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Orioles Outright Weston Wilson

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The Orioles announced they’ve outrighted infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson after he was designated for assignment over the weekend. Baltimore also confirmed they lost third baseman Bryan Ramos to the Cardinals via waivers, a move that was reported earlier this afternoon. Their 40-man roster count sits at 39, as Wilson’s DFA had already removed him from the tally.

Wilson actually lost his roster spot when Baltimore traded for Ramos, sending cash considerations to the White Sox. They quickly waived Ramos as well, so it seems they were hoping to stash both players at Triple-A Norfolk. That’s par for the course for Baltimore, the league’s most aggressive team at working the waiver wire. Wilson himself was claimed from Philadelphia at the end of January.

The 31-year-old Wilson has played parts of three MLB seasons, all with the Phillies. He has played in 100 games and taken 245 trips to the plate, hitting .242/.328/.428 with nine home runs. That’s slightly above-average production, but Philadelphia used the right-handed hitter in favorable situations. Nearly 60% of his career plate appearances have come against left-handed pitching. Wilson has taken nearly 1700 trips to the dish over five seasons in Triple-A, where he’s a .247/.339/.462 hitter.

This is Wilson’s first career outright assignment. He doesn’t have three years of service time, meaning he’ll have to accept. He’ll certainly get a non-roster invite to Spring Training when camps open next week and will try to play his way back onto the roster. A heavily right-handed bench isn’t doing him many favors, especially after the O’s acquired out-of-options infielder Blaze Alexander from Arizona yesterday.

Cardinals Claim Bryan Ramos

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The Cardinals have claimed infielder Bryan Ramos off waivers from the Orioles, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. There wasn’t any previous indication that Ramos had been designated for assignment but it seems the O’s tried to quietly sneak him through waivers. Their 40-man count will drop to 39. The Cards have had an open 40-man spot since trading Brendan Donovan to the Mariners earlier this week and don’t need to make a corresponding move.

Ramos had spent his entire professional career with the White Sox until getting designated for assignment last week. The Sox then flipped him to the Orioles for cash. It might seem odd that Baltimore sent out cash to get Ramos and then put him on waivers a few days later, but there’s logic at play.

Most teams currently have full 40-man rosters but the 60-day injured list opens up next week, which creates some extra flexibility for fringe roster moves. Getting a player through waivers is therefore easier now than it will be next week. Baltimore also bolstered their infield after getting Ramos by acquiring Blaze Alexander from the Diamondbacks yesterday.

Ramos is out of options is was going to have a tough time cracking Baltimore’s roster. He would have been a better fit as a non-roster guy, providing some minor league depth. The Cardinals have swooped in and prevented that from happening for the O’s.

For St. Louis, they had an open roster spot and also have a more open infield. They have traded away Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Donovan this winter. They currently project to have Masyn Winn at short and Alec Burleson at first, with guys like Nolan Gorman, JJ Wetherholt, Thomas Saggese, José Fermín and others in line for playing time at second and third base.

Ramos has only been a third baseman in his big league career, with some minor league time at first and second base. He was once a notable prospect but is coming off a few down years. He has hit .198/.244/.333 in 120 big league appearances and also has a .228/.314/.392 slash in the minors over the past two years.

As mentioned, Ramos is out of options. Even though St. Louis has some open playing time in their infield, they will probably try to get Ramos through waivers at some point. He has less than three years of service time and doesn’t have a previous career outright, so he wouldn’t have the right to elect free agency if he were to clear waivers.

Photo courtesy of Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images

Valdez Notes: Orioles, Twins, Yankees

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Framber Valdez came off the board last night on a three-year, $115MM deal (with deferrals) to pair with Tarik Skubal at the top of Detroit’s rotation. Reporting in the wake of that agreement shed some light on the lefty’s market before he committed to the Tigers.

The Orioles had been frequently connected to Valdez throughout the offseason. They’d certainly benefit from adding a top-of-the-rotation arm alongside Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish. Baltimore president of baseball operations Mike Elias has ties to Valdez from his days in the Houston front office. Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner and Jon Heyman of The New York Post each suggest that the O’s are still in the rotation market and remain engaged on Zac Gallen, who is arguably the best unsigned free agent.

Like Valdez, Gallen rejected a qualifying offer and is tied to draft compensation. Baltimore would forfeit their third-round pick (#82 overall) if they signed him. Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer are other possibilities if the O’s balk at Gallen’s asking price. None of those pitchers would require a draft penalty. The O’s have a projected luxury tax number of $189MM, as calculated by RosterResource. That’s about $10MM north of where they ended the ’25 season.

Although Baltimore was an obvious fit for Valdez, there were a couple more surprising entrants into the market as his free agency lingered. The Pirates reportedly made a push this week, while ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that the Twins were also involved. Minnesota also reportedly jumped into the mix on Freddy Peralta before the Brewers traded him to the Mets.

It’s not known if they were ever serious threats to land each pitcher or simply doing their diligence on available impact arms. A Valdez signing would have been a shock. Ownership has reduced spending. The team and president of baseball operations Derek Falvey parted ways just last week in a curiously timed decision. Minnesota scuttled any plans for a rebuild after onboarding a few minority investors to alleviate some of the franchise’s debts. At the same time, they’ve only made modest additions (most notably Victor Caratini, Josh Bell and Taylor Rogers) to a team that lost the second-most games in the American League and decimated the bullpen with a massive deadline sale.

There’s no indication that the Yankees were involved on Valdez at the end, but they apparently also had some amount of interest earlier in the winter. Jon Heyman of The New York Post writes that the Yanks reviewed the pitcher’s medicals but dropped a potential pursuit after they re-signed Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162MM deal. That vaulted their competitive balance tax figure around $330MM, and a second splash for Valdez seemed out of their financial zone. The Yankees acquired talented but oft-injured lefty Ryan Weathers in a trade with Miami. Beyond that, it seems they’ll rely mostly on their internal arms to hold down the rotation until Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole return.

