Red Sox Claim Tsung-Che Cheng
The Red Sox have claimed infielder Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Nationals, the team announced. The Sox had a vacancy on their 40-man roster, which is now full. They’ll need to open a spot to finalize this week’s reported agreement with infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Cheng, 24, made his big league debut with the Pirates in 2025 but went hitless in seven plate appearances. He didn’t fare all that well in Triple-A last year either, hitting just .207/.305/.267 with one homer, 12 doubles and three triples in 410 turns at the plate. However, Cheng is a plus runner who swiped 20 bags despite that paltry OBP, and he’s also a capable defender at shortstop, second base and third base. The 5’8″ lefty swinger also has an excellent eye at the plate, evidenced by a career 12.5% walk rate in the minors.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been vocal about his desire to improve the club’s infield defense. Cheng isn’t going to secure a starting spot in the infield and may not even crack the Opening Day roster if he sticks with the Sox that long, as he has a minor league option remaining and can be sent to Triple-A without needing to be exposed to waivers. He’s a viable backup at any of shortstop, second base or third base who can work counts and run well, which makes him a potential bench option if he can improve his offense to some degree.
Then again, it’s far from certain Cheng will even be with the Red Sox at the end of camp. He’s been one of the most frequent riders of this offseason’s DFA carousel, bouncing from the Pirates, to the Rays, to the Mets, to the Nationals and now the Red Sox — all in the past month alone. The Red Sox are on the lookout for both a righty-swinging outfielder and another infielder (even after agreeing to terms with Kiner-Falefa), and if they bring in a veteran at either spot, Cheng could again find himself jettisoned into DFA limbo.
Red Sox Still Looking To Add To Infield
The Red Sox have been connected to infielders all winter and and reportedly agreed to a one-year, $6MM deal with infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa this week. That doesn’t mean they’re done, with Sean McAdam of MassLive reporting the club is still in the market for another infielder.
That aligns with Kiner-Falefa’s skill set. He’s a strong defender at many positions but has never offered much with the bat. His best role would be a utility player, providing cover at multiple positions. The Sox have an injury-prone shortstop in Trevor Story. They will seemingly give Marcelo Mayer a chance to carve out an everyday role somewhere but he has just 44 games of big league experience. Kiner-Falefa gives the club a fallback if Story gets hurt or Mayer struggles.
That still leaves the Sox with a hole somewhere. Mayer could be at either third or second base. The Sox seemingly prefer him at third but they would need to find a second base upgrade. Currently, they have a mix that includes Kiner-Falefa, Romy González, David Hamilton and others. González has value but is mostly a short-side platoon guy who can beat up lefties. Hamilton is a speed-and-defense guy somewhat like Kiner-Falefa. Kristian Campbell seems to be considered an outfielder now.
Upgrading on that group with a clear everyday second baseman makes a lot of sense but there are fewer options available at this stage of the offseason. The top remaining free agents are arguably not better than Kiner-Falefa, with Ramón Urías, Luis Urías and Adam Frazier some of the guys still out there. The trade market should be Boston’s best bet at this point. They have been connected to guys like Isaac Paredes of the Astros as well as Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw of the Cubs.
The Astros have a bit of an infield logjam but have thus far held onto Paredes. He has some second base experience but hasn’t played there since 2023. Putting him back at the keystone might not align with Boston’s stated desire to improve defensively but he would certainly add thump, as he’s generally been good for 20-plus homers per season. It’s also possible the Sox like the bat enough that they would be willing to acquire him and put him at third with Mayer at second, despite their apparent preference for Mayer to be at the hot corner.
A trade with the Astros could also make a lot of sense from Houston’s perspective as well, as that club is looking to add a left-handed bat, preferably in the outfield. That’s something the Sox can offer, with Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu and Masataka Yoshida all on the roster.
