Headlines

  • Dodgers Announce World Series Roster
  • Blue Jays Add Bo Bichette To World Series Roster
  • Brewers Promote Matt Arnold To President Of Baseball Operations
  • Giants Hire Tony Vitello As Manager
  • Kazuma Okamoto To Be Posted This Offseason
  • Angels Hire Kurt Suzuki As Manager
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Athletics
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Previewing The 2025-26 Free Agent Class: Starting Pitcher

By Anthony Franco | October 24, 2025 at 11:00pm CDT

MLBTR continues its position-by-position look at the upcoming free agent class. We’ve gone through each offensive position and now turn to the starting rotation. For this exercise, we’re focused on pitchers who spent most of this past season working as a starter. Some relievers (e.g. Luke Weaver, Steven Matz, Sean Newcomb) could also receive rotation interest. They’ll be covered in the respective reliever previews. Player ages, listed in parentheses, are for the 2026 season.

Previous entries in this series: catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, center field, corner outfield, designated hitter, right-handed relief

Top Group

  • Dylan Cease (30)

Cease may be the biggest wild card of the free agent class. He entered the season as the presumptive top pitcher. A repeat of his fourth-place Cy Young season from 2024 would’ve positioned him for a $225-250MM contract. He instead had an uneven platform season, finishing with a 4.55 earned run average across 168 innings. His past four seasons have alternated between top five Cy Young finishes (2022, ’24) and years with an ERA closer to 5.00 than to 4.00 (2023, ’25).

The positives are obvious. Cease has not missed a start in four years. He’s eighth in MLB in innings going back to the start of 2022. He has top-of-the-rotation stuff headlined by a fastball that sits above 97 MPH. It’s the seventh-highest average fastball speed among starters. This year’s 29.8% strikeout rate was right in line with the swing-and-miss numbers he posted during his ace-caliber seasons. Among pitchers with 100+ innings, only Tarik Skubal had a higher swinging strike rate.

All that said, Cease’s camp is going to have an uphill battle pushing for a $200MM+ contract for a pitcher coming off a second mediocre ERA in three years. The Phillies re-signed Aaron Nola for seven years and $172MM coming off a 4.46 ERA a few years back, but Nola was a more reliable source of innings. Cease has been durable but is generally inefficient and only averaged 5.25 innings per start this year. He didn’t work beyond six frames after June 21.

The Padres will issue Cease a qualifying offer, which he’s a lock to decline. If a $200MM offer doesn’t materialize, it’d make sense for him to look for a two- or three-year guarantee that allows him to opt out and give free agency another go next winter. It’s tough to see him splitting the difference and accepting a four- or five-year deal without opt-outs that pays him like a #3/4 starter.

  • Tatsuya Imai (28)*

Imai, who is likely to be posted by NPB’s Seibu Lions, is the best foreign pitcher in this year’s class. He might command the top contract of any pitcher. The 5’11” hurler won’t turn 28 until May, making him the youngest free agent pitcher of note. He has posted ace-caliber numbers in consecutive seasons. Imai turned in a 2.34 ERA last year and posted a 1.92 mark across 163 2/3 innings this past season. He ranked second in NPB with 178 strikeouts and led the league (minimum 100 innings) with a 27.8% strikeout rate.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote in September that contract estimates from people with whom he spoke ranged from $80MM to over $200MM. Imai isn’t the slam dunk ace that Yoshinobu Yamamoto was when he commanded $325MM from the Dodgers. He’s younger and throws a lot harder than Shota Imanaga did when he signed a four-year, $53MM guarantee.

Teams are going to have different evaluations on his stuff and some clubs might feel there’s a risk that his command projects him to relief. Imai has improved his control each season and is coming off a solid 7% walk rate, but he’d issued free passes to more than 9% of opponents in every year before this one. Whatever team wins the bidding will be one that views Imai as a slam dunk starter, though, and he’s likely to be paid as a #3 arm who is in the prime of his career.

  • Ranger Suárez (30)

Suárez has been a steady #2/3 starter for the Phillies over the past four seasons. He’s coming off arguably the best year of his career. He turned in a 3.20 ERA over a personal-high 157 1/3 innings. Suárez fanned a solid 23.2% of opponents against an excellent 5.8% walk rate. He reliably gets weak contact and has gotten ground-balls at a 51% clip since the start of 2022.

The lefty doesn’t have the kind of power stuff that tends to get paid highly. He hasn’t reached a league average swinging strike rate in any of the last four years. His sinker has averaged between 90-91 MPH in each of the past two seasons. The multi-year track record should support a nine-figure deal spanning five or six years. Suárez will reject a qualifying offer and be attached to draft compensation.

  • Framber Valdez (32)

Valdez is now the top domestic free agent starter in the class. The southpaw is coming off his sixth consecutive sub-4.00 ERA season. He hasn’t gone on the injured list in four seasons. Valdez has slightly above-average strikeout stuff, but his standout skill is an elite ground-ball rate. He sits in the 95-96 MPH range with his heater, so he’s hardly a soft-tossing grounder specialist. There are clear parallels to Max Fried, who commanded an eight-year and $218MM deal last winter.

Valdez isn’t going to get that long of a contract. There hasn’t been a six-year deal for a 32-year-old free agent starting pitcher in a decade. Valdez would have had a better case to snap that precedent had he finished the season well. He ended with a 6.05 ERA over his final 10 starts. Valdez was also at the center of controversy when he didn’t appear to show much concern after a cross-up that led him to drill catcher César Salazar in the chest. The Astros downplayed that publicly, but he could face some questions about the situation from interested teams.

That’s unlikely to stop him from commanding a five-year contract that pays between $25-30MM annually. He’ll cost a team a draft choice after he declines a qualifying offer. Extension talks with the Astros never gained traction and he’s expected to sign elsewhere.

Second Tier

  • Shane Bieber (31)

Bieber is technically weighing a $16MM player option versus a $4MM buyout. It’s an obvious decision for him to opt out. The former Cy Young winner signed a two-year deal to return to Cleveland when he was halfway through rehab from April 2024 Tommy John surgery. The recovery went mostly as expected. He had a brief setback in June when he was scratched from a rehab start with elbow soreness. That prevented him from returning to an MLB mound before the trade deadline, but he was back on a rehab assignment by July.

The Blue Jays were encouraged enough by his form to give up a legitimate pitching prospect, Khal Stephen, to acquire him. It paid off, as Bieber turned in a 3.57 ERA over seven regular season starts. He averaged nearly six innings per start while striking out 23.3% of opponents against an excellent 4.4% walk rate. He has taken the ball three times in the postseason, allowing seven runs (six earned) over 12 1/3 frames. His 15:3 strikeout-to-walk ratio is excellent, but he has given up a home run in each of his past two starts. He’ll make at least one and potentially two starts during the World Series.