Orioles Acquire Blaze Alexander

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The Orioles have acquired infielder Blaze Alexander from the Diamondbacks, according to announcements from both clubs. Right-hander Kade Strowd is going to the Diamondbacks along with a couple of minor leaguers: right-hander Wellington Aracena and infielder José Mejia. The trade is 40-man neutral, as Alexander and Strowd are the only guys with roster spots here.

Alexander, 27 in June, has appeared in the past two big league seasons for the Snakes. He has stepped to the plate 451 times with a .237/.322/.366 line. That’s a bit under league average, translating to a 95 wRC+, and has come with a high strikeout rate of 29.9%. He has shown some versatility by lining up at the three infield positions to the left of first base as well as some time in the outfield.

Though Alexander has been a somewhat useful utility player for Arizona, it was going to be harder for him to hold a roster spot going forward since he has exhausted his final option season. The Diamondbacks have been somewhat proactive in clearing out their fringe roster players this offseason. They traded another out-of-options player last month when they flipped Jake McCarthy to the Rockies.

Arizona has Nolan Arenado at third, Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop and Ketel Marte at second. Without Alexander, they have guys like Tim Tawa and Jordan Lawlar in the mix for multi-positional bench jobs, though John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM says the club will now turn to free agency to replace Alexander with someone else who can play second and/or third base.

The Orioles are seemingly more willing to hold Alexander as a multi-positional bench piece. They project to have Jordan Westburg at third, Gunnar Henderson at short and Jackson Holliday at the keystone. Prior to this deal, their top infield depth options were guys like Jeremiah Jackson and Bryan Ramos. Ramos is a fringe roster guy who was just scooped up in a DFA trade for cash considerations. Jackson has just 48 games of big league experience and still has options.

Alexander presumably jumps to being the club’s top bench option and will likely be used in a platoon capacity. A right-handed batter, he has a .269/.365/.434 line and 125 wRC+ against lefties in his career thus far. Baltimore projects to have a number of lefties getting regular playing time, including Henderson, Holliday, Dylan Beavers, Colton Cowser and Samuel Basallo. With Alexander’s split and defensive versatility, he should help the O’s shield those guys from tough lefties.

Though he’s out of options, his service clock is just a bit over one year. That means he’s still two years from qualifying for arbitration and could be controlled for five full seasons before reaching free agency, if he continues to hang onto a roster spot.

To make that complementary addition to their position player group, the O’s are parting with a major league arm. Strowd, 28, made his big league debut with the Orioles last year. He tossed 26 1/3 innings over 25 relief appearances, allowing just 1.71 earned runs per nine. He averaged around 96 miles per hour with his four-seamer and sinker but mostly threw a low-90s cutter while also featuring a curveball and a sweeper.

His 12.4% walk rate was definitely on the high side but his 22.9% strikeout rate was decent and he got grounders on a huge 56.7% of balls in play. There was surely some good luck in that ERA, as his .227 batting average on balls in play allowed and 83.9% strand rate were both to the fortunate side but his 3.40 FIP and 4.02 SIERA suggest he could have managed decent results even with more neutral luck.

The bullpen was a disaster for Arizona in 2025. Their relief groups was supposed to be headlined by A.J. Puk and Justin Martínez but both required major elbow surgeries last year and various other pitchers got hurt as well. The result was that the club’s relievers had a collective 4.82 ERA, ahead of just the Angels, Rockies and Nationals.

However, addressing the bullpen with a big splash wasn’t going to be likely due to the club scaling back payroll. General manager Mike Hazen admitted last month that he was basically deciding between re-signing Merrill Kelly for the rotation or spending that money on a reliever. He opted for Kelly, meaning the club would be going cheap on the bullpen.

Since Strowd just debuted last year, he has only 74 days of big league service time. He is still at least three years away from qualifying for arbitration and also has a couple of options, meaning he doesn’t even need to be guaranteed a permanent big league roster spot. Baltimore made a couple of notable bullpen upgrades this winter by signing Ryan Helsley and acquiring Andrew Kittredge. They seemingly feel they have enough relief depth to part with Strowd for Alexander.

The O’s are also dipping into their farm system a bit. Aracena, 21, was just acquired in July when the O’s flipped Gregory Soto to the Mets. He pitched 92 innings last year, at Single-A and High-A, split between starting and relieving. He had a 2.25 ERA, 30.3% strikeout rate and 46.5% ground ball rate but a huge 13.6% walk rate. Baseball America recently ranked him Baltimore’s #23 prospect. He had triple-digit heat but clearly needs to rein it in a bit more. That lack of control might push him to the bullpen in the future but he hasn’t yet reached Double-A, so his future is still up in the air. Mejia, 20, is even more of a long-term play. He’s younger and has just two games of experience in full-season ball.

Steve Gilbert of MLB.com first reported that Alexander was going to Baltimore for Strowd and a couple of minor leaguers. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic provided the identities of those minor leaguers. Photos courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Allan Henry, Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images

Poll: Who Will Sign Zac Gallen?

