assignment to open a spot on the 40-man roster (more on that move here).

The 34-year-old Suarez (35 in March) went directly from Mexico to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball late last decade and, after establishing himself as one of the top relievers in NPB, has broken out as a top-tier reliever in the majors. Originally signed on a two-year deal with the Padres, he opted out after one year and inked a five-year, $46MM extension that afforded him another opt-out provision after the third year, which he took last month.

Now Atlanta-bound, Suarez has consistently posted quality numbers in high-leverage spots for the Friars. Dating back to his 2022 MLB debut, he’s posted a 2.91 ERA with a 26.5% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate in 210 innings. Suarez sits just under 99 mph with his four-seamer and complements the pitch with a changeup that got great results in ’22-’23 but has been hit hard the past two seasons. It hasn’t led to poor results, however, because Suarez’s fastball and sinker both grade out as dominant offerings.

Suarez joins right-hander Raisel Iglesias, who re-upped on a one-year, $16MM contract earlier in the offseason, to form a potent one-two punch at the back of new manager Walt Weiss’ bullpen. Notably, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Iglesias will continue to serve as the closer in Atlanta. Suarez will operate as his primary setup man (and, of course, can handle save opportunities in the event that Iglesias is unavailable or suffers an injury). Setup work is nothing new for Suarez, who in 2022 helped set up for Taylor Rogers and in 2023 was a key setup arm for Josh Hader.

On the surface, a three-year, $45MM contract for a high-end reliever feels fairly well in line with contractual norms around the game. However, Suarez’s camp did quite well to get him the third guaranteed year. As shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, this is the first deal of three or more years for a 35-year-old (or older) reliever since Will Harris signed for $24MM with the Nationals prior to the 2020 season. Before that, you’d have to go all the way back to Ryan Madson’s three-year pact with the A’s back in 2015 to find another example of a bullpen arm being paid for this long of a term at Suarez’s age.

Adding Suarez brings Atlanta’s 2026 payroll up to about $241MM. RosterResource estimates that the team is carrying more than $236MM worth of luxury-tax considerations, which places them within $8MM of the 2026 season’s $244MM first-tier luxury threshold. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has already checked several items off his winter to-do list, though Atlanta still figures to be open to additions at shortstop, on the bench and/or on the pitching staff. That said, re-signing Iglesias, acquiring utilityman Mauricio Dubon and bringing in both Suarez and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski (on a two-year, $23MM deal) has removed some of the urgency to make further additions.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the agreement and the terms of the contract. The Athletic’s Will Sammon first reported the year-to-year breakdown.

Marlins Notes: Fairbanks, Mullins, Matz, Marsee

Anthony Franco — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 05:39:50 +0000

The Marlins entered the offseason targeting late-inning relief help. They haven’t come away with anything thus far, as they’ve evidently balked at the prices in a free agent bullpen market that has moved quickly.

Pete Fairbanks is one player known to be on their radar. He’s a logical fit as a proven closer who has ties to president of baseball operations Peter Bendix from their time in Tampa Bay. However, Isaac Azout and Kevin Barral of Fish On First wrote this week that Fairbanks’ market is likely to push beyond Miami’s comfort zone.

Fairbanks hit free agency when the Rays bought out his $11MM club option. They were unable to find trade interest at that price point within the first few days of the offseason. Fairbanks could command a two-year contract at a slightly lesser annual sum. His strikeout rates have dropped closer to league average over the past couple seasons, but he’s coming off a 2.83 ERA with 27 saves across 60 1/3 innings. Fairbanks still sits above 97 MPH and got swinging strikes on nearly 13% of his offerings this year. He fits alongside the likes of Emilio Pagán and Kyle Finnegan, who commanded two-year contracts in the $19-20MM range.

The Fish have yet to sign a free agent this offseason. They’ve shown interest in a few players who have wound up elsewhere, including a pair who are headed to Bendix’s old team. Azout noted that the Marlins were involved in the market for swingman Steven Matz before he agreed to a two-year, $15MM contract with the Rays. Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported last week that the Marlins pursued Cedric Mullins prior to his $7MM deal to become Tampa Bay’s new center fielder.

Mullins would not have gotten everyday center field reps in Miami. Jakob Marsee is locked in there after an excellent half-season debut. The 24-year-old hit .292/.363/.478 with five home runs in his first 234 big league plate appearances. His .357 average on balls in play is due for some amount of regression, but he showed excellent plate discipline and contact skills with solid batted ball metrics. Marsee also graded as a slightly above-average defender in 475 innings.

The Marlins could use a veteran outfielder in a corner. Kyle Stowers can play either corner spot, which gives them some flexibility in that regard. Mullins has a below-average arm and would likely have been ticketed for left field, pushing Stowers to right. Griffin Conine, Heriberto Hernandez and Dane Myers would be in the mix for playing time right now. They’re all in their mid-late 20s and have struck out at such alarming rates in the upper minors that it’s unlikely any of them is a long-term regular.

Miami is reportedly willing to spend more than usual this offseason, though they’ve yet to put that into action. They kicked around extension numbers with Stowers but reportedly faced an approximate $50MM divide. They’re planning to reengage with young starter Eury Pérez on a potential long-term deal after beginning those conversations in Spring Training.

Marsee stands as another logical candidate after his impressive first few months. Fish On First reports that there’s some interest on both sides about a long-term deal, though the team has yet to make an offer. Extension conversations frequently pick up later in the offseason and into Spring Training, so there’s plenty of time.

Hitters who sign extensions within their first year of MLB service are often top-tier prospects. That’s not the case with Marsee. He was a sixth-round pick by San Diego who was generally viewed as the second best of the three prospects traded to Miami for Luis Arraez. (The centerpiece, former first-round pick Dillon Head, is coming off a .223/.334/.318 season in A-ball.) Marsee entered the 2025 season as the #12 prospect in the Miami organization, according to Baseball America. He didn’t appear on any Top 100 lists.

The closest recent comparison point is probably Ceddanne Rafaela, though even he’d been more highly regarded before his MLB debut than Marsee was. The Red Sox signed him to an eight-year, $50MM guarantee with a club option for a ninth season. They’re very different players stylistically. Rafaela was an elite defensive outfielder whose extremely aggressive approach led to questions about the hit tool. Marsee isn’t as athletic but is a much more polished hitter who has had more big league success than Rafaela did at the time.

However, Rafaela had garnered some Top 100 fanfare and signed his deal in his age-23 season. Marsee turns 25 in June. The Fish are probably reluctant to put a $50MM offer on the table a couple months into his career. That’s reportedly close to what they offered Stowers, who is two years further along and is coming off an All-Star season. Marsee is under club control through his age-30 campaign.

Rays Have Discussed Pepiot, Baz In Ketel Marte Trade Conversations

Anthony Franco — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 04:05:25 +0000

The Rays are among a number of teams that have been tied to Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte. Arizona general manager Mike Hazen has consistently downplayed the chance of a deal coming together on their MVP-caliber second baseman, but he hasn’t slammed the door shut given the team’s need for starting pitching.

Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that conversations with the Rays have kicked around a framework that would send both Ryan Pepiot and Shane Baz to the desert. Piecoro writes that nothing is believed to be close on that front and the Rays are not necessarily any kind of frontrunner. Indeed, he adds that the Diamondbacks have had conversations with another team interested in Marte that would be built around a bigger-name starting pitcher.

Whether or not talks with Tampa Bay progress, the mention of multiple controllable starters hammers home the high asking price which the Diamondbacks have set. Pepiot landed in Tampa Bay as the centerpiece of the Tyler Glasnow return two offseasons ago. He’s the team leader with 297 2/3 innings pitched since the start of 2024.

The former third-round pick owns a 3.75 earned run average while striking out a little more than a quarter of opposing hitters. He’s a decent strike-thrower who sits around 95 MPH with his heater and has a plus changeup. Pepiot’s slider is a distant third offering, and the changeup has made him a reverse splits pitcher. He has held left-handed hitters to a .192/.287/.354 batting line with a near-28% strikeout rate over the past two seasons. Righties have hit .243/.303/.420 while punching out at a 23% clip.

Pepiot is unlikely to develop into an ace, but he’s an established mid-rotation starter who turned 28 in August. He has a little over three years of service time, so he’s under arbitration control through 2028. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $3.7MM salary. Teams place a premium on an affordable #3-type starter. The Rays presumably aren’t shopping Pepiot, but it’s a testament to Marte’s offensive impact that the righty would be on the table in those conversations.

Baz, 26, has also come up in trade talks with the Astros. The 6’3″ righty is a former top prospect who has yet to reach his upper mid-rotation ceiling. That’s partially due to some early-career injuries, including Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2023 season. He posted a 3.06 ERA across 14 starts when he returned in ’24. That earned him a spot in Kevin Cash’s rotation this year, but Baz had an up-and-down performance. He concluded with a 4.87 ERA across 166 1/3 innings. That’s despite a solid 24.8% strikeout percentage and 11.6% swinging strike rate.

The pure upside might be higher with Baz than it is with Pepiot. He sits 97 MPH and gets above-average movement on an 85 MPH knuckle-curve and 90 MPH cutter. Baz has plus stuff and is a decent enough strike thrower. He has been held back by a lack of start-to-start consistency. He allowed one run or fewer 10 times (including seven scoreless appearances) but also had 10 outings in which he gave up five or more runs.

Baz also has between three and four service years and is eligible for arbitration through 2028. He’s projected for a $3.1MM salary. Teams are probably divided as to whether they’d prefer Pepiot’s stability or Baz’s raw stuff, but both pitchers have significant trade value. They’re two of the three returning Tampa Bay pitchers (alongside Drew Rasmussen) who topped 100 innings. The Rays are likely to give Steven Matz a starting opportunity, but they’d certainly need to backfill the rotation if they traded two starters. Shane McClanahan hasn’t pitched since 2023. Joe Boyle and Ian Seymour have limited track records.

The Diamondbacks would require a monster return built around MLB starting pitching to move Marte. He’s coming off a .283/.376/.517 showing with 28 home runs. Marte is the best second baseman in the league and is signed for a bargain $102.5MM over the next six seasons (the final of which is a player option year).

“I think it’s a risky deal when you’re talking about trading really, really good players at all,” Hazen told Piecoro. “It’s something that we have to at least listen to in our job. It’s not something that you really look forward to, necessarily, when you have the players that we do. But it’s also the reality of our team and where we are that I have to consider some things.”

Arizona agreed to terms with Michael Soroka on a one-year deal this week. He’ll be in the rotation alongside Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt. (They’re unlikely to get Corbin Burnes back from Tommy John surgery before August.) Nelson was the only one of that trio who found much success this year. The D-Backs need to add another two starters and don’t have a ton of payroll space to address that via free agency. They’re also looking for bullpen help and could upgrade at third base or in the outfield.

