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Poll: Should The Brewers Trade Freddy Peralta?

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Seemingly every season, one of the Brewers’ top players is involved in the rumor mill. Whether it’s Corbin Burnes or Devin Williams, the Brewers’ consistent ability to compete combined with a shoestring budget leave them with an assortment of quality players who will naturally pop up in trade rumors as they near the end of their windows of team control with the club. This year, the next star up to be discussed is right-hander Freddy Peralta.

Peralta, 29, may not be on the same level of star power as someone like Burnes but he’s still an exciting pitcher in his own right. Since joining Milwaukee’s rotation full time in 2021, Peralta has been among the game’s most reliable starters with a 3.30 ERA and 3.65 FIP across 738 1/3 innings of work. He’s struck out an impressive 29.6% of his opponents in that time while walking 9.0%, and he actually enjoyed a career year this season as he posted a 2.70 ERA in 176 2/3 frames and finished fifth in NL Cy Young award voting.

It goes without saying that Peralta is the sort of pitcher that literally any rotation in baseball could benefit from adding, even if he isn’t a “true ace” on the level of Burnes or someone like Tarik Skubal of the Tigers. The quality of Peralta’s arm is already enough to make him an attractive trade candidate by himself, and with teams like the Red Sox and Mets known to be in the market for pitching help this winter, there’s plenty of enticing young talent the Brewers could try to land in exchange for the right-hander’s services.

The fact that he’ll make just $8MM in 2026 should only serve to increase his market, with teams like the Padres facing financial constraints and clubs that typically put together lower overall budgets like the Orioles and Rays not necessarily being forced out of the bidding by financial considerations. The Giants, Braves, and Blue Jays are among a number of clubs known to be on the hunt for starting pitching help this winter as well, so it’s easy to see a robust market forming if Milwaukee decides to dangle Peralta.

All of that makes it very easy to see why the rumor mill has suggested a Peralta trade could be on the horizon this winter. Between the Burnes (Joey Ortiz) and Williams (Caleb Durbin) trades, the entire left side of the infield that took Milwaukee to the NLCS this year as acquired by shipping a talented pitcher on an expiring contract to the AL East during the offseason. The argument can very easily be made for the team to try to repeat history, locking down a controllable piece or two who could fill a hole somewhere on the roster while leaning on the team’s ever-expanding group of young arms to make up for the gap left by Peralta’s departure. Jacob Misiorowski, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, Tobias Myers, and Robert Gasser could all be in the mix to start games for the Brew Crew next year, to say nothing of players like Aaron Ashby and DL Hall who currently pitch out of the bullpen.

With all that being said, the Brewers’ front office has thrown some cold water on the trade rumors for the time being. President of baseball operations Matt Arnold recently indicated that he expects Peralta to remain a Brewer in 2026. While it would be a bit of a departure from their usual model to keep Peralta, it wouldn’t be totally unprecedented. The club kept Willy Adames in the fold until he walked in free agency last winter and simply issued him a qualifying offer to recoup draft capital when he signed in San Francisco. They could certainly look to take a similar path with Peralta, particularly given the fact that they no longer have another proven high-end arm to fall back the way they did when they traded Burnes.

Additionally, Peralta’s $8MM salary wouldn’t open up new possibilities financially the way a trade of someone making more money like Burnes did, as $8MM is often the sort of money second-division hitters and bullpen pieces make in today’s free agent market. There’s also nothing stopping Milwaukee from reversing course at the deadline if the team doesn’t meet expectations in the first half. Though after a year where they posted the best record in baseball, that outcome seems fairly unlikely.

Arguably, this all means that the decision on whether or not to trade Peralta should come entirely down to the sort of return the Brewers can get for him. If multiple big-league ready and potentially impactful pieces are available, as was the case when they landed Ortiz and Hall from the Orioles in exchange for Burnes, then perhaps that’s worth weakening the front of the rotation. If the right-hander isn’t valued that highly by the market, however, it could be the case that Milwaukee is better off going the same route they did with Adames and keeping their star player in the fold for his walk year.

How do MLBTR readers view Peralta’s trade candidacy? Should Milwaukee trade him this winter to keep their perennial contention machine well-stocked? Or should they hold onto him and try to build on one of the best seasons in franchise history with him in the fold? Have your say in the poll below:

Poll: Which Team Will Sign Munetaka Murakami?

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A big bat joined the free agent market last week when the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball posted Munetaka Murakami for MLB clubs. The 25-year-old bashed 246 home runs in eight NPB seasons, including a single-season record 56 in 2022. Murakami is behind only Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette among hitters in our Top 50 Free Agents list.