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The impact position players are off the market for the most part at this point, and yesterday the top starter remaining followed suit as Framber Valdez landed with the Tigers on a three-year, $115MM deal. That leaves right-hander Zac Gallen as both the final remaining qualified free agent and the best starting pitcher still available. Gallen’s market has been a bit deflated coming off the weakest season of his career, though with a lifetime 3.58 ERA and 3.65 FIP across 1007 1/3 big league innings there’s no doubt that he could still impact a rotation-needy team if he can get back on track. Which teams would the right-hander be the best fit for, and where will he ultimately land? A few of the most likely options:

Arizona Diamondbacks

For a qualified free agent who lingers on the market, sometimes a homecoming simply makes the most sense. The Diamondbacks are the only team in the majors that wouldn’t forfeit a draft pick in order to bring Gallen into the fold, and that alone makes them a sensible fit. Beyond that, the Arizona pitching staff is in serious need of help. Adding Gallen would be prudent, given the team’s lack of experienced rotation depth and a fifth starter (Michael Soroka) who has had durability concerns. His addition could push some of those depth starters into the mix for a bullpen that lacks impact options with Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk both set to open the season on the injured list. The biggest obstacle for a reunion between Arizona and Gallen is money; ownership hasn’t been shy about their desire to bring down a payroll that has sat in the $190MM range over the past two years, and unless ownership makes an exception for a beloved longtime D-back, the Snakes are more or less at their limit.

Baltimore Orioles

The O’s entered the season with a need to upgrade the rotation. They’ve acquired Shane Baz and re-upped with Zach Eflin, but neither is a surefire front-of-the-rotation arm. That’s also true of Gallen after that shaky 2025 showing, but at his peak he’s been the type of arm Baltimore seeks. Adding Gallen to a rotation including Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Baz, Eflin and Dean Kremer would be a more aggressive approach than the O’s took last winter when signing back-end veterans like Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton to one-year deals. Baltimore’s payroll is still nearly $20MM shy of last year’s Opening Day mark, so there shouldn’t be any major financial hurdles.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have already had a big offseason, headlined by their Alex Bregman signing and a trade for Marlins righty Edward Cabrera. The Cabrera trade has given the Cubs a deep cache of starting pitching options that’s pushed Colin Rea and Javier Assad into depth roles, and even more help figures to be on the way when rehabbing southpaw Justin Steele returns at some point in the first half. Even so, the team’s starting pitching options all have worrisome injury histories. That includes Cabrera, who briefly went on the IL with an elbow issue back in September. Adding a healthy workhorse like Gallen could make plenty of sense to raise the floor, and with talented arms like Steele, Cabrera, and Cade Horton in the mix Gallen might be under less pressure to deliver the ace-level results he’s flashed in the past.

San Diego Padres

The Padres have been clear about their desire to add another starter, and Gallen could be just the sort of high-upside arm the team needs to credibly replace Dylan Cease. It wouldn’t be the first time president of baseball operations A.J. Preller pulled off a major move in the final months before Opening Day. Cease was acquired in March of 2024, while righty Nick Pivetta signed with San Diego last February. The biggest obstacle to Gallen following in their footsteps could be financial, as it’s unclear just how much wiggle room the Padres have left. Perhaps the team working out the details of veteran righty Yu Darvish’s possible exit from the club could create the budget space necessary to land Gallen.

Other Options

While the aforementioned quartet of clubs are perhaps the most likely destinations for Gallen, they aren’t the only ones. Detroit could have made sense as a Gallen suitor, but their agreement with Valdez surely takes them out of the starting pitching market at this point. The Angels have been connected to the right-hander recently, but they’re viewed as a bit of a long-shot and are by far the least competitive team among this group. Atlanta is known to be shopping for a veteran starter, but it’s unclear if the team has the stomach for the sort of $20MM+ annual salary for which Gallen figures to be searching. The Blue Jays were connected to Valdez shortly before he signed, suggesting a willingness to continue adding to their rotation, but Gallen might not be viewed as impactful enough to justify pushing Cody Ponce and Jose Berrios out of the fifth starter job. The Giants were also connected to Gallen earlier in the winter but have since signed Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle. President of baseball ops Buster Posey downplayed the idea of adding another starter last week, but the San Francisco rotation has both injury and workload concerns behind ace Logan Webb.

Where do MLBTR readers think Gallen will ultimately land? Have your say in the poll below:

Kyle Bradish Wins Arbitration Hearing

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Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish won his arbitration hearing over the Orioles, the Associated Press reports. He’ll be paid the $3.55MM that he and his camp at All Bases Covered Sports Management submitted rather than the $2.875MM figure submitted by the team.

The 29-year-old Bradish returned from UCL surgery late in the 2025 season and tossed 32 innings with a 2.53 ERA, 37.3% strikeout rate and 7.9% walk rate. The sinker that sat 95 mph prior to surgery clocked in at a near-identical average of 94.8 mph. Bradish can’t be reasonably expected to continue punching out 37% of his opponents over a larger sample, but the former Halos fourth-rounder — acquired in the trade sending Dylan Bundy from Baltimore to Anaheim — has proven himself to be a high-end starter when healthy enough to take the ball.

Dating back to 2023, Bradish carries a terrific 2.78 ERA in 240 innings. He has a 3.47 mark in his 357 2/3 frames overall. Beyond those solid baseline run-prevention numbers, he’s set down just under 26% of his opponents on strikes and walked only 7.8% of the batters he’s faced. The right-hander’s 2025 success was buoyed by an outstanding 14.6% swinging-strike rate and a 30.5% opponents’ chase rate on pitches off the plate — both career-best marks.

As a Super Two player, Bradish earned $2.35MM in 2025, his first of four arbitration seasons. Today’s win secures him a 51% raise over his 2025 salary, as opposed to the team’s proposed 22% raise. Bradish will be eligible for arbitration twice more before qualifying for free agency in the 2028-29 offseason.

Heading into the 2026 campaign, Bradish currently projects as either the No. 1 or No. 2 starter in Baltimore. He’ll former a one-two punch with the resurgent Trevor Rogers, who rebounded from a nightmare 2024 season to record a dominant 1.81 ERA in 109 2/3 frames. Rogers’ 24.8% strikeout rate doesn’t stack up to that of Bradish over his past two seasons, and the former Marlins hurler was surely aided by a microscopic .226 average on balls in play. He still boasted better-than-average strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates, just as Bradish has throughout his career. There are some health and workload questions regarding both pitchers, but they should form a high-end rotation pairing so long as they remain healthy.