Bieber is unlikely to return to the Cy Young heights he reached in 2020, but he looks like a high-end #3 arm. While the ill-timed surgery has prevented him from racking up many innings over the past two seasons, some teams will probably view that at as a standalone injury which is now behind him. He will hit free agency without draft compensation. The midseason trade rendered him ineligible for a qualifying offer.

  • Zac Gallen (30)

Gallen had an up-and-down season that concluded with a 4.83 earned run average over 192 innings. His 21.5% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career, and he struggled with the home run ball for the first time in four seasons. It’s not an encouraging walk year, but he’s only 30 years old and is a few months removed from having a case for a $150MM contract. While he’s not going to get there now, he should be able to land a two-year deal with an opt-out if no team is willing to pay nine figures. The Diamondbacks are expected to make him a qualifying offer.

  • Lucas Giolito (30)

Giolito lost the 2024 season to internal brace surgery. He began this year on the injured list after suffering a Spring Training hamstring strain. He posted an ERA near 5.00 in May before settling in as a productive mid-rotation arm over the next few months. Giolito turned in a 3.03 earned run average across 20 starts and 113 innings from June onward.

A sub-20% strikeout rate raised some doubts about the sustainability of that kind of run prevention. Still, he looked like a reliable third starter who would do well on the open market once he crossed the 140-inning threshold to convert a $14MM team option into a $19MM mutual provision. Luis Severino had a similar profile and commanded three years and $67MM with an opt-out after declining a qualifying offer last winter. While that contract was an overpay to get a free agent starter to pitch at Sutter Health Park, a three-year deal in the mid-$50MM range is still preferable to accepting a QO.

Then came another injury. Giolito suffered flexor irritation and a bone issue in his throwing elbow at the end of the regular season. He did not make the Wild Card roster and would not have been available even if the Red Sox had made a deep postseason run. Giolito told Chris Cotillo of MassLive that there’s no ligament damage and the issue should heal with rest. He’s a borderline QO candidate.

  • Michael King (31)

King will decline his end of a $15MM mutual option with the Padres. He’ll be paid a $3.75MM buyout and become a free agent. A few months ago, he looked like he’d find a nine-figure deal. That’s tougher to envision after injuries interrupted what had been an excellent start to his walk year.

The righty began his season with a 2.59 ERA while striking out 28% of opponents through his first 10 starts. He went on the injured list at the end of May with what the team initially viewed as a minor shoulder injury. That turned out to be far more of a hindrance than expected. It turned out to be a nerve issue that cost him three months. He came back in mid-August, started one game, then went back on the injured list with left knee inflammation. King returned a few weeks later and made four starts in September but was nowhere near as effective as he’d been early in the year. He didn’t make it beyond five innings in any of those appearances and gave up 10 runs in 15 2/3 innings.

King was healthy enough for the Padres to carry him on their playoff roster. The team clearly didn’t trust him, though, as they turned to a diminished Yu Darvish to start a must-win Game 3 of their Wild Card Series while keeping King in the bullpen. Darvish gave up two runs in one inning to take the loss. King tossed a scoreless inning of relief, striking out three of four batters in his only playoff action. It now remains to be seen if teams are willing to chance a four- or five-year contract on a pitcher who looked like a high-end #2 starter a few months ago. A two-year deal with an opt-out isn’t out of the question.

  • Brandon Woodruff (33)

On talent alone, Woodruff belongs in the first tier. Teams that are only concerned with chasing short-term upside could have him alongside Valdez as the two best pitchers in the class. Woodruff isn’t going to command the same long-term contract because of his age and durability questions.

Woodruff finished the season on the injured list with a lat strain. He’d missed all of 2024 and the first half of this past season rehabbing from a shoulder surgery. In between, he was one of the best pitchers on the planet. He turned in a 3.20 ERA with a 32% strikeout rate across 12 starts. His 93 MPH average fastball is down nearly three ticks from his pre-surgery level, which is an obvious concern, but that didn’t prevent him from dominating before the lat strain. Teams are always on the hunt for playoff-caliber starters and Woodruff has that kind of ceiling.

The two-time All-Star will decline his end of a $20MM mutual option with Milwaukee. The Brewers should make him a qualifying offer, which he’s expected to reject. His camp could take aim at the three-year, $75MM contract which Nathan Eovaldi received last winter. Teams might have enough pause about the shoulder to keep him at two years, but he should pull at least $20MM per season.

Read more

Effective Late-Career Arms

  • Chris Bassitt (37)

Bassitt has been a steady, durable mid-rotation arm for the past six seasons. That includes a 3.89 ERA in 100 appearances over his three-year deal with the Blue Jays. He allowed just under four earned runs per nine across 170 1/3 innings during the regular season. Bassitt missed the Division Series with lower back tightness but returned for the ALCS roster. He tossed 2 2/3 perfect frames with three strikeouts in a setup capacity. He’ll be limited to a two-year deal at age 37 but could secure more than $15MM annually. The Blue Jays cannot make him a qualifying offer, as he received one from the Mets after the 2022 season.

  • Merrill Kelly (37)

Kelly is probably in a similar contractual range as Bassitt, though he could command a few million dollars more on an annual basis. He’s a rock solid #3 starter coming off a 3.52 ERA over 32 starts between the Diamondbacks and Rangers. Kelly posted solid strikeout (22.4%) and walk (6.4%) rates despite sitting around 92 MPH with his fastball. He has rebounded brilliantly from 2020 thoracic outlet surgery. A shoulder strain cost him a few months last season, but he stayed healthy this year and has reached 30+ starts in three of the past four seasons. The midseason trade renders him ineligible for the qualifying offer.

  • Max Scherzer (41)

Scherzer’s one-year, $15.5MM free agent deal with the Blue Jays has had mixed results. A recurring nerve injury in his right thumb sent him to the injured list after one start. Scherzer was out until late June. He returned to post a 5.19 ERA over 17 starts. The strikeout and walk profile remains solid, but he gave up more than two home runs per nine innings. Scherzer was a healthy scratch in the ALDS but returned to the roster for the Championship Series. He went 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in a Game 4 start to pick up the win and even the ALCS at two games apiece. One could argue that start alone justified the signing even if Scherzer’s regular season was surely frustrating for the future Hall of Famer and the Blue Jays alike. He’ll get another one-year deal but might land in the $10-12MM range this time.

  • Justin Verlander (43)

Verlander signed a one-year, $15MM with the Giants last winter. He was coming off a 5.48 ERA over 17 starts that had gotten him left off Houston’s playoff roster. Verlander’s tenure in San Francisco started slowly, as he posted a 4.70 ERA through the All-Star Break. He turned in a 2.99 mark with a 21.5% strikeout rate in the second half. His fastball still lands around 94 MPH on average as he enters his age-43 season. Verlander isn’t going to win another Cy Young, but he’s a capable mid-rotation performer whose wealth of experience is surely welcome for younger pitching staffs. He’ll sign another one-year deal that could approach $20MM.