Hoerner is perhaps the best defensive second baseman in the majors, so he would certainly fit in with Boston’s desires. The only problem would be convincing the Cubs to part with him. Shaw is less established and has less of a role on the Cubs right now. However, with Hoerner only signed for one more year, they may cling tightly to Shaw as well with the idea that he will take over for Hoerner a year from now.
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen has said he’s not going to consider Ketel Marte trades any longer but that was before Boston signed Ranger Suárez. Maybe now that pitching prospects like Payton Tolle and Connelly Early have been pushed down the depth chart, perhaps Boston would be more willing to put them on the table in an effort to change Hazen’s mind.
Time will tell if chief baseball officer Craig Breslow can pull something off at this late stage of the offseason. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training next week.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images
Red Sox, Brendan Rodgers Agree To Minor League Deal
The Red Sox reached agreement with free agent second baseman Brendan Rodgers on a minor league contract, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive. The Boras Corporation client will be in camp as a non-roster invitee.
Boston is seemingly taking a volume approach to second base because they didn’t come away with an impact player on the trade front. Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the presumptive starter after agreeing to a $6MM deal last night. Romy Gonzalez will get a decent amount of playing time against left-handed pitching, while David Hamilton and Nick Sogard are in the mix as utility pieces.
Rodgers becomes their most experienced non-roster possibility. The 29-year-old infielder has played over six years in the majors. The third overall pick in 2015 by the Rockies, he was Colorado’s primary second baseman from 2021-24. Rodgers won a Gold Glove in ’22 thanks to a spike in his Defensive Runs Saved total. He has otherwise graded as an average defender. The righty hitter had a couple league average showings at the plate early in his career, but his production has fallen over the past three years.
The Rockies non-tendered Rodgers after the ’24 season. He signed a minor league deal with the Astros and made the Opening Day roster. Rodgers stuck on the roster all year but only hit .191/.266/.278 with two home runs over 43 games. Injuries kept him from appearing in an MLB game after the middle of June. He went down with an oblique strain, then suffered a concussion in an on-field collision during a minor league rehab game. Rodgers tried to ramp back up in August but dealt with back discomfort that shut him down for the year.
Rodgers has a .254/.307/.384 batting line in more than 800 plate appearances over the last three seasons. He’s also held back by a lack of defensive versatility, not having played anywhere other than second base since 2021. That’s not a problem if he’s hitting enough to play every day, but that’s a difficult profile to carry on a four-man bench. While Boston’s second base spot is thin enough that it’s not out of the question Rodgers wins the job, the recent returns haven’t been encouraging.
As a player with six years of service time who finished last season on Houston’s major league injured list, Rodgers hit the market as an Article XX(b) free agent. That means this deal comes with a trio of automatic opt-out dates under the collective bargaining agreement. He can trigger an out clause on any of March 22, May 1, or June 1. If he does, the Red Sox would have two days to either promote him or grant him his release. It’s therefore not a given that he’d report to Triple-A if he doesn’t break camp.
Red Sox Looking To Add Right-Handed-Hitting Outfielder
The Red Sox added Isiah Kiner-Falefa to their infield group last night on a one-year deal, and they’ve also been poking around the market for right-handed hitting outfielders, per Katie Woo and Will Sammon of The Athletic. Colleague Jen McCaffrey writes in a separate piece that the Red Sox are interested in someone to fill a role similar to the one held by Rob Refsnyder (who signed with the Mariners in free agency) in recent seasons.
The free agent market has been largely picked over but still has some options that could fit the bill. Randal Grichuk, Austin Slater, Mark Canha, Connor Joe and old friends Hunter Renfroe and Tommy Pham all remain unsigned. Some from that group could probably be had on a minor league deal with a spring training invite. The trade market generally isn’t bursting with names this time of year, though Houston’s Jake Meyers has reportedly been available for much of the offseason and there are some obvious salary dump candidates (Tyler O’Neill, Nick Castellanos) if the Red Sox want to just pay a bit of cash without giving up much of anything in the way of prospects.