Of course, the Orioles also remain in the market for further rotation reinforcements. They acquired righty Shane Baz from the division-rival Rays earlier in the offseason but continue to show interest in lingering free agents like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen and Lucas Giolito. An addition at some point feels likely, but for now, Bradish will be in the mix to start one of Baltimore’s first two games of the 2026 season as the O’s try to shake off an ugly 2025 season and return to postseason play under new manager Craig Albernaz.

Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins

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Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Most clubs have a slightly earlier report date this year due to the World Baseball Classic. Last year, the Cubs and Dodgers had earlier report dates because they were had an earlier Opening Day than everyone else as part of the Tokyo Series. Gavin Stone was the first player to land on the 60-day IL in 2025, landing there on February 11th. According to MLB.com, every club has a report date from February 10th to 13th this year.

It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until late May or beyond. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.

There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Justin Verlander, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito, and more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment. If a team wants to pass a player through waivers, perhaps they will try to do so in the near future before the extra roster flexibility opens up.

Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time or who have uncertain recovery timelines from 2025 injuries.

Angels: Anthony Rendon, Ben Joyce

Rendon’s situation is unique. He underwent hip surgery a year ago and missed the entire 2025 season. He is still on the roster and signed through 2026. He and the club have agreed to a salary-deferment plan and he is not expected to be in spring training with the club. His recovery timeline is unclear, but general manager Perry Minasian said earlier this month that Rendon would be “rehabbing at home,” per Alden González of ESPN. If they were going to release him, they likely would have done so by now, so he seems destined for the injured list.

Joyce underwent shoulder surgery in May and missed the remainder of the 2025 season. His current status is unclear. In August, he told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he didn’t know if he would be ready for spring training. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the Halos don’t expect him back before the end of May.

Astros: Hayden Wesneski, Ronel Blanco, Brandon Walter

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025. Wesneski was first, with his surgery taking place on May 23rd. Blanco followed shortly thereafter in early June. They will likely be targeting returns in the second half. Walter’s procedure was in September, meaning he will likely miss the entire season. All three should be on the 60-day IL as soon as Houston needs roster spots for other transactions.

Athletics: Zack Gelof

Gelof underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder in September, with the expectation of him potentially being healthy for spring training. At the end of December, general manager David Forst told Martín Gallegos of MLB.com that Gelof would be “a little bit behind” in spring. He would only land on the 60-day IL if the A’s think he’ll be out through late May.

Blue Jays: Jake Bloss

Bloss underwent surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow in May. He was on optional assignment at the time and stayed in the minors for the rest of the season. Going into 2026, the Jays could keep him in the minors but they could also call him up and place him on the major league IL. Doing so would open up a roster spot but would also mean giving Bloss big league pay and service time.

Braves: Ha-Seong Kim, AJ Smith-Shawver, Danny Young, Joe Jiménez

Kim recently fell on some ice and injured his hand. He underwent surgery last week, and the expected recovery time is four to five months. The shorter end of that window only goes to mid-May, so perhaps Atlanta will hold off on making a decision until they watch his recovery, especially since they have other guys with clearer injury timelines.

Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June, so he shouldn’t be back until the second half and is therefore a lock for the 60-day IL once Atlanta needs a spot. Young underwent the same procedure in May, so he should also be bound for the IL.

Jimenez is more of a question mark. He missed the 2025 season due to left knee surgery. He required a “cleanup” procedure on that knee towards the end of the season. His timeline isn’t currently clear.

Brewers: None.

Cardinals: None.

Cubs: Justin Steele

Steele will probably be a bit of a borderline case. He underwent UCL surgery in April but it wasn’t a full Tommy John surgery. The Cubs described it as a “revision repair”. Steele had undergone Tommy John in 2017 as a minor leaguer.

Since Steele’s more recent procedure was a bit less serious than a full Tommy John, the club gave an estimated return timeline of about one year, putting him in line to potentially return fairly early in 2026. Given his importance to the Cubs, they would only put him on the 60-day IL if his timeline changes and he’s certain to be out through late May.

Diamondbacks: Corbin Burnes, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., A.J. Puk, Justin Martínez, Blake Walston, Tyler Locklear

The Snakes were hit hard by the injury bug in 2025. Burnes, Walston and Martínez all underwent Tommy John surgery. Burnes and Martínez had their procedures in June, so they should be targeting second-half returns and be easy calls for the 60-day IL. Walston would be a bit more borderline because his surgery was around Opening Day in late March last year. Puk had the slightly less significant internal brace procedure in June, so he could also be a borderline case.

Turning to the position players, Gurriel tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in September. He required surgery which came with a return timeline of nine to ten months, so he should be out until around the All-Star break.

Locklear should be back sooner. He underwent surgery in October to address a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder. The hope at the time of that procedure was that he would be game ready to go on a rehab assignment around Opening Day and would therefore miss only about the first month. He would therefore only hit the 60-day IL if he doesn’t meet that timeline for some reason.

Dodgers: Brock Stewart

Stewart underwent shoulder debridement surgery in September. His timeline for 2026 isn’t especially clear. He will likely start the season on the IL but it’s unclear if he’ll be out long enough to warrant landing on the 60-day version.

Giants: Randy Rodríguez, Jason Foley

Rodríguez underwent Tommy John surgery in September, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL and might even miss the entire 2026 campaign. Foley’s status is a bit more murky. He underwent shoulder surgery in May while with the Tigers. Detroit non-tendered him at season’s end, which allowed the Giants to sign him. He is expected back at some point mid-season. The Giants may want to get more clarity on his progress during camp before deciding on a move to the IL.