Contractual Options

  • Jack Flaherty (30)

Flaherty is weighing a $20MM player option on his deal with the Tigers. He’s coming off a 4.64 ERA over 31 starts. It’s the second time in the past three years that Flaherty allowed nearly five earned runs per nine innings. He has had issues keeping the ball in the yard in consecutive seasons. While that might point towards him opting in, there’s a good chance he tests the market anyway based on his youth and swing-and-miss potential.

The righty punched out 27.6% of opponents behind a strong 11.3% swinging strike rate. He’d fanned nearly 30% of batters faced last season. He’s 13th in MLB with 382 strikeouts over the past two seasons. Flaherty has also avoided the injured list in three straight years despite reports that the Yankees pulled out of a 2024 deadline deal after flagging something in his medicals. The combination of durability and swing-and-miss upside might get him a three- or four-year contract. If Flaherty opts out, the Tigers would need to decide whether to issue a qualifying offer.

  • Shota Imanaga (32)

The Cubs have a three-year, $57.75MM option on Imanaga’s services. If they decline, Imanaga has the right to opt out of the remaining two years and $30.5MM on his deal. If both sides decline their end of the option structure, he’ll be a free agent. The Cubs would then need to decide whether to make the qualifying offer or be content to let Imanaga walk.

The longstanding assumption has been that the team would exercise the three-year option. Imanaga was fantastic in 2024 and carried a 3.08 ERA over 20 starts through the end of August this year. Then he got torched in September (6.51 ERA) and gave up six runs over 6 2/3 innings during two postseason starts. He gave up at least one home run in each of his last nine regular season starts, as well as in both playoff outings. Imanaga surrendered an MLB-worst 20 longballs in the second half.

That’s likely to continue to be a problem. Imanaga’s fastball sits around 90 MPH and he’s an extreme fly-ball pitcher. After striking out more than a quarter of batters faced during his rookie season, that dropped to a slightly below-average 20.6% mark this year. There are a lot of red flags, but he also owns a 3.28 ERA over 318 MLB innings in the last two seasons.

  • John Means (33)

Cleveland signed Means to a one-year deal with a $6MM club option that could climb to $7.5MM based on next year’s innings totals. He was coming off his second UCL surgery in three years and spent all of this season rehabbing.

  • Freddy Peralta (30)

Peralta will not be a free agent. The Brewers are going to exercise an $8MM option. They’ll entertain trade possibilities but could hold their ace for his final season of club control after advancing to the NLCS.

  • Colin Rea (35)

The Cubs hold a $6MM option on Rea that comes with a $750K buyout. That’s a reasonable price for a reliable swingman who turned in a 3.95 ERA over 159 1/3 innings this past season. If the Cubs surprisingly cut Rea loose, he should be able to find a similar contract on the open market.

  • Jose Urquidy (31)

The Tigers guaranteed Urquidy $1MM as he completed rehab from Tommy John surgery. He made two late-season relief appearances. They can bring him back on a $4MM option that could climb to $7MM based on escalators.

Middle/Back of the Rotation

  • Adrian Houser (33)

Houser was on a minor league deal with the Rangers at the beginning of this year. He opted out and signed a big league deal with the White Sox in late May. Houser went on an excellent two-month run in Chicago, turning in a 2.10 ERA through 68 2/3 innings. That was enough to make him a legitimate deadline trade chip, as they sent him to the Rays for a three-player return headlined by former top prospect Curtis Mead. The magic wore off after the deal, as Houser struggled to a 4.79 ERA in 56 1/3 frames with Tampa Bay.

Middling finish aside, the righty is in much better position than he was at this time last winter. Houser is a lock for a big league deal and could get two years to pitch in a swing role. He doesn’t miss many bats but gets a lot of ground-balls behind a sinker that sits north of 95 MPH on average.

  • Zack Littell (30)

Littell has gone from nondescript middle reliever to viable fourth starter since the Rays built him up halfway through the 2023 season. He tied for 11th in MLB with 186 2/3 innings this year and has managed consecutive sub-4.00 ERA showings. He pounds the strike zone but has fringe stuff that leads to middling strikeout rates and a lot of home runs. Only Jake Irvin gave up more home runs than Littell’s 36 this year.

The Reds nevertheless valued Littell’s durability and strike-throwing enough to give up a legitimate pitching prospect (Adam Serwinowski) to acquire him at the deadline. Littell just turned 30 and should be able to pull a multi-year deal. There’s a chance he gets a three-year contract from a team that wants to lock in some stability at the back of the staff.

  • Tyler Mahle (31)

Mahle had a sterling 2.18 ERA across 16 starts for the Rangers this year. However, he only struck out 19.1% of opponents while working with less impressive stuff than he showed early in his career with the Reds. Mahle averages 92 MPH after sitting 93-94 a few years ago. The drop-off is presumably tied to his history of arm injuries, which continued this year.

Mahle suffered a rotator cuff strain that cost him three months between mid-June and September. Shoulder issues had prematurely ended his season in both 2022 and ’24, and he underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023. Mahle technically finished this season healthy for the first time in four years, as he was able to return to make two starts in September. He has only made 51 appearances over the past four years and might be limited to one-year deals as a result.

  • Nick Martinez (35)

Martinez was last offseason’s most surprising qualifying offer recipient. Not coincidentally, he was the only player to accept the QO and play out the season on a $21.05MM salary. The veteran swingman spent most of the season in Cincinnati’s rotation, working to a 4.45 ERA across 165 2/3 innings. His 17% strikeout rate was his lowest since he returned to MLB four years ago. Martinez doesn’t have eye-popping stuff, but he has plus control and reliably stays off barrels.

The lack of swing-and-miss and Martinez’s age could cap him at one year, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he finds another two-year contract. Teams have valued his willingness to bounce between the rotation and bullpen at any point within the season. Martinez has also been ultra durable, avoiding the injured list entirely since his MLB comeback in 2022.

NPB/KBO fliers

  • Foster Griffin (30)

Griffin is a former first-round pick of the Royals who made seven MLB appearances between 2020-22. He has spent the past three seasons in Japan, combining for a 2.57 ERA across 315 2/3 innings. Griffin missed time this past season with what MLBTR has learned was a bone bruise in his knee. He’s expected to have a normal offseason and intends to pursue an MLB return. Griffin didn’t have overpowering stuff during his initial run in affiliated ball, but he’s coming off a 1.62 ERA while striking out a quarter of opponents. He could command a big league deal to compete for a back-of-the-rotation spot.

  • Cody Ponce (32)

Ponce is pitching with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Hanwha Eagles this year. It’s possible he explores MLB opportunities once the offseason begins. Ponce posted a near-6.00 ERA over 20 big league appearances with the Pirates between 2020-21. He spent the next three seasons pitching to mediocre results in Japan before signing in Korea. Ponce had a phenomenal KBO season, going 17-1 with a 1.89 ERA while striking out more than 36% of opponents. It’s an even better season than Erick Fedde had when he won the KBO MVP award in 2023.