Murakami isn’t without flaws, as contact and defense are question marks. The slugger has posted strikeout rates above 28% in each of the past three seasons. Murakami would be strikeout-prone if he did that in the big leagues, but in the typically lower-strikeout NPB, it’s a bit alarming. Third base has been Murakami’s home in recent years, but he might not stick at the position long-term. Scouts grade him as a middling defender who might be better suited for first base or DH.

Even with some red flags, there’s an expectation that Murakami is going to garner offers well into the nine figures. MLBTR predicted an eight-year, $180MM pact. So who will take the plunge? Here’s a look at some of the options:

Dodgers

Any time a notable free agent is discussed, the free-spending Dodgers will be in the conversation. That’s especially true when the player in question is coming over from Japan, as Los Angeles already boasts Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki. The fit, however, is less than ideal. The Dodgers have Ohtani plugged into the DH spot on a daily basis. Freddie Freeman will hold down first base through 2027. The Dodgers picked up Max Muncy’s club option and will have him at third base again next year, barring a trade. Murakami did make a start in the outfield this past season, so maybe that would be an avenue for the Dodgers to make it work, but it’d be surprising to see him signed and plugged into the outfield on a full-time basis.

Mets

We know Steve Cohen has no problem opening up the checkbook. The Mets are a fairly straightforward fit if they choose not to re-sign Pete Alonso, who opted out last week. The team has Mark Vientos and Brett Baty penciled in at the corners right now, though neither has run away with past opportunities. Ronny Mauricio will also factor into that mix. The Mets don’t have a firm option at DH either, so there’s room to add a hitter with Murakami’s profile. President of baseball operations David Stearns was spotted scouting Murakami in person this year (though several other high-profile executives did the same, so he’s hardly unique in that regard).

Yankees

The Yankees seem more likely to add on the pitching side, but they can never be ruled out in these types of free agent scenarios. Like the Dodgers, the fit for New York isn’t seamless. Ben Rice put together a breakout 2025 campaign and should be a fixture at first base, though he also made some starts at catcher last season. Ryan McMahon was acquired midseason to sure up the third base spot. Giancarlo Stanton is planted at DH. George Lombard Jr. could factor into the infield calculus soon. As with the Dodgers, the Yankees could try to make room for Murakami with a trade (e.g. McMahon, Rice), but this isn’t a clean fit as the roster is currently constructed.

Red Sox

Boston is a decent fit, especially after Alex Bregman opted out. Nathaniel Lowe is likely to be non-tendered. Masataka Yoshida, frequently manning the DH spot, has been a subject of trade speculation for the past year. Triston Casas is returning from a significant knee injury. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow didn’t exactly hand Casas the job when he gets back. “I don’t think it makes a ton of sense on October 6 to say someone is or isn’t our first baseman. We’ll see how things play out,” Breslow told reporters shortly after the season ended. A small move or two could free up space for Murakami at DH or a corner infield spot.

Cubs

The Cubs got a strong season from first baseman Michael Busch and have Matt Shaw holding down third base, though DH reps could be available depending on the plan for Moises Ballesteros. And it’s not like Shaw staked his claim to the hot corner permanently, with a .669 OPS in his rookie campaign. The Cubs are known to be in the market for rotation and bullpen help this winter, but they’ve won high-profile bidding on Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga in recent offseasons.

Blue Jays

The Jays are typically at least in the mix for every prominent free agent in a given offseason these days. They haven’t reeled in many of the highest-profile names they’ve pursued in recent offseasons, but they’re coming off a run to Game 7 of the World Series. That gives them some extra financial resources and also makes a compelling selling point to free agents who want to be sure they’re joining a contender. Toronto has Vladimir Guerrero Jr. installed at first base. George Springer will likely get the bulk of the DH reps in 2026 but is a free agent next offseason. Murakami could split time between third base, first base and DH in ’26, with Addison Barger playing right field on days he’s at the hot corner and Guerrero getting a DH breather on days when Murakami is at first base.

Padres

The Padres regularly find themselves in the bidding for star players — both established MLB names and high-profile talents making the jump from overseas. They’ve got Gavin Sheets likely to hold down first base or designated hitter but lack a clear option otherwise. The Padres have been scaling back payroll in recent years, which makes this a tougher fit, but president of baseball operations A.J. Preller could always find a creative means of opening some financial wiggle room on the trade market.