While Marte is the best second baseman at least loosely available on the trade market, the Rays ironically have the second-best such option. Brandon Lowe is coming off a 31-homer season in which he hit .256/.307/.477 over 553 plate appearances. Lowe is entering the final season of his contract and is set to make $11.5MM. The Rays have reportedly gotten hits from the Pirates and Reds (surely among others) about his availability.

President of baseball operations Erik Neander touched on Lowe’s trade candidacy from the Winter Meetings (link via Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times). He called the two-time All-Star an “important, impactful player who provides power at a position that is hard to find.” Neander acknowledged the Rays’ history of shopping players whose control windows were closing but praised both Lowe and Yandy Díaz as longtime contributors.

“Our history is our history. We’ve made (trades) with players that are established, that are impactful contributors that as they get their way closer to free agency, we’ve made plenty of those decisions. But we’ve also made decisions the last few years to kind of continue to roll forward with these guys. We greatly appreciate them and are more than happy to ride in the next year and see what this team can do.”

Both clubs could go in a few different directions over the coming weeks. There’s no guarantee either will end up moving their star second baseman, but the trade market has yet to really pick up as most of the top free agent hitters continue weighing their options.

Elvin Rodriguez Signs With KBO’s Lotte Giants

Steve Adams — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 03:39:51 +0000

Free agent right-hander Elvin Rodriguez has signed with the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization, the team announced. He’ll receive $1MM for the 2026 campaign. Lotte also announced the re-signing of outfielder Victor Reyes at $1.4MM and the signing of right-hander Jeremy Beasley for $1MM.

Rodriguez, 27, spent the 2023-24 seasons with the Yakult Swallows in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, parlaying that into a big league deal with the Brewers last winter. He wound up pitching 19 2/3 innings in the majors between Milwaukee and Baltimore but was tagged for 20 runs in that time. The 2025 season was Rodriguez’s second with at least some MLB work. He also briefly appeared with Detroit back in 2022. He’s surrendered 55 runs in 52 2/3 MLB frames but notched a sub-2.00 ERA in 45 1/3 innings as a reliever during his 2024 season in NPB.

Reyes, another former Tiger, is entering his third season with the KBO’s Giants. The 31-year-old has slashed .339/.390/.493 in 1275 plate appearances without missing a game during his first two KBO campaigns. Reyes previously played in parts of five seasons with Detroit from 2018-22, hitting a combined .264/.294/.379 in a nearly identical sample of plate appearances (1280) to his KBO workload thus far. While he didn’t carve out a role as a big league regular, this year’s deal with Lotte brings him up to $3.35MM worth of guaranteed earnings during his three years in South Korea (not including some incentives that he’s surely unlocked along the way).

Beasley, 30, pitched in the majors with the D-backs and Blue Jays from 2020-22, tossing a combined 24 2/3 innings with a 5.84 ERA. The right-hander has a solid track record in Triple-A and has spent the past three seasons pitching for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He’s pitched to a 2.82 ERA in his three seasons with Hanshin but spent the bulk of this past season with the Tigers’ farm club. As with Rodriguez and Reyes, Beasley never really found his footing in the majors but has carved out a nice living pitching professionally overseas. He’s still young enough that an eventual MLB comeback can’t be entirely ruled out, but he’ll need to take a step forward after last year’s rocky showing in Japan.

The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1457 – Hot Stove!

Justin Mason — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 02:41:39 +0000

Justin Mason and Joe Orrico tackle the moves so far this offseason!

Source

Pirates Re-Sign Ronny Simon To Minor League Deal

Anthony Franco — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 02:02:41 +0000

The Pirates brought back Ronny Simon on a minor league contract, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Pittsburgh had non-tendered the rookie at the end of the season to drop him from their 40-man roster. He’ll presumably receive a non-roster invite to MLB Spring Training.

Simon is only 25 but has already been part of five organizations. He was traded twice as a prospect (once from the Cubs to Arizona, then from the D-Backs to the Rays) but didn’t get to the highest level until he signed a minor league deal with the Marlins last offseason. Simon had a 19-game look with Miami that was unfortunately most notable for a game in which he committed three errors at second base. That proved to be his final game with the Marlins, who designated him for assignment a couple days later.

Pittsburgh grabbed Simon off waivers and optioned him to Triple-A. He hit .284/.381/.436 across 248 minor league plate appearances to earn his way back to the majors in the middle of August. Simon got into eight games over the next week before dislocating his left shoulder. That ended his season. The Bucs didn’t want to carry him on the 40-man roster all winter, so they took advantage of the non-tender deadline to drop him without putting him on waivers. Teams will often circle back to see if that player is open to a new minor league contract, as Simon was in this case.

The 5’8″ Simon hasn’t done much in a very limited body of work at the big league level. He’s a switch-hitter who owns a .287/.371/.436 batting line in nearly 1000 career Triple-A plate appearances. Simon came up primarily as an infielder and was still playing on the dirt with the Marlins. Pittsburgh has announced him as an outfielder in their press releases and only used him in the corner outfield or at designated hitter both in Triple-A and MLB.

Athletics To Sign Mark Leiter Jr.

Nick Deeds — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 01:11:32 +0000

The Athletics have reportedly reached an agreement with right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. on a one-year, $2.85MM contract. The signing is still pending a physical. Leiter is an Octagon client.

Leiter, 35 in March, made his big league debut back in 2017 but didn’t fully establish himself at the big league level until joining the Cubs in 2022. He served as a swing man and long reliever for Chicago that year, with a 3.99 in 67 2/3 innings of work in that role, but moved to a short relief role full-time in 2023. In 100 2/3 innings of work for the Cubs over the next two seasons, Leiter pitched to a 3.75 ERA with a 3.12 FIP while striking out 30.9% of his opponents and walking 8.8%.

Those exciting peripherals were enough to convince the Yankees to swing a trade for the right-hander at the 2024 trade deadline, but he struggled in New York even as his peripheral numbers remained strong. In 70 innings of work for the Yankees over parts of two seasons with the club, Leiter posted a 4.89 ERA despite a 4.07 FIP. In 2025, Leiter struck out 24.7% against a 7.8% walk rate while generating grounders on 45.5% of his batted balls allowed. Unfortunately for the righty, the results weren’t there enough for the Yankees to tender him a contract last month, and he wound up reaching free agency a year earlier than anticipated.

Headed into 2026, the A’s can expect Leiter to be a solid middle relief arm at least. His 4.15 ERA over the past four seasons is exactly league average (100) by ERA+, and the right-hander’s impressive splitter actually makes him particularly effective against left-handed batters. In 104 2/3 innings of work against lefties the last three years, Leiter has posted a 2.49 ERA and 2.57 FIP with a 32.1% strikeout rate. With league average results overall and elite numbers against lefties, Leiter has a much higher floor than a typical non-tendered middle relief arm, which is surely why he was able to command a solid guarantee even coming off a tough year in New York.

Leiter hasn’t managed to play up to his peripherals throughout his career, but if he can do so he could wind up a valuable setup man for the A’s this year. The righty’s 3.13 SIERA over the past three seasons ranks 13th among relievers with at least 150 innings of work since the start of the 2023 season, and that puts him on a similar level to well-regarded late-inning arms like Luke Weaver. Leiter’s .359 BABIP and 66.5% strand rate over the past two years indicate extremely poor fortune when it comes to batted balls and sequencing; if those numbers experience enough positive regression to get within spitting distance of league average, Leiter’s a good bet to be impactful at the back of the A’s bullpen next year.

It’s been a quiet offseason for the A’s so far, though there’s certain reasons for optimism regarding the club’s future. Nick Kurtz emerged as a potential superstar this year, and he’s backed by a core of exciting positional talent like Brent Rooker, Shea Langeliers, Jacob Wilson, and Lawrence Butler. The club’s pitching staff needs plenty of work if the team is going to contend in 2026, but adding Leiter to a bullpen that already houses respectable arms like Hogan Harris and Michael Kelly should be a small step towards accomplishing that goal. Jeffrey Springs and Luis Severino remain in the fold as solid back-of-the-rotation veterans, though it remains to be seen how much A’s ownership is willing to spend in order to augment that group. Whether the A’s are facing significant budget constraints or not, however, bringing Leiter into the fold as a reliever with possible late-inning upside on a relative bargain can only be a good thing for the club.

Robbie Hyde of Foul Territory first reported the agreement. Janie McCauley of The Associated Press reported the $2.85MM guarantee, after ESPN’s Jesse Rogers first noted it would close to $3MM.

Royals To Sign Lane Thomas

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:10:06 +0000

The Royals and outfielder Lane Thomas are in agreement on a one-year deal. The Wasserman client receives $5.25MM with another $1MM available via incentives. Will Sammon of The Athletic first reported that the two sides were in agreement. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported the financial details. Kansas City has a couple of open 40-man spots and won’t need to make a corresponding move.

Thomas and the Royals will be looking for a bounceback season, as he just suffered through an injury-marred 2025 campaign with Cleveland. Early in the season, he missed about a month due to a right wrist bone bruise. In the latter months of the season, he went on the injured list a couple of times due to plantar fasciitis in his right foot. He required surgery in September with a projected recovery time of three to four months. Around those IL stints, he got into 39 games and hit just .160/.246/.272.

Prior to that, he had a solid run as a decent regular in the bigs, suiting up for the Cardinals, Nationals and Guardians. From 2021 to 2024, he got into 510 contests, hitting 67 home runs and stealing 66 bases. He produced a .248/.313/.426 line over that four-year span, which translated to a 103 wRC+, indicating he was 3% better than league average.

He was slightly better in the second half of that stretch. Over 2023 and 2024, he hit 43 home runs and stole 52 bases. His combined .255/.312/.439 line in those two seasons translated to a 105 wRC+. FanGraphs credited him with 4.3 wins above replacement, a bit better than two wins per year.

His defense has been more of a question mark. Outs Above Average has given him a minus-16 ranking for his career, but oddly considered him league average in center and subpar in the corners. Defensive Runs Saved has put a minus-18 mark on him, but most of that due to an odd minus-13 grade in 2024 alone.

He clearly has some wheels, as his sprint speed has been ranked in the 93rd percentile or above since he became a regular. With a bit of pop in the bat as well, he has been able to engineer some decent results when healthy.

The Royals have been struggling for years to get production from their outfield. In 2025, they got a collective .225/.285/.348 line from the grass. That resulted in a 73 wRC+, the worst such mark of any team in the majors.