Fedde parlayed that into a two-year, $15MM contract with the White Sox. Ponce is a year older but is a former second-round pick whose stuff has ticked up in Korea. One evaluator with whom MLBTR spoke credited Ponce with a mid-90s fastball to headline a four-pitch mix. It’s not out of the question that he gets a multi-year deal that approaches or exceeds the Fedde contract.

  • Kona Takahashi (29)*

The Seibu Lions are expected to post Takahashi this offseason. The right-hander has a 3.39 ERA in nearly 1200 innings at Japan’s top level. He’s coming off a 3.04 mark over 148 innings. While the run prevention is solid, Takahashi doesn’t have the bat-missing stuff that’d generate huge big league interest. He struck out just 14% of opponents this past season. An MLB deal is possible, but he’s unlikely to command more than a couple million dollars. There are some similarities between Takahashi and Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who signed a two-year, $3.5MM deal and pitched in a swing role for the Nationals.

Reclamation/Swing Types

  • Walker Buehler (31)

The Red Sox signed Buehler to a $21.05MM free agent deal last offseason. They ignored his terrible regular season results and placed a lot of emphasis on his two good outings in the World Series. That predictably didn’t work out, and they ended up releasing him by the end of August. Buehler managed 13 2/3 innings of one-run ball after signing with the Phillies for the season’s final couple weeks, though that came with an 8:6 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He finished the season with an ERA just under 5.00 with poor strikeout, walk, and home run rates. Buehler still has a 94 MPH fastball and a track record that should get him a big league deal at a much lower salary than he made this past season. Some teams could be intrigued to see if he can find a new gear in the bullpen, but Buehler may prefer to sign with a club that’ll offer a rotation opportunity.

  • Griffin Canning (30)

Canning was one of the Mets’ more reliable starters early in the season, turning in a 3.77 ERA behind a 51% ground-ball rate over 16 starts. Unfortunately, he ruptured his right Achilles against the Braves at the end of June. The Mets never released a specific timeline beyond the obvious news that he was headed for season-ending surgery. It seems unlikely that he’ll be ready for Opening Day, which would be nine months removed from the injury. Canning could try for a cheap, slightly backloaded two-year deal.

  • Nestor Cortes (31)

Cortes, an All-Star with the Yankees in 2022, has battled forearm issues for the past two seasons. He only made eight starts (with rough results) between the Brewers and Padres this year. Cortes finished the season on the injured list and underwent surgery that threatens his availability for 2026. He’s probably looking at a one-year guarantee with a ’27 club option so a signing team can gauge his recovery.

  • Zach Eflin (32)

Eflin looked good over three starts before suffering a lat strain. He missed a month, then was rocked for a 7.16 ERA over nine starts before returning to the injured list with a back issue. He came back in late July, started twice more, and was shut back down. Eflin underwent season-ending back surgery in August. The Orioles announced that the recovery could take anywhere from four to eight months, so it’s not a given that he’ll be ready for the start of Spring Training.

  • Jon Gray (34)

Gray pitched six times this year, all in relief. He finished the season on the injured list and was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. It’s unclear if he’ll require surgery that could cost him most of the ’26 campaign.

  • Germán Márquez (31)

Márquez once overcame the challenges of pitching in Colorado to post upper mid-rotation numbers. That hasn’t been the case since he underwent Tommy John surgery that cost him most of the 2023-24 seasons. The righty was bombed for a 6.70 ERA with a career-low 14% strikeout rate this year. He pitched just as poorly on the road as he did at Coors Field. Márquez still has a 95 MPH heater, so perhaps he’ll find a cheap big league deal from a team that thinks he’s salvageable with some repertoire changes.

  • Dustin May (28)

Once the sport’s top pitching prospect, May underwent a pair of significant elbow surgeries early in his career. He missed all of last year after requiring emergency esophageal surgery following a fluky but life-threatening throat rupture when a piece of lettuce got stuck in his throat. May thankfully was able to return to the mound this year and managed a career-high 132 1/3 innings across 25 appearances. He posted a near-5.00 ERA and ended the season on the shelf with elbow neuritis.

  • Jordan Montgomery (33)

Montgomery gave up a 6.23 ERA over 25 appearances during his first season with the Diamondbacks. He was blasted publicly by owner Ken Kendrick last winter, then blew out in Spring Training and underwent Tommy John surgery. Arizona dumped part of his contract on the Brewers at the deadline but he’ll probably look for a fresh start as a free agent. If he’s expected back in June or July, he could get a big league deal as a buy-low flier.

  • Michael Soroka (28)

Soroka has flashed intriguing swing-and-miss stuff but has yet to show that he can hold up as a starter. He fanned more than a quarter of opponents over 16 starts with the Nationals. His velocity wilted as the deadline approached. The Cubs looked past that and acquired him, but Soroka exited his team debut with a shoulder strain. He returned in mid-September as a reliever and finished the season with a 4.52 ERA across 89 2/3 innings.

Depth/Innings Eaters

  • Tyler Anderson (36)

Anderson wrapped up his three-year, $39MM free agent contract with the Angels by turning in a 4.56 ERA across 26 starts. He allowed 4.53 earned runs per nine over his three seasons in Anaheim. The southpaw struck out only 17.5% of opponents while averaging 89 MPH on his fastball. He missed the final month with an oblique strain and is likely looking at a one-year deal in the $3-5MM range.

  • Aaron Civale (31)

In a season divided between three teams, Civale turned in a 4.85 ERA across 102 innings. He pitched poorly as a starter with both Milwaukee and the White Sox but found some late-season success out of the bullpen with the Cubs.

  • Patrick Corbin (36)

Corbin took the ball 31 times and provided the Rangers 155 1/3 innings on a $1.1MM free agent deal. He managed decent results early in the season but a rough last two months left him with a 4.40 ERA with a 20% strikeout rate. It’s a better season than he had with the Nationals in 2024, so he could earn a boost to a $3-4MM salary if he comes back for his age-36 season.

  • Kyle Hendricks (36)

Hendricks was noncommittal on whether he planned to continue pitching. The soft-tossing sinkerballer is coming off a 4.76 ERA over 164 2/3 innings for the Angels on a $2.5MM free agent deal.

  • Michael Lorenzen (34)

Lorenzen started 26 of 27 appearances for the Royals this past season. He worked to a 4.64 ERA with a league average 21% strikeout rate and a solid 6.4% walk percentage. Lorenzen should fare the best of the pitchers in this tier because he sits around 94 MPH and missed bats at a near league average clip.

  • Miles Mikolas (37)

Mikolas played out his final season in St. Louis as an innings-eating fifth starter. He posted a 4.84 ERA over 31 appearances. Like most of the pitchers in this tier, he’s a durable strike-thrower who doesn’t miss many bats and gives up a lot of home runs.