Angels

The Angels have no real answer at third base, where Anthony Rendon is finally entering the final season of his contract. Yoan Moncada and Luis Rengifo are free agents. First baseman Nolan Schanuel has held his own but hasn’t been an impact hitter. The DH spot is clogged up thanks to the glut of corner outfielders on the roster (Mike Trout, Jo Adell, Taylor Ward, Jorge Soler), but the Halos could feasibly deal one of Ward or Adell. This would be the biggest swing they’ve taken in free agency since signing Rendon to his ill-fated deal, but there’s a fit and Trout is only real long-term commitment left on the books. Only Trout and Yusei Kikuchi are signed beyond 2026 (and only Trout is signed beyond ’27).

The field

Given Murakami’s rare blend of youth, power and overseas track record, we could see a dark horse candidate emerge for his services. In terms of production, the Nationals, Cubs, Reds and Pirates ranked bottom four in OPS at third base, while the White Sox, Rockies, Marlins and Giants brought up the rear at first base. San Francisco made a splash in the international market recently, landing Jung Hoo Lee on a six-year, $113MM deal ahead of the 2024 season. It’s just hard to see where Murakami would play, assuming Bryce Eldridge has a significant role next season. It’s also possible a smaller-market team could step up and pursues Murakami as a potential face of the franchise.

Where do MLBTR readers think Murakami will land this offseason? Cast your vote in the poll below:

Poll: Should The Mets Trade Kodai Senga?

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After missing the playoffs this year, the Mets are poised to aggressively shake up their pitching staff this winter. Their starters posted a 4.13 ERA this year, good for just 18th in baseball, and that’s in part due to the cautious approach they took to building their staff last year.

After spending a massive amount to lure Juan Soto to Queens, president of baseball operations David Stearns seemed reluctant to engage the top free agent starters too aggressively and wound up focusing on mid-level and bounceback arms instead. Clay Holmes converted from the bullpen to the rotation, New York took a flier on Frankie Montas after a weak 2024, and the big addition was a reunion with Sean Manaea. The strategy did not work out. Holmes did fine, turning in a solid mid-rotation performance, but Montas barely pitched and turned in atrocious results when he did, while Manaea was limited to just 15 appearances and was moved to the bullpen late in the year amid his own struggles.

On paper, the Mets head into the offseason with a full rotation for 2026: Holmes, Manaea, and right-hander Kodai Senga are all under contract, and controllable arms like David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat give the team more than enough arms to fill out a rotation. McLean is widely viewed as a front-of-the-rotation caliber arm, but relying on him to be an ace after just eight MLB starts would be risky. Tong and Sproat are even less established with lower ceilings, and each of Holmes, Manaea, and Peterson fit better in the middle to back of a team’s rotation.

Aside from McLean, Senga has the highest ceiling of all the club’s starting pitching options. In 52 starts with the Mets over the past three years, he’s pitched to a 3.00 ERA and a 3.82 FIP with a 26.8% strikeout rate. Those are generally quite impressive numbers, and on paper it might seem like the Mets can count on McLean and Senga as a potential front-of-the-rotation duo for next year.

That only appears to be the case on paper, however. After a strong rookie season in the majors, Senga missed all but one start in 2024 due to shoulder and calf issues. He returned to the mound in 2025 and looked like his old self early on, with a 1.47 ERA and 3.24 FIP across 73 2/3 innings of work through mid-June. He missed a month due to a hamstring strain that brought that stretch to an end, however, and when he returned he looked like a shell of himself. He pitched to a 5.90 ERA with a 5.76 FIP across his final nine appearances of the year, struck out just 20.6% of his opponents, and walked 12.7%. He pitched into the sixth inning just once in that time, and failed to finish the fifth inning in six of those starts.

Things got bad enough for Senga that he was optioned to Triple-A in early September, a move that he consented to. Even at the club’s Syracuse affiliate, he struggled to a 4.66 ERA across two starts before his season came to a close in mid-September. Last month, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo indicated that the Mets don’t know what to expect from Senga in 2026. Even if they had made the playoffs, Senga would’ve only been activated to the playoff roster if the club suffered multiple injuries to the rotation. It’s harder to know if a pitcher who will be 33 in January will bounce back than it would be for a younger arm, as well. Stearns’s postseason words on Senga weren’t exactly a vote of confidence, either:

“Kodai has had two very inconsistent, challenging years in a row,” Stearns said, as relayed by DiComo. “We know it’s in there. We know there’s potential. We’re going to do everything we can to help get it out of him. But look, can we put him in ink as making 30 starts next year? I think that would be foolish.”

So, with more starting pitchers than they have spots for and a desire to bring in more surefire options, would the Mets entertain a trade for Senga? It’s possible that a change of scenery could make sense for both sides. Senga could prefer to get a fresh start in 2026 with a club that can offer him a more reliable rotation spot than the Mets might be able to, and New York might see a trade as a way to bolster their pipeline of young talent during an offseason where they might look to get aggressive on the trade market to improve the rotation.