Guardians: Andrew Walters, David Fry

Neither of these guys is a lock for the 60-day IL. Walters had surgery to repair his right lat tendon in June with a recovery estimate of eight to ten months. Fry underwent surgery in October due to a deviated septum and a fractured nose suffered when a Tarik Skubal pitch hit him in the face. His timeline is unclear. It’s possible one or both could be healthy by Opening Day, so relevant updates may be forthcoming when camps open.

Mariners: Logan Evans

Evans required UCL surgery just last week and will miss the entire 2026 season. He was on optional assignment at the end of 2025, so the Mariners could keep him in the minors. Calling him up and putting him on the big league 60-day IL would open up a 40-man spot but would also involve Evans receiving big league pay and service time for the year.

Marlins: Ronny Henriquez

Henriquez underwent internal brace surgery in December and will miss the entire 2026 season, so he’s a lock for the 60-day IL.

Mets: Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, Dedniel Núñez

All three of these pitchers underwent Tommy John surgery late in 2025 and are likely to miss the entire 2026 season, making them locks for the 60-day IL. Núñez went under the knife in July, followed by Megill in September and Garrett in October.

Nationals: Trevor Williams, DJ Herz

Williams underwent internal brace surgery in July. That’s a slightly less serious variation of Tommy John but still usually requires about a year of recovery. Herz underwent a full Tommy John procedure in April. Since that surgery usually requires 14 months or longer to come back, both pitchers are likely out until around the All-Star break and therefore bound for the 60-day IL once the Nats need some roster spots.

Orioles: Félix Bautista

Bautista underwent shoulder surgery in August, and the club announced his recovery timeline as 12 months. He’s a lock for the 60-day IL and may miss the entire season if his recovery doesn’t go smoothly.

Padres: Yu Darvish, Jhony Brito, Jason Adam

Darvish underwent UCL surgery in November and will miss the entire 2026 season. Instead of going on the IL, he may just retire, but it seems there are some contractual complications to be ironed out since he is signed through 2028.

Brito and Adam could be borderline cases. Brito underwent internal brace surgery in May of last year. Some pitchers can return from that procedure in about a year. Adam ruptured a tendon in his left quad in early September. In November, he seemed to acknowledge that he wouldn’t be ready for Opening Day. As of now, a trip to the 60-day IL seems unlikely unless he suffers a setback.

Pirates: Jared Jones

Jones required UCL surgery on May 21st of last year. The Bucs announced an expected return timeline of 10 to 12 months. The shorter end of that window would allow Jones to return fairly early in 2026. If it looks like he’ll be on the longer end of that time frame, he could wind up on the 60-day IL.

Phillies: Zack Wheeler

Wheeler underwent surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome in September, with a timeline of six to eight months. As of now, it seems unlikely Wheeler would require a trip to the 60-day IL, but it depends on how his ramp-up goes. He’s also approaching his 36th birthday, and the Phils could slow-play his recovery.

Rangers: Cody Bradford

Bradford required internal brace surgery in late June of last year. He recently said he’s targeting a return in May. That’s a pretty aggressive timeline, but perhaps the Rangers will delay moving him to the 60-day IL until that plan is strictly ruled out.

Rays: Manuel Rodríguez

Rodriguez underwent flexor tendon surgery in July of last year and is targeting a return in June of this year, so he should be a lock for the 60-day IL.

Reds: Brandon Williamson, Julian Aguiar

Both of these pitchers required Tommy John surgeries late in 2024, Williamson in September and Aguiar in October. They each missed the entire 2025 season. Presumably, they are recovered by now and could be healthy going into 2026, but there haven’t been any recent public updates.

Red Sox: Tanner Houck, Triston Casas

Houck is the most clear-cut case for Boston. He had Tommy John surgery in August of 2025 and will miss most or perhaps all of the 2026 season. Casas is more borderline. He’s still recovering from a ruptured left patellar tendon suffered in May of last year. It doesn’t seem like he will be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline apart from that is murky.

Rockies: Jeff Criswell, Kris Bryant

Criswell required Tommy John surgery in early March of last year. With the normal 14-month recovery timeline, he could be back in May. Anything slightly longer than that would make him a candidate for the 60-day IL. Bryant’s timeline is very difficult to discern. He has hardly played in recent years due to various injuries and is now dealing with chronic symptoms related to lumbar degenerative disc disease. Updates will likely be provided once camp opens.

Royals: Alec Marsh

Marsh missed 2025 due to shoulder problems and is slated to miss 2026 as well after undergoing labrum surgery in November.

Tigers: Jackson Jobe

Jobe required Tommy John surgery in June of last year. He will miss most or perhaps even all of the 2026 season.

Twins: None.

White Sox: Ky Bush, Drew Thorpe, Prelander Berroa

These three hurlers all required Tommy John surgery about a year ago, Bush in February, followed by Berroa and Thorpe in March. Given the normal 14-month recovery period, any of them could return early in 2026, but they could also end up on the 60-day IL if the timeline pushes slightly beyond that.

Yankees: Clarke Schmidt, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Anthony Volpe

Schmidt is the only lock of this group. He required UCL surgery in July of last year and should miss the first half of the 2026 season. Cole is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March of last year. His target is expected to be late May/early June, so he has a decent chance to hit the 60-day. However, given his importance to the club, the Yankees probably won’t put him there until it’s certain he won’t be back by the middle of May.

Rodón had surgery in October to remove loose bodies in his elbow. He’s expected to be back with the big league club in late April or early May, so he would only hit the 60-day IL if his timeline is pushed. Volpe required shoulder surgery in October. He’s not expected to be ready by Opening Day, but his timeline beyond that doesn’t seem concrete.

Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images

Orioles Acquire Bryan Ramos, Designate Weston Wilson

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The Orioles have acquired infielder Bryan Ramos from the White Sox, according to reporter Francys Romero.  Baltimore has officially announced the trade, and the Sox will get cash considerations in return.  To open up a 40-man spot for Ramos, the Orioles designated Weston Wilson for assignment.

Ramos was designated for assignment three days ago when the Sox themselves needed to create 40-man space for the newly-signed Seranthony Dominguez.  Ramos’ stint in DFA limbo didn’t last long, and he’ll now change organizations for the first time in his career, as the infielder was an international signing for the White Sox back in 2018.  He started to make waves as a prospect during the 2022-23 seasons, and he made his MLB debut in 2024, posting a .586 OPS over 108 plate appearances for Chicago.

This uninspiring performance seemed to drop Ramos down the depth chart, even on a rebuilding White Sox team.  He appeared in just four big league games in 2025, bringing his overall slash line to .198/.244/.333 in 120 PA against Major League pitching.  While Ramos’ numbers (.235/.321/.404 in 705 PA) at Triple-A Charlotte are more respectable, they’re underwhelming considering that Charlotte plays in one of the most hitter-friendly ballparks in the minors.

Ramos has played only third base in the majors, and the hot corner has also been his primary position during his minor league career.  However, Ramos has increased his versatility by playing some second base and a handful of games as a first baseman and left fielder, as becoming more of a utilityman will help Ramos in his attempts to return to the majors.

Wilson is a more established utilityman who has seen some time at first base, second base, third base, and all three outfield positions over his 100 career Major League games, all with the Phillies from 2023-25.  Wilson has also shown more at the plate, with a .242/.328/.428 and nine homers over 245 PA.  Most of that production came in Wilson’s first two seasons, and since he had only a .652 OPS over 125 PA in 2025, the Phils decided to move on by DFA’ing Wilson in late January.

The Orioles made a claim a few days later, but have now sent Wilson back to the waiver wire in relatively short order.  This is something of the way of life for players like Wilson or Ramos who are out of minor league options, and Baltimore is particularly aggressive in constantly churning the back end of its 40-man roster, with the idea that the O’s can add minor league depth by sneaking enough players through the outright process.  Assuming Wilson isn’t claimed again, the Orioles can outright him to Triple-A since Wilson doesn’t have enough service time to reject an outright assignment.

Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts

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In the same way that players feel extra pressure to produce entering their last season before free agency, managers and front office bosses similarly feel the heat when entering the final year of their contracts.  The difference is that even if a player has a rough season, they’re usually still in position to land at least a one-year deal in some fashion for the next year — a manager or a GM could find themselves fired in the wake of a bad year, with no guarantee about when (or even if) they’ll get another shot at leading a dugout or a front office.

This list details the baseball operations bosses (whatever their specific title) and managers who are entering the final year of their contracts, as well as the personnel whose contractual situations aren’t publicly known.  Some clubs don’t publicize the terms of employee contracts, so it is entirely possible that some of these names signed extensions months ago but the teams have chosen to keep these new deals quiet for the time being.  And, of course, the length of a contract doesn’t always correlate to job security.  One bad season or even a poor start could suddenly threaten the status of a manager or head of baseball ops that seemingly seems safe right now.

As always, thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for reference information on some of these contracts.

Angels: It’s pretty unusual to see a newly-hired manager already on this list, yet that is the situation Kurt Suzuki finds himself in after signing just a one-year guarantee to become the Halos’ new skipper.  The deal has multiple club option years attached, and while one would imagine Suzuki wouldn’t be let go so quickly, the Angels’ manager’s office has been enough of a revolving door in recent years that it is hard to guess what owner Arte Moreno might do next.  GM Perry Minasian is also entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, with a club option for the 2027 season.  Ten consecutive losing seasons has led to a lot of discord in Anaheim, and an eleventh sub-.500 year might get both Suzuki and Minasian sent packing by next offseason.

Astros: GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada are each entering their final season under contract, with Brown hired in January 2023 and Espada in November 2023.  Earlier this month, Astros owner Jim Crane didn’t entirely close the door on the possibility of an extension for either Brown or Espada, but said “I think we’ll go through this year like we always do, evaluate it and then make the decision at the end of the year.”  Reading between the lines, it certainly seems like the spotlight will be on Brown and Espada, especially since the Astros are coming off their first non-playoff season since 2016.  While the team’s laundry list of injuries is a valid excuse for their 2025 letdown, some personnel changes might well be coming if Houston can’t get back into the postseason hunt this year.

Athletics: General manager David Forst’s contract has already expired, as his most recent deal with the team was up following the 2025 campaign.  Owner John Fisher has stated that “conversations are ongoing” about another extension, and since it has apparently been business as usual for the A’s this offseason, it seems like it’s just a matter of time before Forst formally extends his long stint in the team’s front office.  Forst only officially took over the baseball operations department in the 2022-23 offseason, but he has been with the Athletics since 2000, first working as a scout and then becoming one of Billy Beane’s top lieutenants.

Blue Jays: GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider are both entering the final year of their contracts, as the Jays exercised their 2026 club option on Schneider’s deal back in November.  This duo was facing heavy pressure heading into the 2025 season, yet Toronto’s AL pennant and near-miss in the World Series has entirely changed the narrative for both Atkins and Schneider.  The Blue Jays already extended team president/CEO Mark Shapiro a few weeks ago, and extensions for Atkins and Schneider should follow before Opening Day.