Obviously, upgrading the outfield was going to be a priority this winter. It was recently reported that the club would be looking to add one outfielder via trade and another via free agency, with a right-handed hitter who can play center field being a specific target. The Royals currently project to have an outfield consisting of Jac Caglianone, Kyle Isbel and John Rave. All three hit from the left side. Caglianone was a top prospect coming into 2025 but he didn’t hit at all in his first 232 plate appearances in the big leagues. Rave has just 175 big league plate appearances without much success either. Isbel has more experience but is a glove-first center fielder. They picked up Kameron Misner, another lefty, from the Rays in a trade a few weeks ago.

Thomas has pretty strong platoon splits in his career. He has been punched out in 28.2% of his plate appearances against righties with a .220/.287/.383 line and 84 wRC+. With the platoon advantage, his strikeout rate drops to 19.3%. He has a .292/.359/.500 line against southpaws for a 135 wRC+.

The Royals shouldn’t be done adding to their outfield. As mentioned, they have been looking to make two additions. This at least gives them a short-side platoon guy who can be slotted into any of the three outfield positions, while also perhaps coming off the bench for pinch-running opportunities. His health may be a bit of a question mark with the aforementioned surgery, but the estimated timeline should allow him to be healed up by spring training.

It’s a modest free agent add but the Royals apparently didn’t have much to spend. Owner John Sherman said a couple of months ago that the 2026 payroll would likely be similar to what they had in 2025. RosterResource currently projects them for a $139MM payroll in 2026. That’s already above where they finished in 2025, before even adding Thomas onto the ledger. Perhaps the next move will come on the trade market. There have been plenty of rumors suggesting the club may be looking to deal from its starting depth in order to get another bat.

Photos courtesy of David Richard, Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images

Brewers Sign Greg Jones To Minor League Deal

Darragh McDonald — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:14:45 +0000

The Brewers announced today that infielder/outfielder Greg Jones has been signed to a minor league deal. The Ballengee Group client also receives an invite to major league camp in spring training. Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel was among those to pass along the details.

Jones, 28 in March, has a very limited major league track record. He appeared in three games with the White Sox this year and six games with the Rockies the previous season. He has one hit in eight plate appearances but the one hit was a homer.

The Brewers have presumably brought him aboard because of his minor league track record. His offensive chops aren’t amazing but he has speed and defensive versatility. From 2021 to 2024, he stole at least 24 bases in the minors each year, including 46 steals in the final of those four seasons. He was on the minor league injured list for most of 2025 and only got into 21 contests on the farm but stole 12 bags in those. Defensively, he has experience at both middle infield positions and the three outfield slots.

As mentioned, the offense hasn’t been as impressive. The switch-hitter has 784 minor league plate appearances over the past three years. He struck out in 37% of those and produced a combined line of .250/.332/.428, which translates to an 87 wRC+.

Jones will come into camp and try to earn his way onto the roster. Since he can hit from both sides of the plate, bounce around the diamond and steal a base, he has the makings of a solid bench player. If he gets a spot, he is out of options but has just a few days of service time, meaning he’s years away from qualifying for arbitration and even farther away from free agency.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images

Cubs Met With Pete Alonso At Winter Meetings

Darragh McDonald — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 22:47:21 +0000

First baseman Pete Alonso is now an Oriole, as his five-year deal with Baltimore was officially announced today. He drove from his Tampa home to the Winter Meetings in Orlando to meet with clubs before locking that deal down. According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, he also met with the Red Sox and Cubs. It was already known that he would be meeting with the Red Sox but the connection to the Cubs is new.

No details have emerged about the meeting but the Cubs presumably didn’t sit down with Pete just to talk about the weather, so it can be deduced that they had at least some interest in signing the Polar Bear.

The Cubs already have a first baseman in Michael Busch, who is quite good. He hit 21 homers for the Cubs last year and added 34 more in 2025. His walk rate declined a bit but he also noticeably reduced his strikeouts, from a somewhat-concerning 28.6% in 2024 to an almost-average 23.5% this year. He finished the 2025 season with a .261/.343/.523 line and 140 wRC+, with solid defense to boot.

However, he hits from the left side and is essentially a strong-side platoon guy. The Cubs only let him face a lefty 95 times this year and he produced a tepid .207/.274/.368 line and 81 wRC+ in those appearances. The Cubs signed 40-year-old Justin Turner to a one-year, $6MM deal last offseason and he started at first base against most lefties. He didn’t have a good season overall but did put up a .276/.330/.429 line against southpaws, good for a 112 wRC+.

Perhaps an Alonso signing would have been a blown-up version of the Turner deal. Alonso swings from the right side and could have played first base with a lefty on the mound. The Cubs also have a somewhat open designated hitter spot at the moment, at least on paper. Seiya Suzuki was the primary DH in 2025. With Kyle Tucker becoming a free agent, Suzuki projects as the right fielder, next to Pete Crow-Armstrong in center and Ian Happ in left. They have guys like Moisés Ballesteros and Owen Caissie in the mix for DH time right now but both are still fairly unproven at the big league level.

Alonso is not a great defender at first and it was reported last month that he’s more opening to serving as a DH going forward. The Cubs could have put him into the DH spot against righties with Busch at first. Against lefties, Alonso could have put on his glove, with the DH spot open for someone else. That could be someone like Ballesteros or Caissie but they are both lefty swingers and would have to show lesser platoon concerns than Busch. Kevin Alcántara is a righty and on the roster but he has concerning strikeout numbers in the minors. James Triantos is another righty on the roster but he hasn’t made his major league debut yet.

The Cubs lost a big bat from the middle of their lineup when Tucker hit free agency. Turner is also gone, which means they are down a right-handed platoon partner for Busch. Perhaps Alonso could have replaced Tucker’s lineup presence and also served as Busch’s platoon partner. Someone else could have filled the Turner role or they could have again looked for an affordable righty bat in free agency. That could have blocked guys like Ballesteros and Caissie but they could then have been used on the trade market to go after the big rotation upgrade.

It’s now a moot point as Alonso is off the board but it could be illustrative about the Cubs’ goals. It’s well-known that they are looking for a big front-of-rotation addition but a lineup addition is also possible. They have been connected to third baseman Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez this offseason, both of whom are right-handed. Kazuma Okamoto would be a somewhat similar pursuit. Munetaka Murakami is another big corner infield bat who is available but he’s a lefty. Old friend Cody Bellinger, another lefty, remains unsigned. He can play first, doesn’t have big platoon splits and can also play the outfield.

For a signing closer in scale to the Turner deal, some righty-swinging first basemen in free agency include Turner again as well as Rhys Hoskins, Ty France, Wilmer Flores, Paul Goldschmidt, Connor Joe and Donovan Solano, as well as switch-hitters Josh Bell, Abraham Toro and Carlos Santana.

On the righty-swinging first base trade market, the Orioles getting Alonso should make Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo available. The Rays could be willing to listen on Yandy Díaz. The Rangers probably aren’t clinging to Jake Burger too tightly. The Mets could move Mark Vientos, depending on what the rest of their offseason moves are. The Astros would probably love to move Christian Walker but the Cubs surely don’t want his contract. Old friend Willson Contreras may be available but he has a hefty contract and a no-trade clause.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Cubs, Collin Snider Agree To Minor League Deal

Steve Adams — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:14:08 +0000

Former Mariners and Royals reliever Collin Snider has agreed to a minor league deal with the Cubs, as Snider himself and the staff at Tread Athletics (where he works out in the offseason) indicated on Instagram. Presumably, he’ll be in big league camp next spring. Snider is represented by agent Jack Toffey.

The 30-year-old Snider has pitched in the majors in each of the past four seasons, spending the 2022-23 campaigns with Kansas City and 2024-25 with Seattle. In 122 2/3 major league innings, he carries a 4.48 earned run average with a 19.5% strikeout rate and an 8.8% walk rate.

Snider’s best year came with the ’24 Mariners, when he logged 41 2/3 innings with a 1.94 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate. The lanky 6’4″ right-hander slipped to a 5.47 ERA in 26 1/3 big league frames this past season and lost nearly two miles per hour off his fastball — presumably in part due to a flexor strain that sent him to the injured list in early June.

Snider didn’t return to the majors after that IL placement. He struggled badly over a three-week rehab stint with Triple-A Tacoma, at which point the Mariners designated him for assignment and passed him through waivers. He spent the remainder of the season trying to get back on track in Tacoma but couldn’t recapture that 2024 form; in 25 2/3 Triple-A frames, Snider allowed 23 runs (8.06 ERA).

The Cubs traded Andrew Kittredge back to the Orioles following the season but have since signed veterans Phil Maton and Hoby Milner to support young closer Daniel Palencia. There’s still plenty of work to do in the ’pen, with Kittredge, Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz and Caleb Thielbar all out the door. Chicago struck gold with their minor league addition of Keller last offseason, and while it’s not realistic to expect that level of success from subsequent minor league signees, that turnaround could make them more appealing to previously successful relievers in search of a rebound, like Snider. He’ll vie for a job next spring, but the Cubs’ bullpen scene should become more crowded in the weeks/months ahead.

Guardians To Sign Colin Holderman

Darragh McDonald — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:10:22 +0000

The Guardians and right-hander Colin Holderman are in agreement on a one-year deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The ACES client will make $1.5MM, reports Zack Meisel of The Athletic. The Guards have one 40-man vacancy, so the roster will be full once this move becomes official.

Holderman, 30, was non-tendered by the Pirates last month. That wasn’t a terrible shock, as his 2025 season wasn’t great, due to some injuries and struggles when healthy. However, he was actually quite good in the prior two seasons, so the Guards will see if they can find a bounceback.

Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, Holderman tossed 107 1/3 innings out of the Pittsburgh bullpen. His four-seamer and sinker both averaged above 97 miles per hour, while he also mixed in a cutter and a slider. He allowed 3.52 earned runs per nine frames. His 9.7% walk rate was a tad high but acceptable. His 24.6% strikeout rate and 45.8% ground ball rate were both a bit better than par. He earned two saves and 48 holds, living up to his surname.

But as mentioned, he wasn’t able to keep it going in 2025. He missed about three weeks in April due to a right knee sprain. After being reinstated, right thumb inflammation put him back on the IL for about six weeks. Around those IL stints, he posted a 7.01 ERA in 25 2/3 innings. He walked 12.8% of batters faced while only getting strikeouts at a 14.4% clip.

Holderman had qualified for arbitration a year ago as a Super Two player. The Bucs paid him $1.5MM in 2025. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Holderman for a modest bump to $1.7MM in 2026. The Pirates decided not to pay that after his poor season, so they non-tendered him and sent him to free agency.