The Mets haven’t been a team concerned with posting sky-high payrolls under Steve Cohen, but if they do have a desire to cut payroll to a less extreme level this winter, then parting with a $15MM hit in luxury tax dollars could be attractive as well. On the other hand, Senga’s potential would be hard to part with. He’s clearly shown himself capable of being a front-of-the-rotation caliber arm as recently as the first half of this season. If the right-hander manages to get back on track elsewhere, it would be a tough pill for the Mets to swallow.

While Senga’s deep struggles and uncertain future might make the Mets willing to listen to offers on Senga, his potential might lead them to keep the asking price for his services quite high. Perhaps there’s a deal to be worked out with a team willing to bet on Senga and surrender a controllable position player at an area of need for the Mets, like first base or center field. The Red Sox stand out as one intriguing fit given Triston Casas’s own uncertain future and high upside, not to mention the rumblings that have connected Boston to Mets slugger Pete Alonso in free agency.

How do MLBTR readers think the Mets will approach Senga this offseason? Will they look to keep him in the fold, even as he approaches his mid-30s with no guarantees he’ll bounce back? Or could they look to move him this winter to bolster the roster in other areas and avoid that risk? Have your say in the poll below:

Poll: Should The Marlins Keep Their Rotation Together This Winter?

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While the 2025 season started off rough for the Marlins, things turned around in a big way once the calendar flipped to June. After going 23-33 through the end of May, Miami went 56-50 from June onward. That’s nearly an 86-win pace if maintained over the course of a full season. Coming off a year where 83 wins was all it took to secure a Wild Card spot in the NL, it’s not hard to imagine the rebuilding Marlins making the jump into legitimate contention next year.

That relative success this season came through steps forward across the roster. Liam Hicks and Agustin Ramirez provided intriguing results from the catcher position. An outfield trio of Kyle Stowers, Jakob Marsee, and Griffin Conine figures to have real potential next year. The combination of Ronny Henriquez, Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher, Andrew Nardi, and Tyler Phillips has the look of a legitimate relief corps as well. Those areas still need reinforcements, of course. The Marlins are expected to take a look at the high leverage relief market and add a bat this winter for a reason.

The team’s rotation is the one place where there’s really no need for an upgrade. If healthy and firing on all cylinders, a starting five that features Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera, Eury Perez, Braxton Garrett, and Ryan Weathers could be among the best in the majors next year. Arms like Max Meyer, Janson Junk, and Ryan Gusto offer legitimate depth behind that five as well, which will be important given the lengthy injury histories across that group. Thomas White and Robby Snelling, two of the club’s top prospects, reached Triple-A in 2025.

The combination of Miami’s questionable competitive status, that impressive pitching depth behind the starting five, and a number of exciting pitchers within the rotation itself has made the idea of the Marlins trading a pitcher for help on offense a widely-discussed possibility over the years. The team certainly isn’t opposed to the idea in theory, having already traded Pablo Lopez to the Twins to land Luis Arraez years ago and then shipping Jesus Luzardo to the Phillies for prospects last winter.

Now that the team is returning to competitiveness, however, are they really best served by dealing away someone like Alcantara or Cabrera? Alcantara is the Marlins’ only guaranteed contract on the books for next year, and they have zero guaranteed dollars on the books for 2027. Even for a small market team that routinely runs some of the lowest budgets in the league, that’s enough payroll flexibility that no hitter this side of Kyle Tucker appears to be completely out of reach. While it would be a surprise to see the Marlins make a splash for someone like Alex Bregman, it’s not hard to imagine the team being able to build out its lineup in free agency by targeting players like Ryan O’Hearn or Rhys Hoskins.

Signing a player in that tier would hardly be a major financial burden and it would allow them to reshape their offense without having to trade from their strong rotation group. With that being said, it’s unclear what sort of spending Marlins ownership might give the green light to this winter. If there isn’t room in the budget to add, then it would certainly be better to trade from the rotation.

It’s also possible that, in a class of starters that lacks a true shutdown ace like Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, or Yoshinobu Yamamoto from recent years, teams will be hungry enough for starting pitching that the Marlins receive an offer they can’t refuse. As much as this rotation is a strength if kept together, would it make sense to do so if they could get a legitimate upgrade in a trade?

The majority of contending clubs will be likely to pursue starting pitching help this winter. Many of those will have young infield prospects or players they could offer the Marlins in exchange for a starter. If the Marlins see any of those players as a potential anchor for their lineup, giving up a member of a rotation that would remain full of quality options even after a trade might wind up looking like a relatively small price to pay.