  • Chris Paddack (30)

Paddack was sitting on a 4.95 ERA in 21 starts when the Twins traded him to Detroit at the deadline. The buy-low move for the Tigers busted, as the righty was pushed out of the rotation after five starts. He finished the regular season in relief and was a healthy scratch in the playoffs. Paddack ended the year with a 5.35 ERA and a career-worst 16.7% strikeout rate in 158 innings.

  • Martín Pérez (35)

Pérez managed a solid 3.54 ERA over 56 innings for the White Sox on a one-year deal. Injuries kept him from soaking up the innings that the Sox had wanted, though. Pérez missed a few months with a flexor issue and landed back on the shelf in September with a shoulder strain.

  • Jose Quintana (37)

Quintana made 24 starts and worked to a 3.96 ERA over 131 2/3 innings for the Brewers. He’s a capable back-end starter but didn’t find much interest last offseason, when he was coming off a 3.75 mark in 31 starts for the Mets. Another one-year deal between $4-6MM seems likely.

  • Tomoyuki Sugano (36)

Sugano’s first season in the U.S. was a disappointment. The former NPB star took the ball 30 times but gave up a 4.64 ERA while striking out fewer than 16% of opponents. He throws strikes but doesn’t have the stuff he did at his peak in Japan. Sugano isn’t going to approach last winter’s $15MM guarantee on a one-year deal this time around.

Potential Minor League Deals

  • Paul Blackburn (32)
  • Carlos Carrasco (39)
  • Alex Cobb (38)
  • Nabil Crismatt (31)
  • Anthony DeSclafani (36)
  • Erick Fedde (33)
  • Austin Gomber (32)
  • Kyle Hart (33) ^
  • Andrew Heaney (35)
  • Kenta Maeda (38) **
  • Triston McKenzie (28)
  • Wade Miley (39)
  • Cal Quantrill (31)
  • Marcus Stroman (35)
  • José Ureña (34)
  • Bryse Wilson (28)
  • Ryan Yarbrough (34)

Note: Charlie Morton is technically a free agent. It’s widely expected that he’ll retire after signing a ceremonial deal to make a final appearance with the Braves on the last day of the regular season. He has yet to make an official announcement, however.

* Expected to be made available via posting system
^ Assumes buyout of club option
** Plans to pitch in Japan in 2026

Share Repost Send via email

2025-26 MLB Free Agents MLBTR Originals

41 comments

Rays Promote Hamilton Marx To Assistant GM

By Anthony Franco | October 24, 2025 at 10:02pm CDT

The Rays promoted Hamilton Marx to assistant general manager, writes Adam Berry of MLB.com. Marx is entering his 12th season in the organization and spent this past season as the club’s vice president of baseball process/strategy. He’d previously held the title of director of baseball operations.

Marx, 39, assumes the AGM role vacated when Carlos Rodriguez stepped down earlier this month. Rodriguez had previously run the team’s international scouting department. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times writes that Marx, who has a scouting background, will now be in charge of both the domestic and international amateur scouting operations. That’s on top of his previous responsibilities, which included arbitration and contract work.

The Rays have had four assistant GMs for the last two seasons. Marx joins Chanda Lawdermilk, Will Cousins and Kevin Ibach in that role. The Rays have a number of assistant GMs without actually having a general manager. They never filled that position after Peter Bendix departed to become president of baseball operations in Miami. The Rays’ front office is led by baseball ops president Erik Neander, who’ll continue in the role he has had for a decade under new owner Patrick Zalupski.

Share Repost Send via email

Tampa Bay Rays Hamilton Marx

6 comments

Twins Narrow Managerial Search To Top Four Candidates

By Anthony Franco | October 24, 2025 at 9:02pm CDT

The Twins seem to have winnowed down their candidates for manager to a group of four. Dan Hayes and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic report that they’re still considering Derek Shelton, James Rowson, Ryan Flaherty, and Scott Servais. While Hayes and Ghiroli leave open the possibility the Twins could broaden the field, that seems to be a long shot.

All four of those coaches had been tied to the Twins’ search, though it hadn’t been previously reported that Servais and Flaherty had formally interviewed. Shelton and Servais have previous MLB managerial experience. Shelton led the Pirates for five-plus seasons. Pittsburgh never won more than 76 games and posted a 41% win percentage over his tenure. Shelton wasn’t working with the most talented rosters, of course, but the Bucs fired him in May after beginning this past season with a 12-26 record. They went 59-65 under Don Kelly the rest of the way.

Before moving to Pittsburgh, Shelton spent two seasons as Minnesota’s bench coach under Paul Molitor and Rocco Baldelli. The Twins interviewed him during the 2018 process that led to the Baldelli hiring. Rowson, who was Minnesota’s hitting coach at the time, also interviewed in 2018. He spent one season on Baldelli’s staff before departing to become bench coach in Miami. He also spent a season in Detroit and has worked as the Yankees’ hitting coach for the last two years. Hayes and Ghiroli write that Shelton and Rowson could be the frontrunners because of their previous ties to the Minnesota organization.

Servais managed the Mariners for parts of nine seasons. Seattle won 51.4% of their games and had five seasons with at least 86 wins during his tenure. The M’s stalled out in the second half of the ’24 campaign, leading them to fire Servais and hire Dan Wilson that August. The Mariners advanced to the ALCS in Wilson’s first full season at the helm. Servais worked as a special assistant for the Padres this year and has also gotten attention from the Orioles for their managerial opening.

Flaherty has worked as Craig Counsell’s bench coach with the Cubs for the last two years. He has also been mentioned as a candidate for the Baltimore and San Diego openings. Royals’ third base coach Vance Wilson, Red Sox’s bench coach Ramón Vázquez, and Padres’ coach Nick Punto had interviewed with the Twins but are now out of the running.

Share Repost Send via email

Minnesota Twins Derek Shelton James Rowson Ryan Flaherty Scott Servais

19 comments

Mets Sign Richard Lovelady To Major League Contract

By AJ Eustace | October 24, 2025 at 8:14pm CDT

October 24: It’s a split deal that would pay Lovelady at a $1MM rate while he’s on the MLB roster, reports The Associated Press. He’d make a $350K salary in the minors. Lovelady is out of options, but the Mets could try to run him through waivers at some point this offseason. He’d have the right to decline an outright assignment but is less likely to do so when that’d mean walking away from at least a $350K minor league salary.

October 23: The Mets announced this afternoon that they have signed left-handed pitcher Richard Lovelady to a one-year major league contract. The Mets have multiple vacancies on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding moves will be necessary.

Lovelady, 30, made two appearances for the Blue Jays at the beginning of the season but was designated for assignment on March 30 and eventually became a free agent. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins and pitched for their Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul from early April to mid-June, when he opted out of that deal. He then signed with the Mets on June 18. From June 23 through the end of the season, Lovelady saw his contract selected and then designated for assignment three times. That the Mets signed him to a major league deal this time around is notable for him, as it might give him a shot at a role in the big league bullpen in 2026 after spending most of this year at the Triple-A level.