Ceddanne Rafaela is Boston’s only righty-swinging outfielder. He’ll be in the outfield every day, given that he’s arguably the game’s best defender there, but he doesn’t offer huge production at the plate. The rest of the Red Sox’ outfielders — Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida — hit from the left side of the plate. The Sox have suggested Abreu might get more run against lefties this year, but he’s a career .205/.271/.318 hitter in left-on-left matchups. Yoshida is a .237/.310/.340 hitter against southpaws. Duran held his own against lefties in 2023-24 but fell off again in 2025 and now sits on a lifetime .232/.284/.336 line against them. Anthony hit well against pitchers of either handedness in his debut last year but was better against righties.
Beyond the more obvious names listed above, spring training is sure to present plenty of outfield options for Boston to consider, whether it be via a waiver claim or small trade for a player who’s been designated for assignment or a veteran who signed a minor league deal elsewhere but returns to the market after not making his club’s roster. Chas McCormick, Dylan Moore and Stuart Fairchild are among the veteran righty-swinging outfielders who’ll be in camp with other teams this spring.
It’s not clear just how much more budget space Red Sox ownership is giving chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and his staff. RosterResource’s projections have the Sox about $20MM over the tax threshold. Any subsequent additions will thus be taxed at a 42% clip.
Red Sox Claim Mickey Gasper
The Red Sox announced that they have claimed utility player Mickey Gasper off waivers from the Nationals. Washington designated him for assignment last week when they claimed Richard Lovelady. Boston had a couple of 40-man openings after trading Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to the White Sox a few days ago. This claim moves their count from 38 to 39.
It’s a bit of a homecoming for Gasper. He was originally drafted by the Yankees but Boston plucked him away in the minor league portion of the 2023 Rule 5 draft. Gasper spent 2024 with the Sox and got to make a brief major league debut but then was traded to the Twins going into the 2025 season. He got some more major league action with Minnesota in 2025 but was mostly a depth piece. He’s been riding the DFA carousel this winter, going to the Nats and now the Red Sox via waivers.
Gasper, 30, still hasn’t done much at the major league level. In his 133 plate appearances, he has a .133/.250/.195 line. He has shown far more potential in the minors, however. He has taken 412 Triple-A appearances over the past two years with 18 home runs, a 13.3% walk rate, 14.1% strikeout rate, a .325/.427/.560 line and 158 wRC+.
If Gasper could bring even a portion of that minor league offense up to the big leagues, that would be great. Even if that doesn’t happen, he provides loads of defensive versatility. He has experience behind the plate, at the three non-shortstop infield positions and in left field. He hits from both sides of the plate as well, adding an extra layer of flexibility.
Gasper still has options and could be kept in the minors as depth. It’s also possible to see him providing value in a bench role in the big leagues. The Sox have been on the hunt for more catching depth behind Carlos Narváez. They have a few question marks on the infield. Their outfield is very lefty heavy and Rob Refsnyder is no longer around as a righty-swinging complement.
Boston will probably still make another move or two, which could change the picture, and injuries will inevitably arise to shake things up. Gasper’s role will depend on how everything plays out in the coming weeks and months, if he sticks on the roster.
Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images
MLBTR Podcast: Twins Front Office Shake-Up, The Brendan Donovan Trade, Eugenio Suarez, And More!
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Twins parting ways with president of baseball operations Derek Falvey (2:10)
- The Mariners getting Brendan Donovan in a three-team trade with the Cardinals and Rays (18:15)
- The Reds signing Eugenio Suárez (35:50)
- The Pirates reportedly just missing on Suárez and what they could still do at this late stage of the offseason (39:20)
- The Giants having an agreement Luis Arráez and also Harrison Bader (49:20)
- The White Sox acquiring Jordan Hicks from the Red Sox (58:35)
- The Athletics signing Jacob Wilson to an extension (1:12:20)
- Several players not being allowed to participate in the World Baseball Classic due to insurance issues (1:16:05)
Check out our past episodes!