How do MLBTR readers think the Marlins should handle their rotation this offseason? Should they hold their starters and try to upgrade the infield through free agency, or would they be better off trading a starter to restock their infield? Have your say in the poll below:

Poll: Will The Rays Trade Brandon Lowe This Winter?

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It’s no secret that the Rays operate differently from virtually every other team in baseball. They trade from and reshape their roster aggressively at virtually every opportunity in order to keep the team from ever needing to rebuild, and it’s a system that’s worked for quite some time at this point. From Willy Adames to Tyler Glasnow to Randy Arozarena, most players don’t stay in Tampa for long and get traded before they’d actually have a chance to sniff free agency and walk away for nothing.

The conventional wisdom for quite some time has been that as a Rays star nears free agency, a trade is inevitable. That would seemingly spell the end of Brandon Lowe’s time with the team. He can be retained via a $11.5MM club option in 2026 but is set to reach free agency after that. Tampa is coming off an 85-loss season in 2025, a worrying sign for a team that hasn’t lost more games than that since 2007. For most clubs, that would further reinforce the need to trade Lowe and focus on the future. With that being said, the Rays aren’t most clubs. Could they continue to zag where other teams would zig and view a tough 2025 season as all the more reason to keep Lowe in the fold?

The 31-year-old is coming off his second All-Star appearance but had a fairly typical season by his standards. In 134 games this year, Lowe slashed .256/.307/.477 with 31 homers and 19 doubles. That performance was good for a wRC+ of 114, and he’s typically been around 15 to 25% better than league average by that measure throughout his career. Pretty much any team that doesn’t employ Ketel Marte would happily take that sort of offensive production from the keystone, but Lowe’s offense is especially important for Tampa given that he was one of just four above-average hitters on the roster in 2025 alongside Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero, and Yandy Diaz.

That left the Rays as a below average offensive club despite banner seasons from both Aranda and Caminero, with a collective wRC+ of 98 as a team. They also ranked in the bottom half of the league in home runs this year, with the aforementioned four players accounting for 115 of the club’s 182 bombs. Tampa’s offense is one in need of addition rather than subtraction, and it’s hard to imagine the Rays getting more production out of the second base position by trading Lowe away.

Perhaps if the Rays had an elite option waiting in the wings to take over, as they did when they traded Paredes to clear the deck for Caminero, trading Lowe would be an easy call. But it’s more difficult to stick to the typical Tampa playbook when internal options to replace him are somewhat lackluster. Christopher Morel hasn’t panned out since being acquired in the Isaac Paredes trade, and while Carson Williams is a top prospect with a chance to impact the club in 2026, the Rays would be better served allowing him to push Taylor Walls back into a bench role than moving Lowe to make room for him at the keystone. Richie Palacios could be an interesting solution, but moving him to second would only further weaken an outfield that already needs reinforcements.

While the arguments for keeping Lowe in the fold are clear, there is reason to at least consider trading him despite those concerns. Lowe is arguably on the downswing at the moment. His .307 on-base percentage this year was the worst of his career. After walking at a reliable 10%+ clip throughout the majority of his career, he’s now seen his walk rate drop precipitously in back-to-back seasons. He went from 11.5% in 2023 to 7.8% and 6.9% in the two most recent campaigns.

This year was his worst defensive season at second base, and an infield with Williams at second base and Walls at shortstop would be a massive improvement defensively. While that combination wouldn’t hit as well as Lowe and Williams, an outfield that generated a paltry 85 wRC+ this year would be relatively easy to improve and make up for the loss of Lowe’s bat.

Looking at the team’s situation more broadly, Aranda and Caminero are under team control through 2029 and 2030 respectively while Williams figures to be controlled through 2031. That’s an exciting core of young talent, but they’ll need reinforcements as players like Lowe, Pete Fairbanks, Diaz, Shane McClanahan, and Drew Rasmussen depart the organization over the next two seasons. Letting Lowe walk for nothing would be a big risk for the team’s long-term competitive future, especially if the team’s new ownership group isn’t interested in escalating a bottom-of-the-barrel payroll.

On the other hand, Lowe’s apparent decline might make potential suitors hesitant to give up significant value for him. Installing Lowe in an outfield corner, where he already has 50 career appearances, would be an alternative way to both mitigate the concerns about his defensive ability on the infield while also getting more offensive production from the outfield next year. However, Lowe hasn’t played on the grass since 2022.