The lefty did not find success during his limited time in the majors in 2025, posting an 8.49 ERA across 11 2/3 innings with the Mets and Blue Jays. In 111 career innings from 2019-25, he has a 5.35 ERA along with a 21.1% strikeout rate and an 8.7% walk rate. His 4.08 career xERA and 4.54 FIP are are more favorable but still not great. In addition, Lovelady’s four-seam fastball velocity declined from 92.4 mph in 2024 to 91.7 mph this year. His sinker, which he now uses 34.4% of the time, similarly declined from 92.2 to 91.4 mph. With below average velocity, it is perhaps unsurprising that Lovelady has allowed more hard contact than average, with a career hard-hit rate of 42.2%. For context, the league average in 2025 was 40.9%.

However, it should be noted that Lovelady has had success in the big leagues before. In 2021 with the Royals, he pitched 20 1/3 innings with a 3.48 ERA while getting ground balls at a well above average 56.6% rate. That came in a small sample, of course, but Lovelady has actually gotten grounders at a rate of 50.9% in his career, including 51.4% during his big league time in 2025. He also performed very well in Triple-A this year, with a 1.66 ERA, a 26.3% strikeout rate, and a 52.6% groundball rate in 38 innings. It’s possible the Mets could look to harness his ground ball potential while cutting down on the hard contact in 2026.

At present, Lovelady and Brooks Raley are the only lefties in the Mets’ bullpen. Raley is 37 and missed significant time while recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery, although he performed well upon his return in July. The team holds a club option on Raley for 2026 and could either pick that up or re-sign him at a cheaper rate given his age. Gregory Soto made 25 appearances for the Mets after being acquired from the Orioles in July, though he is now a free agent.

Share Repost Send via email

New York Mets Transactions Richard Lovelady

84 comments

Offseason Outlook: San Francisco Giants

By Anthony Franco | October 24, 2025 at 7:00pm CDT

The first year of Buster Posey's front office tenure saw the Giants add a pair of stars. The end result was the same league average record that defined the Farhan Zaidi era. That spurred a bold change in the dugout. The Giants fired three-time Manager of the Year Bob Melvin while turning to the college ranks with a splash hire of former University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Rafael Devers, DH: $238.5MM through 2033
  • Willy Adames, SS: $150MM through 2031
  • Matt Chapman, 3B: $125MM through 2030
  • Jung Hoo Lee, CF: $85MM through 2029 (can opt out after '27)
  • Logan Webb, RHP: $70MM through 2028
  • Robbie Ray, LHP: $25MM through 2026

Option Decisions

  • Team holds $4MM option on C Tom Murphy ($250K buyout)

2026 guaranteed contracts: $132.75MM
Total future commitments: $693.75MM through 2033

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

  • JT Brubaker (5.162): $2.1MM
  • Andrew Knizner (5.090): $1.3MM
  • Joey Lucchesi (5.047): $2MM
  • Ryan Walker (2.136): $2.5MM
  • Patrick Bailey (2.136): $2.2MM

Non-tender candidates: Brubaker, Knizner, Lucchesi

Free Agents

  • Justin Verlander, Wilmer Flores, Dominic Smith, Tom Murphy

After a few years of coming up empty on star pursuits, the Giants landed two impact hitters within the first nine months of Buster Posey's tenure atop baseball operations. They signed Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182MM free agent deal that represented the largest in franchise history. They made an even bigger commitment when they pulled off the Rafael Devers blockbuster in June. The Giants took on more than $240MM on Devers' contract over eight and a half seasons.

While the moves added much needed star talent to the San Francisco lineup, they didn't push the team to a playoff berth. On the heels of another .500 finish, they're now emphasizing a deeper pitching staff. "I think our focus is going to be on pitching, to try to fortify our starting staff. The same goes with the bullpen," Posey told Alex Pavlovic and Laura Britt of NBC Sports Bay Area. "I believe that pitching and defense wins, so that's where we'll probably start looking this offseason when free agency does happen."

That won't happen for another week or two, but the Giants didn't waste any time making significant changes. They fired manager Bob Melvin the day after the end of the regular season. A few weeks later, they zeroed in on Tony Vitello as their hire. There isn't any precedent for a top-tier college baseball coach jumping directly into MLB managing without any coaching or front office experience in pro ball.

There have been a few instances of teams poaching college pitching coaches. There are also examples of the "college to professional head coach" move in the NFL, NHL and NBA. Vitello will be the first test case in Major League Baseball. It remains to be seen how much of Melvin's staff will be retained. Bench coach Ryan Christenson and third base coach Matt Williams were out as soon as Melvin was dismissed.

The front office's focus now turns to the roster. They should have a good amount of payroll space with which to work. They have $132.75MM in guaranteed commitments for six highly-priced players. It's one of the game's lightest arbitration classes, though, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting the group for a little over $10MM. Non-tenders of JT Brubaker, Joey Lucchesi and Andrew Knizner would drop that below $5MM, as Patrick Bailey and Ryan Walker are their only two locks to be offered contracts.

That'd put their Opening Day payroll projection in the $150-155MM range if they filled the rest of the roster with minimum salaried players. RosterResource estimates their luxury tax number around $174MM, which is $70MM below the base threshold. The Giants ducked the luxury tax this year but had exceeded the threshold as recently as 2024. Even if they're not willing to go all the way to $244MM, they should be able to make multiple notable additions.

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS
  • Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
  • Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
  • Remove ads and support our writers.
  • Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Share Repost Send via email

2025-26 Offseason Outlook Front Office Originals San Francisco Giants

22 comments

Roberts: Alex Vesia “Most Likely” Won’t Pitch In World Series

By Leo Morgenstern | October 24, 2025 at 5:44pm CDT

When the Dodgers announced their roster for the World Series this morning, Alex Vesia was the most notable name missing. The team explained that he and his wife were dealing with a “deeply personal family matter” and that an update would be provided at a later date.

Speaking to reporters at the Rogers Centre (including Sonja Chen of MLB.com), manager Dave Roberts said Vesia would “most likely” not pitch in the World Series. Of course, having been left off the roster, the southpaw would have only been available as an injury replacement in any case. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained that the team chose not to place Vesia on the family emergency list, which could have allowed him to come back sooner, so as not to pressure him to rejoin the team (per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times).

Vesia has been one of L.A.’s most trusted relievers for the past five seasons, pitching to a 2.68 ERA and a 3.16 SIERA in 270 innings since 2021. Only two pitchers have thrown more innings in relief with a lower ERA in that time: Emmanuel Clase and Raisel Iglesias. Vesia’s brief trip to the injured list earlier this year with an oblique strain was the first of his Dodgers tenure, and his stuff looked every bit as nasty upon his return. Although he was charged with two earned runs in his first outing of the playoffs, the lefty gave the Dodgers 4 1/3 scoreless after that, collecting either the win or a hold in each of his next six appearances. Needless to say, his arm will be missed against the Blue Jays, whose bats have been red-hot in October.