Cleveland’s manager Stephen Vogt recently said that his club would be looking to add depth to the bullpen. Holderman is a low-cost pick-up and he also has options, so he can be kept in Triple-A if he’s not able to get back on track. He added a splitter in 2025, though he only threw it 3.9% of the time in his truncated season. Perhaps some better health will give him some time to flesh that out more. If he is still on the 40-man roster at the end of the season, he could be retained beyond 2026 via arbitration.

Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

Guardians Sign Colin Holderman

Darragh McDonald — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:10:22 +0000

The Guardians announced the signing of right-hander Colin Holderman to a one-year deal, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. It’s reportedly a $1.5MM salary for the ACES client. The Guards had a 40-man vacancy, so the roster is now full.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported the agreement. Zack Meisel of The Athletic reported the $1.5MM salary. Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

Orioles, Pete Alonso Agree To Five-Year Deal

Steve Adams — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:45:34 +0000

2:45pm: Alonso’s contract contains a $12.5MM signing bonus and an $18.5MM salary in 2026, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He’ll then earn $31MM per year over the next four seasons.

December 11th, 2:05pm: Alonso’s signing is now official. Catcher Maverick Handley has been designated for assignment as a corresponding 40-man roster move.

December 10th: The Orioles missed out on Kyle Schwarber yesterday but are getting their big bat today, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that they’re finalizing a five-year, $155MM deal with longtime Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. The agreement is in place with only a physical yet to be completed, Joel Sherman of the New York Post adds. There are no deferrals or opt-outs in the contract, per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner adds that Alonso receives a limited no-trade clause. Alonso is represented by the Boras Corporation.

It’s the second major defection from the Mets in as many days. Edwin Diaz spurned Queens for a three-year, $69MM deal with the Dodgers just yesterday. Alonso now heads to the Orioles, with whom he met in person at this week’s Winter Meetings (which are being held in Orlando, not all that far from Alonso’s Tampa-area home).

Although bolstering the rotation has been the obvious goal for Baltimore all offseason, the O’s have also been in pursuit of a major upgrade to the lineup. They offered Kyle Schwarber the same five-year, $150MM terms to which he agreed in his return to the Phillies and have now pushed incrementally further to give Alonso a record-setting average annual value for a first baseman over that same five-year term.

Alonso, who turned 31 over the weekend, famously rejected a reported seven-year, $158MM extension offer from the Mets back in 2023. He drew a fair bit of criticism for that decision, particularly when his market didn’t develop as hoped during last offseason’s initial foray into free agency. Alonso wound up returning to the Mets on a two-year, $54MM deal that was frontloaded with a $30MM salary in 2025 and allowed him to opt back into free agency this winter.

Between that $30MM, the $20.5MM he earned in his final season of arbitration eligibility and the newly promised $155MM from the Orioles, Alonso will end up with $205.5MM over the same seven years that would’ve been covered under the extension offer he turned down.

In Alonso, the Orioles are adding one of the steadiest power hitters on the planet. He’s slugged at least 34 home runs in every 162-game season since his 2019 debut, plus another 16 round-trippers in the shortened 2020 campaign. Dating back to 2019, Schwarber (268) and Aaron Judge (285) are the only players with more home runs than Alonso’s 264.

Steady as his power output has been, Alonso needed a “rebound” campaign of sorts in order to get this type of long-term deal. While his market last offseason was surely weighed down by a qualifying offer — players can only receive one QO in their career, so that wasn’t an issue this time around — Alonso had slugged a career-low 34 home runs with an increase in strikeouts and a downturn in his batted-ball metrics. His .240/.329/.459 output in 2024 was more good than elite.

The 2025 campaign brought improvements across the board. Alonso belted 38 homers and 41 doubles (up from 31 the year prior) while slashing .272/.347/.524 (141 wRC+). He lopped two percentage points off his strikeout rate, cutting it to a roughly average 22.8%, and saw enormous upticks in his average exit velocity (93.5 mph in ’25, 89.8 mph in ’24), barrel rate (18.9% vs. 13.2%) and hard-hit rate (54.4% vs. 46.4%). Alonso struggled through a poor month of July, but as the Mets were fighting for their postseason lives (and ultimately falling short), Alonso put the team’s offense on his back alongside fellow stars Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor. From Aug. 1 onward, the “Polar Bear” raked at a .297/.339/.584 clip (153 wRC+) with 16 home runs and 15 doubles in 239 plate appearances.

Despite that Herculean finish to the season, Alonso received tepid interest from the only club he’s ever known. The Mets were reportedly reluctant to go beyond three years in their talks with Alonso, and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported in the aftermath of today’s agreement that they never made a formal offer once it became clear where Alonso’s market was headed. That’s surely a point of frustration for the majority of Mets fans but also shouldn’t come as a major surprise; if the Mets were going to commit to Alonso long-term under president of baseball operations David Stearns and owner Steve Cohen, that likely would have happened last winter. The Mets were only comfortable with a short-term deal then and clearly didn’t change that thinking this time around.

Alonso is the second 30-homer slugger acquired by Baltimore president of baseball operations Mike Elias this winter. The O’s also picked up outfielder Taylor Ward (36 homers in 2025) in a trade sending talented but oft-injured righty Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels. The additions of Alonso and Ward should both add an influx of right-handed power to a team that hit just .231/.297/.364 against left-handed pitching in 2025 and also create myriad trade possibilities for Elias and his staff.

It’s feasible that the Orioles simply add a prominent starting pitcher via free agency as their primary means of addressing the rotation, but their newly acquired thumpers open the space for more creativity. Alonso’s addition could make it easier to trade young corner infielder Coby Mayo, while plugging Ward into a corner outfield spot makes one of Dylan Beavers or Colton Cowser easier to include in a trade for pitching help. Baltimore’s decision to tender a contract to Ryan Mountcastle, a defensively limited right-handed slugger coming off a poor season, now looks like all the more of a head-scratcher, though. The O’s could try to find a taker willing to buy low on him or, alternatively, hope that he can bounce back and be part of the solution between first base and designated hitter.

Payroll-wise, there was always clear runway to add a major contract to the books. The Orioles have spent the better part of the past decade in a rebuild and thus haven’t been handing out multi-year deals very often. The only players guaranteed anything beyond the upcoming 2026 season are Tyler O’Neill, Ryan Helsley and Samuel Basallo. O’Neill and Helsley are only signed through 2027, and Helsley can opt out of his contract following the 2026 season. (O’Neill’s $16.5MM salary in 2027 is all but immovable after his ugly 2025 showing.) Basallo’s eight-year, $67MM extension has just an $8.375MM average annual value. His salary will sit at just $1MM in each of the next three seasons and won’t top $10MM until 2031, at which point Alonso’s contract will have already wrapped up.

Alonso adds $31MM per year to the ledger — assuming an even distribution of his $155MM — but the rest of the books are so clean that it shouldn’t impede the Orioles from future additions of note and/or extensions for prominent young players. RosterResource now projects them for a payroll just under $148MM in 2026, but the 2027 books only have $62.5MM in guaranteed money ($48.5MM if Helsley turns down his player option). By 2028, Alonso and Basallo are the only players guaranteed anything.

Alonso’s contract becomes the second-largest in Orioles history, trailing only the seven-year, $161MM contract given to first baseman Chris Davis under a prior ownership and front office regime. That contract was laden with deferrals, too, which considerably weighed down the net present value.

When considering that wrinkle, the investment in Alonso can be considered the most significant expenditure in franchise history — but it’s also just one of several steps the Orioles will take this winter. Elias is still angling to upgrade his team’s rotation, and the O’s could still use help in the bullpen. This could very well end up being viewed as the signature move of the offseason — if not the entire Elias era to date — but the O’s aren’t likely to coast from here to spring training. There’s more on the horizon.

Orioles Sign Pete Alonso

Steve Adams — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:45:34 +0000

Pete Alonso is an Oriole. Baltimore announced the five-year deal on Thursday and will formally introduce their new slugger at a press conference on Friday morning. The Boras Corporation client reportedly receives a $155MM guarantee. He’ll collect a $12.5MM signing bonus and an $18.5MM salary in 2026. He’ll then earn $31MM per year over the next four seasons. There are no deferrals or opt-outs in the contract, and Alonso receives a limited no-trade clause. Catcher Maverick Handley has been designated for assignment as a corresponding 40-man roster move.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the sides were finalizing a five-year, $155MM deal. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner was first on the limited no-trade protection. Jon Heyman of The New York Post had the salary structure.

Forst: “We’ve Made Offers” In Extension Talks With Young Core

Nick Deeds — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:34:13 +0000

It’s been a relatively quiet offseason for the A’s so far, today’s one-year deal with non-tendered right-hander Mark Leiter Jr. notwithstanding. While there hasn’t been much hot stove buzz about the team yet this winter, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com relayed comments from GM David Forst where he made clear that the club has opened extension talks with a number of the club’s players. “Without naming anyone, we’ve made offers,” Forst said. “We’re having conversations here. I’m hopeful we’ll make progress.”

While Forst declined to get into specific extension targets, Gallegos notes that AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz and runner-up Jacob Wilson as well as catcher Shea Langeliers and slugger Tyler Soderstrom all make up the young core that the team is hoping to work out extensions with. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the A’s have made offers to all four of those players, or even plan to do so, but it does seem reasonable to expect that the team is having conversations with at least some of these names.

Trying to lock up young talent is a sensible approach for the A’s at this point. 2025 was a disappointing year for the A’s in some ways, as they finished with a meager 76-86 record. On the other hand, however, Wilson and especially Kurtz emerged as impact talents while the team played to an impressive 35-29 record after the All-Star break. That’s a nearly 89-win pace if maintained over a full season, which provides some hope that the team will be able to put together a stronger season in 2026 and get themselves into the playoff conversation despite a highly competitive AL West division.

Whether the club can break through to that next level and become true contenders or not, however, the A’s need to be building something. With a ballpark in Las Vegas under construction and an anticipated move-in date of the 2028 season, the team is clearly hoping to put itself in the best position possible to entice would-be fans into following the team once they arrive in their new home. Solidifying long-term deals with established players has been a big part of the team’s strategy so far, with contracts for Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler already on the books.

All four of the players mentioned above are already under team control through the start of the A’s anticipated time in Las Vegas. Assuming the A’s do move into their new ballpark for the 2028 campaign, Langeliers would spend one season in Nevada before reaching free agency while Soderstrom would spend two. Both Wilson and Kurtz would spend three years there before reaching free agency during the 2030-31 offseason. With so many of the team’s core pieces set to come off the books within their first few seasons in Las Vegas, it might be easier to convince fans in Las Vegas to adopt the A’s as their new favorite team if at least one or two of those big names were to sign extensions that would reliably keep them in town for a half-decade or longer.