- Examining MLB’s Parity Situation – Also, Bellinger, Peralta, Robert, And Gore – listen here
- What The Tucker And Bichette Contracts Mean For Baseball – Also, Nolan Arenado And Ranger Suarez – listen here
- The Cubs Land Cabrera And Bregman, Remaining Free Agents, And Skubal’s Arbitration Filing – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Joe Puetz, Imagn Images
Red Sox, Kyle Keller Agree To Minor League Deal
The Red Sox are in agreement with reliever Kyle Keller on a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Nello Gamberdino client would be paid a $1.9MM base salary if he makes the MLB roster.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive adds that the deal includes multiple assignment clauses, the first of which has a mid-April date. At that point, the Red Sox would need to make Keller available to other teams if they haven’t called him up. If another team is willing to add him to the MLB roster, Boston would need to call him up themselves or let him go.
It’s a stronger than average minor league deal for the 6’4″ righty. Keller makes his return to affiliated ball after pitching four seasons in Japan. He spent the first two seasons with the Hanshin Tigers and the most recent two years as a member of the Yomiuri Giants. Keller posted a 2.42 ERA across 152 1/3 innings during his NPB career. He’s coming off a 3.11 showing in 46 1/3 frames. He fanned an above-average 26.3% of batters faced but issued walks at a near-12% clip.
Keller didn’t land a guaranteed roster spot, but he’ll have a chance at solid earnings if he’s able to pitch his way to the big leagues early in the year. He appeared at the MLB level each season between 2019-21. Keller saw time with the Marlins, Angels and Pirates and combined for a 5.83 earned run average over 46 1/3 innings. He sat in the mid-90s with a decent curveball but didn’t throw strikes consistently enough to stick in a big league bullpen.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has stockpiled a decent amount of non-roster relief depth who can compete for jobs in camp. Keller joins Vinny Nittoli, Seth Martinez, Devin Sweet, Tayron Guerrero and Hobie Harris as minor league signees.
Red Sox, Vinny Nittoli Agree To Minor League Deal
The Red Sox have a minor league deal with reliever Vinny Nittoli, reports Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News. The Gaeta Sports Management client receives a non-roster invitation to MLB Spring Training.
Nittoli is now on the 12th organization of a decade-long professional career. The 35-year-old righty has gotten to the major league level with five of those clubs. His career high in MLB appearances with one team is seven, as he threw eight innings for the Athletics in 2024. Nittoli has had cups of coffee with the Mariners, Phillies, Mets and Orioles as well. He has logged 18 2/3 major league innings, striking out 13 against five walks while allowing five runs.
A former 25th round pick, Nittoli has spent six seasons at the Triple-A level. He owns a 4.76 earned run average in 223 innings despite a strong 28.3% strikeout rate. Nittoli combined for a 4.58 ERA with a 26% strikeout percentage and 8% walk rate between Baltimore’s and Milwaukee’s top affiliates last year. He worked primarily with a cutter that averaged 89 MPH while mixing in a low-90s sinker and low-80s curveball.
Nittoli is out of options, so he’d need to stick on the MLB roster or be exposed to waivers if the Red Sox call him up. He joins Seth Martinez, Hobie Harris, Devin Sweet and Tayron Guerrero as non-roster invites who have MLB experience.
Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins
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
White Sox Notes: Hicks, Sandlin, Leasure
The White Sox pulled off another significant transaction yesterday, acquiring right-handers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin, two players to be named later, and $8MM in cash (to help cover Hicks’ $24MM salary) for pitching prospect Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later. It is the third notable move in four days for Chicago, after the Pale Hose signed Seranthony Dominguez and Austin Hays to free agent contracts.
Between the $12MM owed to Hicks in 2026, Hays’ $6MM guarantee in a one-year deal, and the $8MM allotted for Dominguez in the first season of his two-year, $20MM contract, it adds up to a $26MM outlay for the White Sox on this trio for the upcoming season. It’s a pretty close match for the $20MM Chicago had committed to Luis Robert Jr. before the outfielder and his contract were dealt to the Mets on January 20.