The Rays also don’t find themselves hurting for payroll flexibility this offseason as much as they do most years after offloading Ha-Seong Kim, Danny Jansen, and Zack Littell from their books during the season. They could even still recoup value for Lowe at the deadline if they find themselves in position to sell for the third year in a row.

How do MLBTR readers think the Rays will handle Lowe this offseason? Will he still be with the team come Opening Day, or will they trade him before then? Have your say in the poll below:

Poll: Are The Angels More Likely To Trade Taylor Ward Or Jo Adell?

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After an all-too familiar losing season, even with Mike Trout playing more than he has in years, the Angels are headed into yet another offseason where they’ll be looking to pull the franchise out of its rut and finally get back into contention. This year, the Angels have highlighted two areas they hope to improve headed into 2026: center field and third base. The hot corner should be fairly straightforward to upgrade, seeing as Yoan Moncada’s impending free agency leaves no clear incumbent at the position outside of injured veteran Anthony Rendon, whose future is unclear at this point. Center field, however, will be more complicated.

That’s because the Angels already have four outfielders for the 2026 season: Trout, Jorge Soler, Jo Adell, and Taylor Ward. Trout moved off center field this past season in hopes of staying healthier. While he spent much of these season in a DH-only role, the club has indicated that they hope to use him in right field on a regular basis next year. That would allow Soler to reclaim his job as the club’s regular DH, which would be good news given that playing the outfield this year in deference to Trout created some injury issues for Soler throughout the season.

With Trout and Soler handling right field and DH, that leaves Adell and Ward. Adell handled center in Trout’s place this year, and the former top prospect actually had a career year as he slugged 37 homers and posted a wRC+ of 112. He graded out disastrously with the glove in center field, however, and is clearly better suited for corner outfield duty. That’s why the Angels would like to bring in a center fielder, but Ward had an excellent season in his own right as the club’s left fielder with 36 home runs and a wRC+ of 117. If the Halos are going to add a center fielder, they’ll need to solve that logjam.

Who would be better for the club to part ways with, between Ward and Adell? There’s certainly arguments on both sides of the conversation. Ward has been far more consistent throughout his career, with five straight above average seasons by wRC+ and 106 home runs in 610 games during that time. It would be tough for the club to compete next year if they subtract that sort of reliable production from a team that was already bottom-five in baseball this year by wRC+. With that said, Ward has just one year left in arbitration before he reaches free agency and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $13.7MM salary in 2026. Trading Ward would have minimal impact on the club beyond 2026 and could actually open up some space in the budget to more aggressively pursue additions to other parts of the roster.

By contrast, there’s a real chance that Adell’s season was a simple flash in the pan. This was his first season of even league average production since breaking into the majors in 2020, after all. It’s entirely possible that trading Adell could be something that doesn’t come back to bite the Angels at all, and they would simply be selling (relatively) high on their former top prospect before he regresses back to the unproductive form he’s shown in prior seasons. On the other hand, however, the upside of keeping Adell is considerable. He’s still just 26 years old and remains under team control for both the 2026 and ’27 seasons while projecting for a far less onerous $5.5MM salary in next season. If Adell’s breakout this season was sustainable, trading him would hurt the Halos both in the present and in the future.

Of course, it’s possible that neither one winds up traded. The Angels could simply forgo their preferred addition of a true center fielder and install Adell at the position again next year, eschewing defense and hoping that an offseason of work on his fielding could yield better results. Another way to keep both Adell and Ward in the lineup would be trying to find a taker on Soler. If they were to move him, that would allow Ward to remain in left while Trout and Adell share right field and DH in a timeshare dictated by Trout’s health. That seems like an ideal scenario, but it’s unfortunately little more than a pipe dream. Soler is owed $13MM in 2026 and posted an 88 wRC+ with negative WAR last year, so it seems unlikely the Angels would be able to move him without eating the vast majority of his salary. The club is surely better off hoping for a rebound from Soler and trading one of Ward or Adell for actual value.

How do MLBTR readers think the Halos will approach their outfield conundrum this winter? When the team arrives at Spring Training, will Ward or Adell be penciled in as the club’s starting left fielder? Have your say in the poll below:

Poll: Are The Mets Likelier To Re-Sign Pete Alonso Or Edwin Diaz?

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Coming off an epic collapse and a non-playoff season, there are plenty of questions facing the Mets heading into the offseason.  As the club explores ways to get better, however, they face a couple of big decisions just in regards to keeping two long-time roster staples in first baseman Pete Alonso and closer Edwin Diaz.  Alonso has already said he will be declining his $24MM player option for 2026 in order to re-enter free agency, and Diaz is widely expected to test the market as well by declining his player options for the 2026-27 seasons (as per the terms of Diaz’s deal, he must exercise or decline both options at once).