While signing these young players to extensions might sound like an obvious call to make on paper, it wouldn’t be a shock if those deals proved too costly. The A’s have typically been among the lowest-spending teams in MLB under John Fisher’s ownership and the biggest deal in franchise history is Luis Severino’s $67MM guarantee. While they started to spend more last winter with some suggestions of increasing payroll as they get closer to their move to Las Vegas, it’s anyone’s guess whether the club would actually offer what it would take to get some of these impact players locked up for the long term.

The last first baseman to sign an extension (according to MLBTR’s Contract Tracker) with between one and two years of service time was Anthony Rizzo back in 2013. With over a decade of inflation, Kurtz should easily clear that $40.5MM guarantee. The mega deals signed by players like Roman Anthony ($130MM), Jackson Merrill ($135MM), Corbin Carroll ($111MM), and Julio Rodriguez ($210MM) are in an entirely different stratosphere, as all of those players provide additional defensive value as outfielders capable of handling center. Yordan Alvarez’s $115MM deal is perhaps somewhat applicable. He wasn’t a first baseman but was a designated hitter/left fielder with big offensive potential. He was closer to free agency than Kurtz is now but still hadn’t qualified for arbitration.

The other three extension candidates surely would not be as expensive as Kurtz to extend, though a deal for Langeliers that rivals the $73MM extension Sean Murphy signed in Atlanta (not to mention Cal Raleigh’s nine-figure pact in Seattle) would still constitute unprecedented spending under Fisher. The $63.5MM extension shortstop Ezequiel Tovar signed with the Rockies could be a viable benchmark for a deal with Wilson that would fall more realistically in the A’s price range, though, and it’s fair to suggest that Soderstrom might be the most affordable of the quartet given his lack of a certain defensive position and less impactful track record on offense as compared to Kurtz. That should leave the A’s with some viable extension candidates even if the club isn’t willing to break new ground in terms of spending, though for a star-caliber player to extend with the team, they could be looking for assurances that the organization would continue to build around them once they arrive in Las Vegas in order to field a consistent competitor.

Orioles Designate Maverick Handley For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 20:30:15 +0000

The Orioles announced that catcher Maverick Handley has been designated for assignment. That’s the corresponding move for their signing of first baseman Pete Alonso, which has now been made official.

Handley, 28 in March, got to make his major league debut in 2025. The O’s began the season with Adley Rutschman and Gary Sánchez as their catching duo but both of those two suffered a few injuries during the campaign. Baltimore had to dip into some depth, which led to Handley getting 47 plate appearances across 16 games, but he struck out in 38.3% of those while walking just 4.3% of the time and put up a .073/.133/.073 line.

The O’s called up catching prospect Samuel Basallo late in the season and signed him to an extension. Rutschman can still be retained via arbitration through 2027. Those two should be the primary backstops in Baltimore for the time being. As of a few days ago, Handley and Drew Romo were on the 40-man as optionable depth. However, Romo was designated for assignment yesterday, so the O’s now have just two catchers on the roster and two potential depth guys in DFA limbo.

Handley does not have a previous career outright, nor does he have three years of big league service time. That means he would not have the right to elect free agency if he were passed through waivers unclaimed. The same is true of Romo. If one or both clear waivers, the O’s might be content with their catching depth situation. If they lose one or both, that should increase the chances of Baltimore looking for extra depth via the waiver wire or minor league deals.

For now, they have a week of DFA limbo to figure out what’s next for Handley. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so they could take five days to talk trades with other clubs. His big league track record thus far is obviously unimpressive but in a tiny sample size. Dating back to the start of 2023, he stepped to the plate 765 times in the minors with solid 14% walk rate but only nine home runs. His .227/.352/.323 line led to a wRC+ of 87, which is not bad for a backup/depth catcher. If he lands with another club, he still has options and less than a year of service time.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images

Preller: Fernando Tatis Jr. Not Available In Trade Talks

Steve Adams — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:57:01 +0000

The Padres’ payroll reduction and lack of financial flexibility has led to plenty of hope from other clubs about the possibility of prying star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. away from San Diego, but president of baseball operations A.J. Preller decisively stated at the end of this week’s Winter Meetings that the three-time All-Star won’t be changing hands.

“He’s one of the best players in baseball, is a two-time Platinum (Glove) winner,” Preller told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune in response to Tatis speculation. “The guy has taken over portions of seasons and games and playoff series and everything like that. … Every one of the different versions and iterations of the team and roster we put up there, it’s ’Tati’ right in the middle. Hopefully, he is one of the top players on our team this year. He’s somebody that we’re not talking about, however you want to say that. If you want to say that’s ’untouchable,’ you can say that.”

A trade of Tatis has never seemed particularly likely, though some around the industry have wondered whether it’ll eventually be necessary, given the uncertainty surrounding Padres ownership and the ongoing efforts to scale back payroll. San Diego has reduced its spending considerably since the passing of late owner Peter Seidler. Earlier this offseason, Seidler’s brother, John, who has since been named the team’s control person, announced that his family will explore a sale of the franchise.

That announcement came less than one year after a tumultuous and very public-facing quarrel between Sheel Seidler — Peter’s widow — and the other two Seidler brothers, Bob and Matt. Back in February, Sheel filed suit against Bob and Matt Seidler, alleging that they’ve breached fiduciary duty and committed fraud as successors of Peter’s trust. She accused her brothers-in-law of selling assets to themselves “far” below market prices in an effort to consolidate control of the franchise and of violating Peter’s wishes that she serve as interim control person before passing ownership onto the couple’s children at a later date. Matt Seidler contested the suit in a formal response wherein he accused his sister-in-law of attempting to “manufacture claims against the Trustees in pursuit of the control that Peter intentionally chose not to give her.” To date, the suits have not been litigated, nor is there any indication that a settlement has been reached.

For the time being, none of that off-field tension seems to have an impact on Tatis’ status with the club. Certainly, an eventual ownership change could create a different financial outlook in San Diego one way or another, particularly considering the remaining nine years and $286MM on Tatis’ contract.

Hefty as that sum may be, it bears emphasizing that it’s still a “bargain” relative to what Tatis would command on the open market. Had Tatis never penned that extension, he’d be a first-time free agent right now, having accumulated his sixth year of MLB service in 2025.

Tatis would be a 26-year-old (27 in January) coming off a .268/.368/.446 showing (131 wRC+) with 25 home runs, 27 doubles two triples, 32 steals (in 39 tries) and career-best walk and strikeout rates (12.9% and 18.7%, respectively). As Preller referenced, he’s a two-time Platinum Glove winner (and three-time Gold Glove winner). Tatis has hit at least 21 home runs in every 162-game season he’s played (plus 17 in the shortened 60-game season back in 2020).

Given his youth, borderline elite production at the plate and superlative defense, Tatis would have been the clear top free agent in this offseason’s class, likely in line for a contract running into his late 30s or even age-40 season. He may not have matched Juan Soto’s jaw-dropping $765MM guarantee, but Tatis would very likely have been in line for a contract even larger than the 14-year, $500MM extension signed by fellow second-generation star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. last spring. He’s been worth an average of about 6.5 wins above replacement (6.4 fWAR, 6.6 bWAR) per 162 games played in his career to this point.

Though the Padres won’t be moving Tatis anytime soon, San Diego is exploring other ways to create more financial flexibility. As was reported earlier in the month, the Friars are at least listening on Jake Cronenworth, if not shopping him, and have been willing to hear out clubs who’ve expressed interest in right-hander Nick Pivetta. RosterResource projects the Padres for a payroll of about $201MM right now. Ownership reportedly wants to keep the 2026 payroll roughly in line with last year’s $210MM mark.

Cubs To Sign Hoby Milner

Darragh McDonald — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 19:25:12 +0000

The Cubs and left-hander Hoby Milner are in agreement on a one-year deal. The MVP Sports Group will make $3.75MM plus incentives. Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation was first on the deal. Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic noted it would be for one year. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com had the guarantee. The Cubs have multiple 40-man vacancies and don’t need to make a corresponding move.

Milner, 35 in January, is an unusual but effective southpaw. He doesn’t throw very hard, averaging in the high 80s with his fastball and sinker. But he nonetheless manages to get outs with an unorthodox sidewinding delivery, with his arsenal also featuring a slider and a changeup.

Over the past four seasons, Milner has thrown at least 64 innings in each campaign. Put together, he has logged 264 innings in that span, allowing 3.55 earned runs per nine. His 22.6% strikeout rate in that time was close to average while his 5.8% walk rate and 51.1% ground ball rate were both notably better than par. His Statcast data in that span has also been better than league average, with Milner having an 87 mile per hour exit velocity, 5.4% barrel rate and 35.5% hard hit rate. He earned one save and 49 holds over that four-year stretch.

That span did feature a fluky ERA spike, as Milner posted a 4.73 ERA with the Brewers in 2024. The Brewers could have retained him for 2025 via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $2.7MM salary, but they non-tendered him instead. The Rangers scooped him up with a deal for $2.5MM plus incentives and benefitted from a bounceback, as Milner posted a 3.84 ERA in 2025.

The Cubs have now given him a slight raise in the hopes that he can keep things rolling in 2026. Cubs manager Craig Counsell is plenty familiar with Milner’s abilities, as he was the skipper in Milwaukee when Milner established himself as a viable big league reliever.

Chicago had a decent relief corps in 2025. Their relievers had a collective ERA of 3.78, putting them just outside the top ten of MLB clubs. But at season’s end, Brad Keller, Caleb Thielbar, Drew Pomeranz, Taylor Rogers, Michael Soroka, Aaron Civale and Ryan Brasier all became free agents. The Cubs flipped Andrew Kittredge to the Orioles in the early days of the offseason, getting cash considerations back in return.

The Cubs generally prefer to build their bullpens on the cheap. From 2020 until last month, they didn’t sign any free agent relievers to multi-year deals, part of the reason why they just lost so many arms to free agency. They broke that pattern recently by signing Phil Maton to a two-year deal, but Milner is another low-cost, short-term commitment to the relief group.

The southpaw contingent of the bullpen was particularly lacking before this move, with Thielbar, Pomeranz and Rogers all departing for the open market. That left Luke Little as the top option, despite having just 35 1/3 career innings with an 18.2% walk rate. Milner is now the most experienced lefty in the group, though the Cubs could make further additions before the offseason is through.