In more Dodgers bullpen news, Roberts explained that Tanner Scott was left off the World Series roster because his stuff “wasn’t quite there” in his latest throwing sessions (per Harris). The skipper described it as a “medical” decision rather than anything to do with the pitcher’s performance (per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic).

Scott was removed from L.A.’s NLDS roster to undergo what Roberts called a “minor procedure” to address a lower-body abscess (per ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez). That meant he was ineligible to pitch in the NLCS. The southpaw initially expressed hope that he could rejoin the Dodgers should they make the World Series (per Jon Heyman of the New York Post), but it was never clear if he would have enough time to ramp back up.

Scott struggled in the first season of his four-year, $72MM contract with L.A., putting up a 4.74 ERA and blowing 10 saves in 33 chances. His strikeout rate dropped, his groundball rate plummeted, and opponents hit him much harder than they had before. That said, pitch models like PitchingBot, Stuff+, and StuffPro were still high on Scott’s arsenal, and his 3.43 SIERA suggested his ERA was bloated by bad luck. Perhaps most importantly, the Dodgers continued to trust him in high-leverage spots. Without Scott and Vesia, the Dodgers will be missing the two lefties they turned to most this season with games on the line.

Share Repost Send via email

Los Angeles Dodgers Alex Vesia Tanner Scott

27 comments

Giants, Logan Porter Agree To New Minor League Deal

By Leo Morgenstern | October 24, 2025 at 4:45pm CDT

Logan Porter will be back in the Giants organization in 2026. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the catcher has re-signed with San Francisco on a new minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training.

Porter, 30, began his career in the Royals organization in 2018 and made his MLB debut for Kansas City in 2023, appearing in 11 games. He went 6-for-31 with a double and a home run, throwing out one of seven would-be base-stealers and making one error behind the plate. While he did not appear in the majors the following season, Porter bounced between three organizations. The Royals traded him to the Giants in June, and he opted out of his minor league contract with San Francisco in July. He then signed a split agreement with the Mets, but found himself designated for assignment shortly thereafter. He finished out the year in New York’s minor league system.

In November 2024, Porter returned to the Giants on another minor league deal to compete for their backup backstop job in 2025. While he failed to make the roster out of camp, he did manage to earn a brief call-up in June when starting catcher Patrick Bailey suffered a neck strain. In five games, Porter went 1-for-7 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and two runs scored. He played 21 2/3 innings behind the dish. After being DFA’d in July, he quickly signed a new minor league deal with San Francisco and played out the season at Triple-A Sacramento. He finished the year with a .212/.346/.316 slash line (85 wRC+) for the River Cats, a notable step back from his .267/.370/.453 line (115 wRC+) at Triple-A the year before.

Offensive struggles aside, it’s clear the Giants like what Porter brings to the table as organizational catching depth. While it seems unlikely that he’ll earn the Opening Day backup job in 2026, he can provide the team with a veteran safety net in case of injuries.

Share Repost Send via email

San Francisco Giants Transactions Logan Porter

4 comments

Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Guardians

By Darragh McDonald | October 24, 2025 at 3:15pm CDT

The Guardians pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in baseball history to win the American League Central in 2025. Going into the winter, they have a lot of good pieces in place and will look to strengthen the roster as they try to win a third straight division title in 2026.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • José Ramírez, 3B: $69MM through 2028.
  • Tanner Bibee, RHP: $43MM through 2029, including $1MM buyout on 2030 club option.
  • Emmanuel Clase, RHP: $8MM through 2026, including $2MM buyout on 2027 club option. Deal also includes 2028 club option.
  • Trevor Stephan, RHP: $4.75MM through 2026, including $1.75MM buyout on 2027 club option. Deal also includes 2028 club option.
  • Austin Hedges, C: $4MM through 2026.

Other Financial Commitments

  • Owe $2.75MM to Blue Jays as part of Myles Straw trade

Option Decisions

  • Club has $6MM option on LHP John Means with no buyout

2026 guarantees: $44.5MM
Total future commitments: $131.5MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

  • Kolby Allard (5.004): $1.9MM
  • Sam Hentges (4.157): $1.3375MM
  • Steven Kwan (4.000): $8.8MM
  • Ben Lively (3.133): $2.7MM
  • Nolan Jones (3.007): $2MM
  • Will Brennan (2.155): $900K
  • David Fry (2.154): $1.2MM
  • Matt Festa (2.153): $1MM

Non-tender candidates: Hentges, Lively, Jones, Brennan

Free Agents

  • Jakob Junis, Lane Thomas

2025 was quite the rollercoaster season for the Guardians. They were 31-26 at the end of May and in possession of a Wild Card spot. But then they hit a skid, going 9-16 in June, which included part of a ten-game losing streak that went from June 26th to July 6th. After that losing streak, they were 40-48 and seven games back of a playoff spot.

Amidst that losing streak, right-hander Luis Ortiz was placed on leave due to a gambling investigation. It seemed the season was slipping away, so trade rumors started to swirl around players like Emmanuel Clase, Steven Kwan and Shane Bieber. Then Clase himself was placed on leave alongside Ortiz, also due to that gambling investigation. That took him off the trading block but also harmed Cleveland's bullpen. As the deadline came and went, they did some modest selling. They flipped Bieber and Paul Sewald, who were both on the injured list at the time, but held Kwan and everyone else.

Amazingly, everything turned around from there. The Guards went 14-13 in August and then an incredible 20-7 in September. That latter month included a ten-game winning streak from September 11th to 20th. As the Guards were surging, the Tigers were scuffling. Cleveland managed to finish a game ahead of Detroit, winning the Central for a second straight season. The Tigers got the last laugh by beating the Guards in the Wild Card round, but it was still an incredible run for the Guards, and one that could give them momentum going into 2026.

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS
  • Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
  • Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
  • Remove ads and support our writers.
  • Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Share Repost Send via email

2025-26 Offseason Outlook Cleveland Guardians Front Office Originals

8 comments

Nationals To Hire Justin Horowitz As Assistant GM

By Leo Morgenstern | October 24, 2025 at 2:18pm CDT

The Nationals are set to hire Justin Horowitz as an assistant general manager, as first reported by Joe Doyle of Over-Slot Baseball. Previously the Pirates’ director of amateur scouting, Horowitz will now work under Washington’s new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni.

Toboni, like Horowitz, has a background in amateur scouting. In fact, Horowitz worked under Toboni in the Red Sox’s amateur scouting department for several years. That’s surely no coincidence. To that point, the first assistant GM Toboni hired this offseason was Devin Pearson, who just so happened to be his successor as Boston’s director of amateur scouting in 2023. Toboni clearly wants to improve Washington’s draft performance – years of poor drafting almost certainly led to Mike Rizzo’s unceremonious ousting just before the draft this past summer – and hiring Horowitz is a step toward achieving that goal. While it’s difficult to accurately evaluate a draft class without the benefit of hindsight, Pittsburgh’s performance in two drafts under Horowitz, 2024 and 2025, was widely praised.