Many Mets fans will make the point that the club could or should just re-sign both players.  Money isn’t really an object for a team that has boasted record payrolls under Steve Cohen’s ownership, and Alonso and Diaz are each coming off big seasons.  For all of the Mets’ issues in 2025, Alonso and Diaz weren’t part of the problem — Alonso hit .272/.347/.524 with 38 home runs over 709 plate appearances, and Diaz recorded 28 saves while posting a 1.63 ERA and 38% strikeout rate over 66 1/3 innings.

Retaining either player, of course, comes with a few concerns.  The Mets and Alonso just went through this free agent dance last winter, as after a lack of interest from other suitors and a protracted series of negotiations with New York’s front office, Alonso settled for a two-year, $54MM deal with an opt-out clause after the first season.  Alonso’s goal of entering the market with a better platform season came to fruition, and he also won’t have the qualifying offer attached to his services this time, for any clubs concerned over giving up draft picks to sign him.

While Alonso’s numbers were decidedly better in 2025 than in 2024, the question of whether or not Alonso was still a top-tier bat wasn’t really one of the chief concerns facing the Mets or other free agent suitors last offseason.  Alonso is a right-handed hitting first base-only player, and the market simply hasn’t been too welcoming to such players in recent years, no matter how much pop is in their bats.  Speaking of defense, Alonso’s subpar glovework has him pointed towards a future as a DH, so any team signing the slugger will face the immediate question over how much longer they’re willing to deploy him at first base.  If Alonso projects as a one-dimensional player going forward, the fact that he’s entering his age-31 season means that he is one year closer to the end of his prime.

One plus in Alonso’s favor is his extreme durability.  Diaz is entering his age-32 season, and his health record includes a 2023 season entirely lost due to knee surgery, and a (minimal) stint on the 15-day injured list in 2024 due to a shoulder impingement.  While Diaz isn’t showing any signs of slowing down on the mound, there are also the natural concerns present when considering any bullpen arm for a long-term contract, given how inconsistent most relievers can be on a year-to-year basis.

Diaz’s knee injury obviously hadn’t happened at the time of his last foray into free agency, but larger concerns over his future performance didn’t weigh too heavily on the Mets’ minds in 2022 when the team quickly re-signed the righty to his five-year, $102MM deal soon after the free agent market opened.  Cohen was naturally the one making the final call on Diaz’s new contract, though it is worth noting that Billy Eppler was New York’s general manager at the time of that signing.

Current president of baseball operations David Stearns may well have a different view of Diaz’s value, which is why MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo feels that if the Mets only keep one of the two star free agents, “Alonso has a better chance of staying.”  Stearns has traditionally preferred to build his bullpens with relievers on shorter-term commitments, both when he was running the Brewers’ front office (and focusing more on inexpensive hidden-gem types) and during his two years in Queens (when working with a much larger payroll).

DiComo also observed that “just about everyone needs relief pitching,” so while perhaps only a few teams may be able to meet Diaz’s expected price tag, “Díaz is also likely to have at least as many suitors as Alonso.”  Diaz’s age is a factor in another sense here, as SNY’s Andy Martino points out that Diaz may view this trip to free agency as his “last bite at the apple at getting a huge contract.”  Despite the mutual interest between Diaz and the Mets in a reunion, he might not be able to resist taking the larger offer if a closer-needy team outbids the Mets in years.

Could it be possible that both Alonso and Diaz have played their last game in a Mets uniform?  This seems like perhaps the least-likely scenario, as then the Mets would have to add both first base and closer to an offseason shopping list that is already headlined by a severe need for starting pitching.  Technically, letting both Alonso and Diaz walk would free up more payroll room for the Amazins to splurge on rotation help, or for the club to pursue other quality first base or high-leverage relief that would come at lower price tags.  But, “payroll room” is probably not a big deal to a club with a more or less endless budget.  And, letting two fan favorites go in the same offseason might not appeal to a Mets fanbase that is already upset over the disappointment of 2025.

What do you think will happen with the Mets and these two big free agent decisions? Vote now in our poll.

Poll: Will The White Sox Trade Andrew Benintendi This Winter?

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After winning 19 more times in 2025 than they did last season, the White Sox are showing some signs of life for the first time in a while. The beginnings of a young core centered around top prospects Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel, both of whom impressed in their MLB debuts this year, as well as Rule 5 pick Shane Smith, appear to be forming. Controllable pieces like Miguel Vargas, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and Wikelman Gonzalez have the look of what could be a solid supporting cast, as well.