This move brings the Cubs to a $184MM payroll and $199MM competitive balance tax figure, according to RosterResource. It’s unclear where the Cubs want the payroll to end up. The base threshold of the CBT is $244MM next year, meaning the Cubs are $45MM away. They went narrowly over the tax line in 2024 but ducked back below in 2025. They are still on the hunt for a big rotation upgrade. They’ve been connected to free agent Alex Bregman. They will presumably be looking for more relievers. How it all plays out will depend on how much dry powder the Cubs have.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Benny Sieu, Imagn Images

Brewers Sign Akil Baddoo To Major League Deal

Steve Adams — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:42:55 +0000

The Brewers added some outfield depth Thursday, announcing the signing of Akil Baddoo to a one-year, major league contract. Milwaukee already had an open 40-man spot. Their roster is now full following the addition of Baddoo, a client of Apex Baseball.

Baddoo, 27, was the No. 74 overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Twins. He never appeared in a big league game with Minnesota but landed in Detroit by way of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft. Baddoo showed plenty of promise in that rookie season, hitting .259/.330/.436 with 13 homers and 18 steals in only 461 plate appearances. The Tigers looked to have a steal on their hands, as the lefty-swinging Baddoo at least looked the part of a platoon corner outfielder with some speed, modest power and plate discipline.

Unfortunately, he’s never returned to that same level of production. Baddoo has been an up-and-down member of the roster in four seasons since that time, hitting a combined .201/.288/.323 in 682 plate appearances — primarily against right-handed pitching. He runs well and draws strong grades for his defensive acumen in left field, but Baddoo has well below-average marks in batted-ball metrics like average exit velocity (87.5 mph), barrel rate (5.9%) and hard-hit rate (34.6%) over the past four seasons.

Baddoo has one minor league option year remaining, so he doesn’t necessarily need to break camp with the Brewers. If he doesn’t make the Opening Day club, they can send him to Triple-A Nashville without needing to pass him through waivers. He’ll jump into a competition for reps in an outfield that’ll feature Jackson Chourio in right field and Sal Frelick in center.

Isaac Collins was the Brewers’ leader in left field innings last season, though he can play all over the diamond. Jake Bauers is also in the mix, but he has ample experience at first base and could always see time at designated hitter on days that Christian Yelich is in left or is out of the lineup. (Yelich played only 19 games in left field last year and was otherwise a DH.) Blake Perkins, too, will see time on the grass but is more of a fourth outfielder/backup center fielder than an everyday option. Former first-round pick Garrett Mitchell missed most of the 2025 season due to injury and will need to hit his way back into consideration for a more prominent role.

If Baddoo ends up playing a meaningful role of any sort on the 2026 Brewers, he could be a relatively long-term addition. He currently has just 3.021 years of major league service time, meaning he can be controlled via arbitration for at least three more seasons (including 2026). Depending how much time he spends on the big league roster, that window of control could extend an extra season. Baddoo would need 151 days of MLB service this year to reach four years. Of course, that’s putting the cart before the horse; he’ll need to play his way onto the roster and then show some staying power before that’s a real consideration, but it’s a nice theoretical bonus — particularly for a club with a reputation for maximizing the performance of its low-cost acquisitions.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that the Brewers were signing Baddoo to a major league contract.

Braves Designate Ryan Rolison For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:20:33 +0000

The Braves announced today that left-hander Ryan Rolison has been designated for assignment. That’s the corresponding 40-man roster move for the club’s signing of right-hander Robert Suarez.

Rolison, 28, has never pitched for Atlanta. He spent his entire professional career with the Rockies until a few weeks ago. Colorado needed to open some roster space for new additions and designated him for assignment. The next day, he was traded to Atlanta for cash considerations.

The Rockies had selected him 22nd overall in the 2018 draft and he was a notable prospect for a few years but he hasn’t yet delivered on that pedigree. He lost some time on his way up the minor league ladder. The pandemic wiped out the minors in 2020 and then Rolison dealt with some injuries, mostly shoulder problems.

He finally made it to the big leagues in 2025 but didn’t find immediate success. He logged 42 1/3 innings for the Rockies this year, allowing 7.02 earned runs per nine. His 47.9% ground ball rate was pretty good but his 10.4% walk rate was subpar and his 13% strikeout rate very low. His minor league numbers this year were far better. He tossed 29 2/3 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a 3.34 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 48.8% ground ball rate.

Rolison still has an option remaining, so he doesn’t need to be guaranteed a major league roster spot. Atlanta was intrigued enough to grab him in a cash deal but he has been squeezed off the roster.

Atlanta will now have seven days of DFA limbo to work with. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so they could take up to five days to explore trades. Rolison has a previous career outright and would therefore have the right to elect free agency if he is passed through waivers unclaimed. If any other club acquires him, he has between two and three years of service time, meaning he comes with four years of potential club control.

Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images

Braves To Sign Robert Suarez

Steve Adams — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 17:48:47 +0000

The Braves and former Padres closer Robert Suarez are in agreement on a three-year, $45MM contract, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Suarez opted out of the final two seasons of his five-year deal in San Diego at season’s end and became a free agent.

More to come.

Nico Hoerner Drawing Trade Interest

Nick Deeds — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:58:51 +0000

Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner has come up in trade conversations, according to a report from Patrick Mooney and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. The report emphasizes that while president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer gauges the market value of virtually every player on the roster during the offseason, that shouldn’t be taken as an indication the Cubs intend to move Hoerner.

It’s easy to see why teams would be asking after the 28-year-old. Hoerner is coming off a career year where he won his second career Gold Glove for his defense at second base while slashing .297/.345/.394 (109 wRC+) with 40 extra-base hits and 29 steals in 156 games. He struck out at a career-best 7.6% clip while walking 6.0% of the time. Only Luis Arraez (3.1%) and Jacob Wilson (7.5%) struck out less often among qualified hitters, and that trio was joined by Steven Kwan and Caleb Durbin to make up the full list of batters to strike out less than 10% of the time in 2025.

That contact-oriented offense combined with arguably the best defense in the sport at second base, creates a consistent four-to-five win package according to Fangraphs. Over the past four seasons, Hoerner has posted a 105 wRC+. His 123 stolen bases are the fifth-highest total in the majors over that time, and his 17.5 fWAR ranks 18th, tied with Alex Bregman. That’s the sort of player that virtually any team with a hole at second base would like to add, and Hoerner’s $12MM salary for the 2026 campaign is entirely affordable as well for even smaller market clubs. While Hoerner has played second base in deference to Dansby Swanson during the latter’s years in Chicago, he served as the club’s everyday shortstop in 2022 with elite fielding metrics and could surely provide plus defense at the position again if needed.

Speculatively speaking, teams like the Braves, Yankees, and Red Sox would all surely love to bring Hoerner into the fold ahead of his final season before free agency, but it would be surprising to see the Cubs actually deal their star infielder. Hoerner was a key piece of the team that took the Cubs back to the playoffs for the first time in half a decade last year, and the club could be better off simply holding onto him with the hope of either working out an extension before free agency or making him a qualifying offer next winter. After all, the Cubs have no clear internal option to replace Hoerner at the keystone. Jefferson Rojas is the club’s top infield prospect, but the 20-year-old struggled badly in 39 games at Double-A last year and isn’t likely to be ready for the majors in 2026.

Perhaps dealing Hoerner could become a more serious consideration if the club’s rumored interest adding help at third base were to come to fruition. The Cubs have been connected to both Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suarez this winter, and signing one of them would displace Matt Shaw at third base. Shaw, of course, was worth just 1.5 fWAR with a 93 wRC+ last year. That’s hardly a player who needs to be in the lineup on an everyday basis, but Hoyer offered Shaw a vote of confidence earlier this week that would suggest he remains a key part of the club’s plans for 2026. If the Cubs were to add Bregman or Suarez at the hot corner, trading Hoerner and installing Shaw at second base might be the easiest way to keep Shaw in the lineup on a regular basis.

With that being said, Shaw could also simply back up the rest of the infield while splitting time at DH with Moises Ballesteros and Owen Caissie, serving as a right-handed complement to those big lefty bats. Even if an addition at third base happens, it certainly wouldn’t indicate that the Cubs would need to trade Hoerner. On the other hand, doing so could provide an alternative pathway to bringing in rotation help this winter if Chicago finds itself unable to lure in one of the top starters available in free agency. The Cubs have made no secret of their desire to bolster the club’s rotation this winter, and reuniting with Shota Imanaga after he accepted a qualifying offer won’t be enough.

Astros Sign Ryan Weiss To Major League Deal

Darragh McDonald — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:29:31 +0000

December 11th: Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports that Weiss’s club option for 2027 is worth $5M with a $500K buyout.

December 9th: The Astros have now officially announced their signing of Weiss. The opened two roster spots last week by outrighting Taylor Trammell and Logan VanWey. Their 40-man count is now at 39.

December 2nd: The Astros have reportedly agreed to a major league deal with right-hander Ryan Weiss, who has been pitching in Korea lately. Weiss is guaranteed $2.6MM and there’s a club option for 2027. The Sports One Athlete Management client could potentially earn $10MM over the course of the pact. The Astros have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to make this official.

It’s a bit of an early birthday present for Weiss, who turns 29 next Wednesday. A fourth-round draft pick of the Diamondbacks back in 2018, he showed enough promise as a minor leaguer that the Snakes added him to their 40-man in November of 2021 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He had just tossed 78 1/3 minor league innings in that 2021 season with a 4.60 earned run average and 9.5% walk rate but his 27% strikeout rate was quite good.

He struggled in the minors in 2022 and was placed on waivers, with the Royals placing a claim. Kansas City then passed him through waivers unclaimed in October of 2022. The Royals then released him in May of 2023. At that point, Weiss had tossed 76 1/3 innings on the farm, dating back to the start of 2022. In that time, he allowed 6.96 earned runs per nine.

That release kicked off a nomadic period for Weiss. He then landed with the High Point Rockers of the independent Atlantic League. After a few months there, with a 4.61 ERA, he signed with the Fubon Guardians of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League. He had a decent 2.32 ERA there, though in just 31 innings. He started 2024 back with the Rockers, posting a 4.61 ERA over nine starts.

In June of 2024, he signed with the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization. It was with that club that he seemed to unlock a new gear. In 2024, he gave the Eagles 16 starts with a 3.73 ERA, 25.5% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate and 48.2% ground ball rate. He returned to the Eagles in 2025 and took the ball 30 more times. He logged 178 2/3 innings with a 2.87 ERA, 28.6% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 48.5% ground ball rate.