The Nationals made several personnel changes after hiring Toboni, and former assistant GMs Eddie Longosz and Mark Scialabba were among the casualties. Mike DeBartolo, Washington’s interim GM between the Rizzo and Toboni eras, remains with the organization, but it’s unclear if he will serve as an AGM alongside Horowitz and Pearson or if he’s taking on a new role. DeBartolo has worked in the Nationals’ front office for than a decade, including as an AGM from 2019 until his temporary promotion in July.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Brittany Ghiroli initially reported that Toboni would bring on a GM “soon,” but that was now a month ago, so it’s unclear if hiring a second-in-command remains a priority for the Nationals and their new chief baseball executive. Ironically enough, the Nationals are also without a director of amateur scouting after losing Brad Ciolek to the Tigers last month. According to Doyle, this is a hole the team does indeed still intend to fill.

Share Repost Send via email

Washington Nationals Devin Pearson Justin Horowitz

12 comments

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

By Anthony Franco | October 24, 2025 at 12:30pm CDT

Anthony Franco

  • Good afternoon, hope you're all well! Looking forward to another of these
  • Busy week for us with offseason prep so I'm going to keep this one at an hour. Let's get going

Bo nose

  • I sure hope Bichette's addition to the Jays' roster is not a sentimental move nor one anticipating contributions defensively. Ordinarily a plus bat, the area where, arguably, the Blue Jays are strongest as a team right now, he has been feeble against L.A. over the past two years. That's only six games but, combined with the lay-off, is his best usage more likely to be as a super-sub PH than in any starting defender capacity? I think the noise about using him at 2nd is just that, noise.

Duffy Scliff

  • Does Toronto realistically have a shot in this series? Does the fact that LAD hasn’t played in awhile hurt them?

Anthony Franco

  • Dodgers are favorites but it's like 55-45, they've definitely got a shot. L.A.'s bullpen still feels like a weakness and the Jays should put up a much better fight against the rotation than Milwaukee did
  • We'll see on Bo. Obviously if he can move at all, then playing him at second would be ideal. Use Clement at third with Barger in RF and IKF as a defensive sub late in games. If he's so hobbled that he can't field a ground-ball, well he's at least a better pinch-hitting option than Loperfido would've been

Hopeful Halo

  • What do you think the angels chances are to land a top starter like Valdez?

Anthony Franco

  • Would be out of character for Moreno and they've got so many other needs that I don't think using most of the budget on one top starter would be the wisest choice anyway
  • I could see them more in on Gallen or a boring innings eater like Littell. They'll need to spend something on a center fielder and a third baseman and should at least bring Kenley back to solidify the back of the bullpen

Japanese Players

  • Who do you think gets the highest contract for Japanese pitchers coming over this year? Imai seems to be the one getting most of the conversation now. I do wonder if he might be getting a little to hyped now? It does seem sometimes we get hyped for a player and they struggle coming over.

Anthony Franco

  • Yeah it'll be Imai. He's a bit of split camp guy but I'd be surprised if he signs for less than $130M
  • I think the recent track record for the top NPB starters is pretty good actually. Yamamoto's phenomenal. Tanaka worked out really well, Imanaga was excellent value at 4/53. Jury's still out on Sasaki but for even if he's only a late-inning reliever, that's well worth what the Dodgers paid with the hard capped bonuses

Rangers13

  • How much do you expect Okamoto to cost?

Anthony Franco

  • We all landed at three years and between $33-45MM but there's a really wide error bar on the predictions for players (especially hitters) coming over from foreign leagues
  • Seems like he's at least equally interesting as Jeimer Candelario or Jurickson Profar were though

Ding a ling

  • Has Dillon Dingler really changed his hit tool? Both FanGraphs and MLB gave him a 30 as a prospect, but this past season, he hit for a respectable average. Who's the real Dillon Dingler?

Anthony Franco

  • Yeah definitely think he's better than a 30 hit tool. Big step forward in his in-zone contact rate, fewer chases. Hits the ball hard enough to post decent results on balls in play, even if he's probably not turning in a .345 BABIP every year
  • Feels like a 50 hitter with average pop who plays really strong defense behind the plate. Good player

Mike Yastrzemski

  • Please find me a home?

Anthony Franco

  • I fully expect the Royals to bring him back on a one-year deal for $10-12M. He hit well there and it's obviously an ongoing need
  • If they go elsewhere, Philly, Pittsburgh or Cleveland would work. Wouldn't pick the Giants to do it after they traded him but it's not like Luis Matos/Drew Gilbert seized the RF job. If they focus most of their resources on the rotation and Yaz is out for $8M in February, I don't see why they wouldn't be willing to circle back

Arthur Dent

  • Any chance the Guardians will entertain offers in Steven Kwan? If so, what would Cleveland be looking for in return?
  • Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

    BENEFITS
    • Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
    • Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
    • Remove ads and support our writers.
    • Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Share Repost Send via email

Front Office Originals MLBTR Chats

8 comments
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Dodgers Announce World Series Roster

    Blue Jays Add Bo Bichette To World Series Roster

    Brewers Promote Matt Arnold To President Of Baseball Operations

    Giants Hire Tony Vitello As Manager

    Kazuma Okamoto To Be Posted This Offseason

    Angels Hire Kurt Suzuki As Manager

    Albert Pujols No Longer A Candidate In Angels’ Managerial Search

    Giants Close To Hiring Tony Vitello As Manager

    Latest On Tigers, Tarik Skubal

    Phillies Expected To Trade Or Release Nick Castellanos

    Nestor Cortes Undergoes Arm Surgery

    Aaron Judge Will Not Require Elbow Surgery; Rodón, Volpe Expected To Start 2026 On IL

    Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

    Alex Bregman Will Opt Out Of Red Sox Contract

    Mike Shildt Steps Down As Padres Manager

    Tigers Extended Manager A.J. Hinch Earlier This Season

    Munetaka Murakami To Be Posted This Offseason

    Cody Bellinger To Opt Out Of Contract With Yankees

    Angels, Albert Pujols Discussing Managerial Deal

    Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026

    Recent

    Previewing The 2025-26 Free Agent Class: Starting Pitcher

    Rays Promote Hamilton Marx To Assistant GM

    Twins Narrow Managerial Search To Top Four Candidates

    Mets Sign Richard Lovelady To Major League Contract

    Offseason Outlook: San Francisco Giants

    Roberts: Alex Vesia “Most Likely” Won’t Pitch In World Series

    Giants, Logan Porter Agree To New Minor League Deal

    Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Guardians

    Nationals To Hire Justin Horowitz As Assistant GM

    Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Tim Dierkes' MLB Mailbag
    • 2025-26 Offseason Outlook Series
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2026
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version