Brewers: Pat Murphy is entering the final season of his three-year contract, but it is hard to believe the Brew Crew won’t have the manager soon locked up on another deal.  Murphy has been named NL Manager of the Year in each of the first two seasons, won consecutive NL Central titles, and this October led the Brewers to their first NLCS appearance since 2018.  October also saw Matt Arnold receive a promotion from GM to president of baseball operations, even though Arnold has already been the Brewers’ top baseball exec for the last three seasons.  Arnold’s specific contract situation hasn’t been made clear for a few years now, but it would surely seem like Milwaukee’s continued success and his new job title probably landed the PBO an extension at some point.  Regardless, Arnold seems in no danger of being fired even if 2026 is his last year under contract.

Cardinals: Oli Marmol is headed into his final year, but the manger and the Cardinals have already started discussing an extension to retain Marmol beyond the 2026 campaign.  It seems like something should be finalized in due course, with St. Louis continuing to entrust Marmol with the reins as the team now moves into a full-on rebuild phase.

Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo has quietly become one of baseball’s longer-tenured managers, as Lovullo has been running Arizona’s dugout since the 2016-17 offseason.  He has signed multiple extensions (none for more than two guaranteed years) since his initial three-year pact, yet while 2026 represents the final year of Lovullo’s current deal, the Diamondbacks are reportedly going to let Lovullo enter the season without an extension in place.  Owner Ken Kendrick did praise Lovullo’s efforts in keeping the D’Backs competitive amidst a swath of pitching injuries and a partial trade deadline selloff in 2025, but it is intriguing that the vote of confidence wasn’t backed up by another contract.  This will be a storyline to watch as the Diamondbacks’ season progresses, and a change in the dugout might well be coming if the D’Backs can’t get back into the postseason.

Dodgers: President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman first came to Los Angeles on a five-year, $35MM pact covering the 2015-19 seasons, and he signed an extension back in November 2019.  Terms of that deal weren’t known, yet it is clear that if Friedman hasn’t already signed another new deal in the last six years, the Dodgers are almost surely keen in retaining the executive.  The Dodgers have reached the playoffs in every single season of Friedman’s tenure, have won three World Series championships under his leadership, and have become baseball’s dominant franchise due to both their record-high payrolls and their ability to draft and develop minor league talent.

Guardians: Chris Antonetti gets an obligatory mention since the Guardians haven’t publicly addressed his contract status since he signed an extension with the team back in 2013.  Following the 2015 season, Antonetti was promoted to the president of baseball operations title, and his decade in charge has seen Cleveland make seven postseason appearances.  As the Guards are coming off their sixth AL Central crown of Antonetti’s tenure, there is no sense ownership is looking to make a change, nor is there any sense Antonetti (who has turned down overtures from other teams in the past) is looking to leave.

Mariners: Dan Wilson’s contract terms weren’t made public when he was hired as manager in August 2024, and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s status hasn’t been addressed since he signed a contract extension of an unknown length back in September 2021.  It may very well be that Dipoto has quietly signed another deal in the last four-plus years, but regardless, the Mariners’ success in 2025 very likely means neither Dipoto or Wilson are going anywhere, even if the M’s don’t feel the need to publicize any extensions.

Marlins: Previous Miami GM Kim Ng was signed to a three-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season, and the Marlins chose to pass on that option in order to hire Peter Bendix as the new president of baseball operations.  Terms of Bendix’s contract weren’t disclosed, so given the length of Ng’s contract, it is possible Bendix could also be entering his final guaranteed year if Miami pursued the same structure with another first-time front office boss.  While Ng’s dismissal caught many in baseball by surprise, Bendix’s job appears to be a lot safer, as the Marlins’ surprising surge to 79 wins in 2025 is a promising step forward for the team’s (latest) rebuild.

Mets: Carlos Mendoza is entering the final guaranteed year of his three-year contract, and New York holds a club option on the manager’s services for the 2027 season.  The Mets have overhauled both Mendoza’s coaching staff and a good chunk of the roster in the wake of the slow-motion collapse that left the team outside the playoff picture in 2025, so far more is expected than just an 83-79 record this year.  The club option probably means that the Mets will wait until after the season (if at all) to discuss an extension, and given the Mets’ high payroll and expectations, even a slow start might put Mendoza’s status in jeopardy.

Orioles: Mike Elias’ contract terms were never publicized when he was hired to lead Baltimore’s front office in November 2018, though he did receive a title change from general manager to president of baseball operations last offseason.  Elias’ specific contract status remains unspecified, and it is possible he could be facing more heat if the O’s have another subpar season.  Consecutive playoff appearances were followed by the thud of a 75-87 record in 2025, though ownership appears to have given Elias some support in the form of bigger budget, as the Orioles’ busy offseason has been highlighted by the blockbuster Pete Alonso signing.

Padres: Reports in early November suggested that A.J. Preller was close to signing a new extension to remain as San Diego’s PBO, though close to three months later, there hasn’t been any word of a deal between the two sides.  It could be that a contract was signed but simply not publicly announced, or perhaps Preller and the team agreed to table the negotiations until after most of the Padres’ offseason business was complete.  Considering all the reports of discord within the Padres’ ownership situation and some possible tension between Preller and team CEO Erik Greupner, a contract extension probably shouldn’t be considered a sure thing until a deal is actually done, though things still seem to be leaning in the direction of Preller getting re-upped.  For all of the off-the-field drama that has frequently defined Preller’s long tenure in San Diego, the Padres are coming off their fourth playoff appearance in the last six seasons.

Reds: As Cincinnati is coming off its first playoff berth since 2020, president of baseball operations Nick Krall looks to have a decent amount of job security, and might be in line for an extension depending on his current contract status.  Krall has been in charge of the Reds’ front office for the last five seasons, and he received an extension of an unspecified length when he was promoted to the president of baseball operations title following the 2023 campaign.