Weiss then pitched in relief for the Eagles in the playoffs but the Astros plan to utilize him as a starter. Houston has plenty of uncertainty in their rotation mix. They just lost Framber Valdez to free agency. Luis Garcia required another Tommy John surgery late in 2025 and has been jettisoned from the roster. Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco and Brandon Walter also had TJS in 2025 and are slated to begin next year on the injured list.

That left the Astros going into 2026 with Hunter Brown and a heap of question marks behind him. Cristian Javier will be in the mix but he had a 4.62 ERA in 2025 after returning from his own lengthy surgery layoff. Lance McCullers Jr. has had all kind of injury troubles and put up a 6.51 ERA this year. Spencer Arrighetti was good in 2024 but spent most of 2025 on the IL and only made seven starts. Jason Alexander had some passable results this year but he’s a journeyman depth guy who’s about to turn 33. J.P. France spent most of 2025 recovering from shoulder surgery. Colton Gordon and AJ Blubaugh are on the 40-man but lacking in experience.

Upgrading the rotation for 2026 makes plenty of sense but it appears the club doesn’t have a ton of spending capacity. Reportedly, owner Jim Crane would prefer to avoid the competitive balance tax in 2026. RosterResource projects them for a $218MM CBT number next year. That’s more than $20MM below next year’s $244MM base threshold but the club also has other needs to address this winter. Trading someone like Christian Walker or Jake Meyers might free up some extra space but it’s somewhat tight for now.

So far, their rotation additions have been of the low-cost wild card variety. They took a flier on former top prospect Nate Pearson, signing him to a $1.35MM guarantee. Now they’ve added Weiss into the mix as well. Perhaps there’s a more surefire rotation upgrade over the horizon. For now, the Astros are making a modest bet that Weiss transfer some of his strong KBO results to the MLB level. For his part, Weiss gets a nice paycheck despite still having no major league experience.

Reporter Daniel Kim first reported that the two sides were close to a deal. Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reported that an agreement was in place for a major league pact and that Weiss will be a starter. Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported the guarantee, the presence of a ’27 option and the possibility for the deal to go beyond $10MM. Chandler Rome of The Athletic specified that the option is a club option.

The Opener: Mets, Orioles, Rotation Market

Nick Deeds — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:17:15 +0000

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Mets turn the page on an era:

The departures of Edwin Diaz and Pete Alonso during the Winter Meetings, in conjunction with last month’s trade of Brandon Nimmo, mean that the Mets’ three longest-tenured players will all play elsewhere in 2026. President of baseball operations David Stearns was already facing plenty of pressure this winter to improve the roster after a disappointing year where his club missed the postseason in Juan Soto’s first season on the roster. With Diaz and Alonso officially out of the organization, that pressure is rising even more.

How will the Mets respond to those losses? A pursuit of Munetaka Murakami or Kazuma Okamoto could make some sense to replace Alonso at first base, and Robert Suarez remains a logical replacement for Diaz (alongside Devin Williams) in the ninth inning next year. Those replacements won’t be enough by themselves, however. New York remains in desperate need of help in the outfield and continues to look for help at the front of their rotation. Bringing in a top free agent like Kyle Tucker in the outfield or Tatsuya Imai in the rotation would surely help fans in Queens get over the losses of franchise stalwarts like Alonso this winter.

2. What’s next for the Orioles?

On the other side of the coin, fans in Baltimore were jubilant as their club finally made the big splash they’ve been hoping to see for years. With Alonso now in the fold for the next five seasons, the Orioles seem unlikely to take their foot off the gas just yet. They remain involved in the market for high-end rotation pieces, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see them add someone like Framber Valdez to the front of their rotation in free agency alongside Alonso. Of course, the free agent market isn’t the only avenue for improvement available. The addition of Alonso displaces Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle on the team’s depth chart, and Mayo in particular could be the sort of high-end trade chip who makes landing a top starter in trade like Edward Cabrera or MacKenzie Gore (both of whom Baltimore has been connected to this winter) all the more feasible. What’s the next move for president of baseball operations Mike Elias?

3. When will the dam break in the rotation market?

For all the activity in and around this year’s winter meetings, things have remained quiet on the rotation front this winter. The market for relievers has been bustling all winter, with only a handful of the top closing options still available. The market for position players has been slower, but hitters did start to come off the board after Kyle Schwarber re-upped in Philadelphia, with Alonso and Mike Yastrzemski both signing yesterday. Every top free agent starter remains on the market besides Dylan Cease, however, and the trade market has seen no movement outside of the Red Sox adding Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo.

Will things get moving in the coming days? It’s certainly possible. This week’s meetings surely hosted a number of important conversations between buyers and sellers on the trade markets, giving teams like the Mets, Orioles, and Cubs a better idea of which starters could actually be attainable for them while allowing sellers like the Marlins and Nationals to see which teams might come closes to their asking prices. In free agency, meanwhile, some reporting has indicated that Imai will begin visiting teams now that the Winter Meetings have come to a close with an eye towards signing before the holidays. Given that Imai’s posting window closes on January 2, the right-hander’s free agency could potentially serve as a catalyst that kicks the larger market for starting pitching into gear.

How Might The Mets Replace Pete Alonso?

Anthony Franco — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 05:50:21 +0000

The biggest news of a relatively quiet Winter Meetings dropped on the final day. Pete Alonso is headed to Baltimore (pending a physical) on a massive five-year deal. His departure from the Mets had been telegraphed by the team's reported reluctance to go beyond three years. It's nevertheless jarring for a team that has spent at the top of the league to be comfortably outbid on the franchise's all-time home runs leader by a mid-market Orioles club.

Alonso's departure came one day after the Mets let Edwin Díaz walk to the Dodgers. They're a few weeks removed from trading Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien. Clearly, president of baseball operations David Stearns and his front office weren't happy to run it all back after the team melted down in the second half. They've signed Devin Williams to replace Díaz. We've yet to see how they'll respond to the losses on the position player side. There's plenty more to come -- no team is complete on December 10 -- but the 2026 Mets will look a lot different than the teams of the past few seasons.

At the beginning of the offseason, Stearns spoke about a need to improve the pitching and defense (link via Will Sammon of The Athletic). Aside from the Williams signing, they've waited out the pitching market so far. Their position player moves, or lack thereof, suggest they're indeed focused on getting more athletic. Semien remains an excellent defensive second baseman. Alonso's lack of defensive value is a big reason they were reluctant to pay him into his mid-30s.

Where do they go from here?

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Royals Interested In Teoscar Hernandez

Charlie Wright — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 04:50:02 +0000

Kansas City missed out on bringing back Mike Yastrzemski, but the club might have its sights set on a bigger prize. Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic report the Royals are interested in Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. The veteran’s name has come up in trade talks recently, though general manager Brandon Gomes has said a deal “doesn’t seem likely.”

Reports surfaced earlier this week that the Royals were looking to add multiple outfielders. President of baseball operations J.J. Picollo has already said he’d be willing to deal a pitcher for an outfielder. Kansas City had been interested in a reunion with trade deadline acquisition Yastrzemski, but he ultimately landed a two-year deal with Atlanta.

Finding an impact bat in the outfield has been an ongoing pursuit for the organization. Kansas City was linked to Jarren Duran ahead of the trade deadline. The club came up short in signing Anthony Santander and Jurickson Profar last offseason. While the Royals aren’t expected to be shopping in the Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger tier this winter, they’ve been connected to Harrison Bader and Austin Hays. Jake Meyers and Brendan Donovan have been mentioned as trade targets.

Hernandez provided league-average production as LA’s primary right fielder last season. He failed to follow up on his 33-homer, 12-steal debut campaign with the team, slipping to a 102 wRC+ over 134 games. Hernandez hit .257 with one homer in the postseason for the eventual champions. The 33-year-old is entering the second season of a three-year, $66MM deal.

The main drawback with Hernandez in recent years has been his defense. He’s totaled -19 Outs Above Average over the past two seasons with the Dodgers. Statcast grades Hernandez’s arm as close to average, but his range has fallen significantly from the early days with Toronto, when he was capable of playing center field. The defensive shortcomings could lead the Dodgers to consider a more versatile alternative. The club certainly has the resources to make an outfield addition if they were to ship out Hernandez.

Kansas City’s outfielders ranked among the weakest offensive contributors last season. The club’s center fielders combined for a .645 OPS, and that was their best mark among the three outfield positions. The Royals did their best to find a righty slugger to add to the mix last year, but none of Randal Grichuk, Hunter Renfroe, or Mark Canha panned out. The lineup would likely have the left-handed trio of Jac Caglianone, Kyle Isbel, and John Rave manning the grass if the season started today.

The Royals scored the fifth-fewest runs last season. They were also bottom five in home runs. The top of the lineup is set, but there are plenty of question marks past Salvador Perez in the cleanup spot. An addition in the outfield seems like the easiest route to improve the club’s offensive outlook. Top prospect Caglianone will get a chance to stick as a regular, but Rave had middling results in the minors before struggling in his MLB debut, and Isbel has never hit for an extended stretch as a big leaguer. Isbel has routinely graded out as a stellar defender, so he could potentially alleviate some of the defensive issues that would come with acquiring Hernandez.

Photo courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images

Mets Interested In Willson Contreras, Lars Nootbaar

Charlie Wright — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 03:28:49 +0000

The Mets have grabbed headlines for the moves they haven’t made this offseason, namely watching Pete Alonso sign with Baltimore and Edwin Diaz head to Los Angeles. The club is actively working to add on the offensive side, though, with the Cardinals as a potential trade partner. Will Sammon of The Athletic reports the Mets have interest in outfielder Lars Nootbaar, while John Denton of MLB.com reports New York reached out about Willson Contreras.

Neither Contreras nor Nootbaar would replace the Alonso-sized void in the lineup, but both would fill holes in the roster. Contreras could slot right into Alonso’s vacated spot at first base, while Nootbaar would help cover the gap left by Brandon Nimmo, who was dealt to the Rangers.

Contreras and Nootbaar are just a couple of the many Cardinals popping up in trade conversations. Brendan Donovan is drawing widespread interest. JoJo Romero has intrigued several teams. Nolan Arenado has been a trade candidate for multiple seasons. Nolan Gorman and Alec Burleson have been mentioned as possibly getting moved. Despite the interest around the league, nothing materialized during the Winter Meetings. “To some degree, it’s binary — either you have something or you don’t. Right now, we don’t,” president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom told reporters.

As Anthony Franco pointed out in this piece about replacing Alonso (Front Office subscription required), Contreras would be the most straightforward fit in the trade market. He has a no-trade clause, but is reportedly open to waiving it. Contreras is under contract for the next two seasons, with a club option for 2028. He’s slated to make $18MM next season and $18.5MM in 2027. The price tag isn’t exorbitant for his level of production, but it might be too costly for the rebuilding Cardinals to keep around.