“With the payroll flexibility that we gained through that move, we wanted to utilize that money toward players that could help us for the long term as we continue to take the next step. There are different avenues to do that,” White Sox GM Chris Getz told reporters (including SoxMachine’s James Fegan and MLB.com’s Scott Merkin), further noting that “adding a Sandlin is essentially part of a Luis Robert return.”
That’s a bit of a eyebrow-raising comment, given that Chicago’s payroll currently sits at a paltry $85.5MM, per RosterResource. To suggest that Sandlin’s acquisition was only possible in conjunction with a Robert trade would imply that the Chicago-based club can’t support a payroll that includes Robert, Dominguez, Hays and Hicks — but that would’ve only pushed the payroll to around $105MM. Perhaps owner Jerry Reinsdorf truly won’t green-light a payroll north of $100MM at present, but the South Siders trotted out a $181MM Opening Day payroll as recently as 2023 (and $193MM in 2022). Getz’s assertion that Sandlin is indirectly part of the Robert return is either a case of some serious spin or an eye-opening acknowledgement of severe budget restrictions put in place by Reinsdorf.
Regardless, it seems that Sandlin has been on Chicago’s radar for a good while now, and Getz views the hard-throwing right-hander as someone who’s “going to come into Spring Training and compete for a spot” in the team’s rotation. Sandlin has only 23 2/3 Triple-A innings to his name, and he struggled to a 7.61 ERA during that brief stint with Triple-A Worcester in 2025. Even if he doesn’t crack the club’s Opening Day rotation, it’s perfectly plausible that he’ll be an option to join the staff later in the season as he gets more experience at the top minor league level.
Beyond this young arm in Sandlin, Hicks brings some experience to the pitching staff, though he’s a pure rebound candidate. The righty posted a 6.95 ERA across 67 1/3 innings with the Giants and Red Sox in 2025, with subpar strikeout (18.5%) and walk (10.2%) rates. Hicks’ 4.41 SIERA also wasn’t great but is a better reflection of his performance, since it factored in some bad batted-ball luck, as the grounder specialist was hurt by a .352 average on balls in play.
Health was also a factor. Hicks spent a little under two months on the injured list dealing with toe inflammation and then tendinitis in his throwing shoulder. On this front, Hicks told media that he has recovered well, and is up to throwing 99.5mph in a recent bullpen session. “My body’s in a great place, probably the best it’s been since 2023,” Hicks said. “I’m fit for whatever role that the team needs me in. I think that I can do very well in both [starting and relieving]. I’m just excited for the opportunity mostly, and ready to get back on the field.”
For now, the White Sox plan to use Hicks as a relief pitcher, Getz stated. This isn’t surprising given how Hicks struggled as a starter with the Giants and was converted back to relief work partway through each of the last two seasons. Hicks has spent the bulk of his career in the ‘pen and had better results as a reliever than as a starter.
Speaking of relief pitchers, the White Sox discussed another reliever during their negotiations with the Red Sox. MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that the two sides “had serious discussions” about including Jordan Leasure in the deal before the Red Sox instead went with Ziehl as the named player in the two-player return.
Whereas Ziehl has yet to reach Triple-A, the 27-year-old Leasure has two seasons of MLB experience, with 101 games for Chicago. Leasure made his debut in 2024 and posted a 6.32 ERA over 31 1/3 innings, but improved on that mark significantly with a 3.92 ERA and 30.1% strikeout rate over 64 1/3 frames in 2025. The right-hander’s 11.2% walk rate was still on the high side, but a step up from Leasure’s 12.7 BB% in 2024.
There’s no real reason to think Chicago is actively shopping Leasure, but it’s of some note that they at least considered it — particularly with how many clubs around the league are looking for affordable bullpen help. Leasure will pitch the bulk of the upcoming season at 27 (28 in mid-August), has a pair of minor league options remaining, and won’t be arbitration-eligible until next offseason, when he’ll likely be a Super Two player.