Tigers: Scott Harris has now finished three full seasons as Detroit’s PBO, so if a four-year contract might be considered the usual minimum for a first-time president of baseball ops, 2026 might be Harris’ final year under contract.  It’s all speculative, of course, since Harris’ terms weren’t made public, and it might also be a moot point since Harris could be an extension candidate, if anything.  The Tigers have made the second round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, though the team’s late-season collapse in 2025 and the uncertainty over Tarik Skubal’s future remain areas of concern.

Twins: Derek Falvey’s shocking decision to step down as Minnesota’s president of baseball (and business) operations has unexpectedly made GM Jeremy Zoll the top voice in the team’s front office.  Zoll was promoted to the GM role in November 2024 to become Falvey’s chief lieutenant, and the length of Zoll’s contract isn’t known.  It is fair to guess that Zoll might’ve gotten an extension after becoming general manager, so he probably remains under team control through at least 2027 even after this sudden elevation to the head of the baseball ops department.

White Sox: Chris Getz has been the team’s GM since August 2023, and his tenure has included a record 121-loss season in 2024 and an improvement to “only” 102 losses in 2025.  Getz’s contract term wasn’t publicized at the time of his hiring so this is just a speculative entry in case his first deal was only a three-year pact.  There doesn’t appear to be any sense that ownership is displeased with the Pale Hose’s progress during the rebuild, so if Getz actually did sign a three-year deal, the Sox might look to extend him at some point this season.

Yankees: Brian Cashman is the longest-tenured front office boss in baseball, acting as the Yankees’ GM since February 1998.  That remarkable 28-year run has included 28 winning records and four World Series titles, though the team hasn’t won the Series since 2009.  Owner Hal Steinbrenner appears to trust Cashman as much as ever, so it seems very likely that Cashman’s tenure will stretch into a third decade barring an utter disaster of a 2026 season.  Cashman’s last deal covered the 2023-26 seasons, but since the Yankees’ aversion to extensions also extends to personnel as well as players, he might not sign his next contract until after his current deal actually expires.  It’s a sign of Cashman’s job security that he has waited until December to sign each of his last two contracts to remain with the club.

Orioles Interested In Lucas Giolito

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The Orioles are known to be looking for more starting pitching. They’ve been connected to Framber Valdez, Justin Verlander and Zac Gallen in recent weeks. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that Lucas Giolito is also someone they are seriously considering. Giolito has also received reported interest from Detroit and Atlanta in the past month.

The O’s have made a few moves to address their rotation already this offseason. They acquired Shane Baz from the Rays and re-signed veteran Zach Eflin. They also subtracted Grayson Rodriguez, trading him to the Angels for Taylor Ward.

As of now, they should have Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Baz and Eflin in four spots. The fifth spot would most likely go to Dean Kremer, who has pretty consistently posted an earned run average in the low 4.00s for a few years now.

All teams need more than five starters to get through a season in the modern game, so depth is important. Tyler Wells missed most of the past two seasons due to ulnar collateral ligament surgery but was a viable back-end starter before that. Chayce McDermott, Cade Povich and Brandon Young have roster spots but haven’t clicked in the majors yet. They all have options and can be kept in Triple-A as optionable depth. Albert Suárez is in the mix on a minor league deal for some veteran non-roster depth. Trey Gibson doesn’t have a roster spot yet but he is one of the top pitching prospects in the league and has already reached the Triple-A level, so he should be pushing for a debut in 2026.

It’s a decent group on the whole. Arguably, they need upside more than they need additional depth. They don’t really have anyone you would call an ace. Rogers ended up having a great 2025, finishing with a 1.81 ERA. However, he started the season on the injured list, recovering from a right knee subluxation. Even once he was healthy, he was kept in the minors for a while. He didn’t get recalled for good until June. Bradish missed most of the past two seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Baz has intriguing upside but just posted a 4.87 ERA last year.

Last winter, Baltimore went with older veterans with theoretically stable floors but less upside, signing Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano and Kyle Gibson. Those moves mostly did not work out well and the rotation was a major flaw in 2025.

Whether Giolito can provide upside over the guys currently on the roster is debatable. He did once seem like a borderline ace but it’s been a few years since he showed that form. He made 72 starts for the White Sox over the 2019 to 2021 seasons with a 3.47 ERA, 30.7% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate, getting at least one Cy Young vote in each of those campaigns. But his numbers dipped over the next two years, as his ERAs were closer to 5.00 with strikeout rates in the 25% range. He then missed 2024 due to UCL surgery.

In 2025, he bounced back, to a degree. He made 26 starts for the Red Sox with a 3.41 ERA. He was even better after a cold start, with a 2.51 ERA over his final 19 appearances. But he only struck out 19.7% of batters faced on the year. Even in that strong push over his final 19 starts, he only punched out 20.3% of batters faced. He wasn’t able to pitch in the playoffs due to flexor irritation and a bone issue in his throwing arm. He has said that the issue subsided shortly after the season ended.

Given Baltimore’s current rotation picture, they could surely use the 2019-2021 version of Giolito. His more recent output wouldn’t be as exciting as someone like Valdez but he would surely be cheaper. At the beginning of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Valdez to get $150MM over five years and Giolito $32MM over two years. With February just over the horizon, it becomes more likely that Valdez pivots to some kind of short-term deal with opt-outs, but he should still be more expensive that Giolito on an annual basis.

They should have a bit of powder dry. RosterResource projects the Orioles for a $148MM payroll next year. They started 2025 at $165MM, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. If they want to run a similar number this year, they should have $15-20MM to spend. If they could line up a Ryan Mountcastle trade, since he’s more or less blocked by Pete Alonso, that would free up almost $7MM more.

Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

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