Contreras has been a firmly above-average bat in his three seasons with St. Louis. He’s posted a wRC+ of at least 124 in each campaign. Contreras has a pair of 20-homer campaigns as a Cardinal, and the lone miss was his most productive year with the team. He hit 15 home runs in just 84 games in 2024, but a broken finger ended his season in late June.

The 33-year-old Contreras hasn’t missed a beat as he’s entered his 30s. His profile has arguably looked even better under the hood in recent years. Contreras posted a career-high 49% hard-hit rate this past season. He ranked 95th percentile in bat speed. Contreras has been one of the hardest swingers in the game since bat speed data became widely available.

The Nootbaar fit isn’t as seamless, largely due to availability. The outfielder had surgery on both heels in October and may miss the beginning of the 2026 season. The procedure may have already removed one team from contention for Nootbaar’s services. Replacing Nimmo’s strong on-base skills and steady all-around production will be difficult, but so will finding another option to match his durability. The former Met has topped 150 games in four straight seasons. The oft-injured Nootbaar has maxed out at 135 games in a season, and that came this past year, which ended with the double-heel surgery.

Nootbaar has generally been productive when available. He’s routinely posted well above-average walk rates and solid slugging numbers. Nootbaar is typically good for a dozen home runs, a handful of steals, and a respectable OBP. The 2025 season was a healthy one, but Nootbaar declined in production. He slashed just .234/.325/.361, recording his first sub-100 wRC+ since his rookie season in 2021.

Photo courtesy of Benny Sieu, Imagn Images

Mining the News (12/11/25)

Jeff Zimmerman — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 02:29:18 +0000

The Winter Meetings helped to provide content.

Source

Braves To Sign Mike Yastrzemski

Charlie Wright — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 01:16:57 +0000

The Braves are adding free agent outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. It’s a two-year deal worth $23MM with a club option for the third year. Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report that the two sides were nearing an agreement.

Atlanta hadn’t waded too far into the free agent market outside of re-signing closer Raisel Iglesias. The club now improves its outfield/DH mix by bringing in Yastrzemski. The lefty-swinging veteran finished last season with the Royals after getting dealt by the Giants at the trade deadline. After spending his first six seasons in San Francisco, Yastrzemski will now be on his third team in the calendar year.

Before the move, the Braves were looking at a pair of speed-first options in holdover Eli White and waiver claim Michael Siani as their bench outfielders behind the trio of Ronald Acuna Jr., Michael Harris II, and Jurickson Profar. Yastrzemski gives them a more viable offensive contributor as the fourth outfielder. Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos recently mentioned he preferred to leave the DH spot open and split the duties between multiple players. Yastrzemski figures to factor into that equation against right-handed pitching, grabbing left field reps with Profar moving to DH.

Yastrzemski was having one of his weakest offensive campaigns with the Giants prior to getting traded. He had managed just eight home runs and a career-low .355 SLG across 97 games. The move to Kansas City flipped his season, as he quickly emerged as a crucial top-of-the-order contributor. Yastrzemski slugged nine home runs in 50 games with the Royals, while walking more than he struck out. He capped off his season with a two-homer game against the Athletics.

The 35-year-old Yastrzemski didn’t reach the big leagues until age 28. He immediately made an impact in the power department, swatting 21 home runs in 411 plate appearances as a rookie. Yastrzemski earned near-regular playing time over the next five seasons, providing solid production against righties while typically sitting against lefties. He tended to strike out at an above-average rate, but still finished with a wRC+ of at least 106 in all but one season with the Giants.

Yastrzemski has spent the majority of his time in right field, though he has experience at all three outfield spots. He made six starts in left field, five starts in center field, and 29 starts in right field during his brief stint with the Royals. Yastrzemski graded out as a neutral fielder by Outs Above Average. His range received poor marks, but he offered value with his arm, per Statcast.

Kansas City was reportedly interested in a Yastrzemski reunion. Given his strong two months for the team, it made sense the Royals would look to bring him back. The club is currently short on proven outfielders, with Jac Caglianone, Kyle Isbel, and John Rave penciled in as starters. Considering that the trio is entirely left-handed, targeting a righty bat might be a better fit for Kansas City.

Twins Exploring Mid-Tier First Base Market

Anthony Franco — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 01:03:25 +0000

After entering the offseason as expected sellers, the Twins have seemingly reversed course. They’re now inclined to hold Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan and Pablo López while making a few depth additions. Speaking at the Winter Meetings, general manager Jeremy Zoll highlighted revamping the bullpen and adding a power hitter as two offseason goals.

Minnesota has never spent much on the bullpen under president of baseball operations Derek Falvey. That’s likely to continue this offseason, as they’ll presumably take a volume approach and bring in a few arms on one-year deals. They could aim a bit higher in their pursuit of a power hitter. That’s likeliest to come at first base.

Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that Minnesota has checked in with each of Ryan O’Hearn, Rhys Hoskins and Josh Bell. Hayes writes that the front office has around $20MM to spend this offseason. That opens the ability to play in the third or fourth tier of free agent bats. The Twins should be able to find an upgrade over utility player Kody Clemens, who’s probably the top in-house option at first base.

O’Hearn, a lefty bat, would be the most expensive of that trio. The 32-year-old is coming off a .281/.366/.437 showing with 17 homers across 544 plate appearances between the Orioles and Padres. He has been an above-average hitter in three consecutive seasons. O’Hearn has improved his approach while hitting between 14 and 17 longballs in each of the past three years.

That should be enough to secure a multi-year contract. MLBTR predicted a two-year, $26MM deal in ranking O’Hearn the #30 free agent in the class. A $13MM average annual value would evidently be within Minnesota’s overall budget, but that’d leave very little room for the bullpen or a utility infielder. It seems likely the Twins would aim lower if O’Hearn’s market pushes into an eight-figure annual salary.

Hoskins and Bell are more straightforward one-year deal candidates. The former is coming off a .237/.332/.416 showing with 12 homers in 90 games for the Brewers. He got out to a hot start but had a terrible June before suffering a left thumb sprain. That cost him six weeks and opened playing time for Andrew Vaughn, who surprisingly thrived in Milwaukee. Hoskins was relegated to a bench bat role when he returned in September. He’s only a season removed from hitting 26 homers, albeit with a middling .214/.303/.419 overall slash line.

Bell has signed a series of one-year deals over the past few seasons. He played on a $6MM contract with the Nationals in 2025, batting .237/.325/.417 with 22 longballs across 533 plate appearances. Bell is exceptionally streaky within seasons but pretty consistently ends up as a slightly above-average overall hitter at the end of the year. (He has some parallels to former Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario in that regard.) That was again the case this past season. Bell took a .219/.307/.372 line into the All-Star Break before rebounding with a .267/.353/.489 performance in the second half.

Hoskins is a right-handed batter. Bell is a switch-hitter who has generally been better from the left side of the plate. A righty bat might make more sense given the presence of lefty-swinging first base/DH options like Clemens, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach and Edouard Julien. Lefty-hitting Nathaniel Lowe and right-handed Paul Goldschmidt should also be available on one-year deals.

Yankees, Astros Among Various Clubs Interested In Freddy Peralta Trade

Anthony Franco — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:21:56 +0000

There hasn’t been much movement at the top of the free agent rotation market. Most of the focus on starting pitching has been on the trade front, though we didn’t see any major deals at the Winter Meetings.

Most of the top trade candidates are questionable to move at all. Brewers star Freddy Peralta is among that group. Milwaukee isn’t motivated to trade the All-Star righty on the heels of a 97-win season, but they’re not going to shut down conversations entirely. They’ve heard from no shortage of teams with interest. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic report that the Astros, Giants, Mets, Orioles, Red Sox and Yankees are among the clubs that have reached out about Peralta.

The wide range of suitors is to be expected. Houston, San Francisco, Baltimore and the Mets all have starting pitching at or near the top of the priority list. The Astros are focusing on the trade market as they try to stay below the luxury tax line. The Giants and Mets have ample payroll flexibility but have downplayed their desire to make long-term commitments to a starter. The Orioles are casting a wide net to find an impact arm who can slot in the upper half of the rotation. They’ve been tied to Framber Valdez and Ranger Suárez in free agency, as well as trade possibilities like Edward Cabrera and MacKenzie Gore.

The Yankees will begin the season without Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón due to injury. Clarke Schmidt may miss the entire season rehabbing Tommy John surgery. They’re set to open the season with Max Fried and Cam Schlittler in the top two spots. Will Warren and Luis Gil project as the third and fourth arms for now, and they don’t have a fifth starter lined up. Warren had a solid rookie season but struggled with the home run ball. Gil was the Rookie of the Year in 2024. This year, he was limited to 57 innings with mediocre strikeout and walk numbers after missing a few months with a lat strain.

Boston isn’t as clearly in need of starting pitching. They entered the offseason pursuing a #2 starter. They’ve acquired Sonny Gray to fill that role and brought in Johan Oviedo as a back-end option. The focus is on adding a big bat or two, but they’ve been tied to virtually every free agent or trade candidate of significance.

Peralta fits on every contender. He’ll make $8MM in the final season of what turned out to be a dramatically team-friendly extension. He’s coming off a career-low 2.70 ERA and finished fifth in NL Cy Young balloting. This was the third straight season in which he reached 200 strikeouts and started 30+ games. The Brewers fully expect to compete for another division title themselves. They’ve pulled the trigger on trades of stars with dwindling club control windows (e.g. Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes) to remain consistently competitive, though that’s not an absolute. They were happy to hold Willy Adames all the way to free agency.

Adames rejected a qualifying offer and netted a compensatory draft pick when he signed with the Giants. Barring injury, Peralta would be a near lock to do the same if Milwaukee holds him all year. That’d net them a compensatory pick after the first round of the 2027 draft — assuming he signs for at least $50MM. Milwaukee would be entitled to the highest level of compensation as a revenue sharing recipient.

Obviously, the Brewers could extract a far greater return for even one year of Peralta’s services on the trade market. They’re balancing that against the hit it’d deal to the 2026 team. Brandon Woodruff is back to join Quinn Priester, Jacob Misiorowski and Chad Patrick in what would still be a high-upside rotation. Every club would be better with Peralta on it, though.

President of baseball operations Matt Arnold addressed the Peralta rumors shortly before the Winter Meetings. “I’m not sure that there’s a scenario that’s been presented that would make any sense for us,” Arnold said last week (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “We obviously get hits on him all the time. He’s a very popular target, certainly. But he’s also a huge part of our team and we want to be competitive in 2026. A big part of this is bringing back the core that we had last year.”