Even with those steps forward acknowledged, however, it must be understood that the White Sox remain a long way from contention. Even with all of that improvement over a historically disastrous 2024 campaign, they still lost more than 100 games for the third consecutive season. They finished the season a whopping 28 games back of the Guardians for the division lead and a 2-2 record in March is the only thing preventing them from having lost more games than they won in every month of this year’s campaign. A 28-37 record after the All-Star break was certainly an improvement over a 32-65 first half, but even that second half record was a 92-loss pace. They allowed the 10th most runs in the majors this year while scoring the fourth fewest.

In other words, contention in 2026 remains a pipe dream on the south side of Chicago even after this season’s improvements. That surely means another year of prioritizing a farm system that has fallen into the middle of the pack on both ESPN and MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings after the graduations of Montgomery, Teel, and Edgar Quero. Unfortunately for the White Sox, they’re running out of tradable assets. A Luis Robert Jr. trade has been speculated upon for years now, but appears to be just as much of a non-starter now as it was over the summer. Mike Tauchman’s impressive 2025 campaign could make him an attractive target for a team in need of outfield help on the cheap, but no journeyman outfielder headed into his age-35 season should be expected to bring back a big return. Players like Vargas and Lenyn Sosa won’t be free agents until after the 2029 season, a point by which the Sox are surely hoping to be back in contention.

With so few resources through which they can upgrade their farm system on the trade market, might outfielder Andrew Benintendi actually prove to be their best asset on the trade market? Benintendi is coming off his best season in a White Sox uniform, though that bar is quite low. He hit .240/.307/.431 (103 wRC+) in 116 games this year with 20 home runs, an 8.5% walk rate, and a 17.4% strikeout rate. Poor defense in left field limited Benintendi’s overall value, but he was still worth 1.0 bWAR in less than a full season of work. Heading into his age-31 season, it’s not completely impossible to imagine Benintendi building on last year’s performance and getting back into the 110 wRC+ range he sat comfortably in for his career prior to arriving in Chicago.

If Benintendi were a free agent this winter, an outfield-needy team without much money to spend surely would have interest in his services for 2025. The problem, then, is Benintendi’s contract. $31MM guaranteed over the next two seasons is hardly the most onerous contract out there, but it’s still far more money than the veteran’s production has been worth, and no team is likely to be eager to take that deal of Chicago’s hands, much less surrender significant prospect talent for it.

With that being said, the White Sox have reportedly expressed willingness as recently as this summer to pay down some of Benintendi’s salary in order to facilitate a deal. To get a meaningful return for him, the Sox would surely need to cover the vast majority of his salary for the next two years. That might not be as unreasonable as it would seem, given that RosterResource projects the club for a payroll of just $45MM next year as things stand. That figure doesn’t include the $20MM club option on Luis Robert Jr.’s services next year, but even so, the White Sox should have plenty of money to work with this winter. Essentially buying a better prospect return from a club acquiring Benintendi by paying down his salary could be the best use of those resources.

With that said, there are some obstacles to that plan. For one thing, the White Sox have shown a reluctance to sell low on their players, as shown in their handling of Robert. Another problem could be that the best fits for Benintendi might be the team’s division rivals. Small-market clubs in significant need of outfield help would be the perfect trade partners for a deal like this, but both the Royals and Guardians reside in the AL Central alongside the White Sox, and it’s unclear if the the team would be willing to pay Benintendi to play for their direct opponents for the next two seasons.

The Pirates and Rockies are two other clubs that could be at least plausible fits for a Benintendi trade, but the market would surely be much softer if Cleveland and Kansas City aren’t involved. Another option could be to simply accept little to no return for Benintendi and try to offload as much of his salary as possible, though that wouldn’t do much for the team’s long-term outlook given their existing financial flexibility.

How do MLBTR readers think the White Sox offseason will play out with regards to Benintendi? Will they be able to leverage his decent 2025 season in order to get some type of return for him this winter? Will they resort to trading him in a salary dump to get a portion of his deal off the books while they can? Or will they hold onto him and hope for improvement in 2026? Have your say in the poll below:

Poll: Who Will Win The World Series?

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This year’s World Series teams are officially set.  The Blue Jays managed to come back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the ALCS to defeat the Mariners in Game 7 last night, thanks to a three-run homer from George Springer. Toronto is now poised to face the Dodgers after L.A. swept the Brewers out of the NLCS on the back of perhaps the greatest single-game performance of all time from Shohei Ohtani in Game 4. How do the Jays and Dodgers match up against each other?

It’s hard not to see the Dodgers as the titan in this series. They have MLB’s largest payroll and a roster littered with superstars. They’re gunning for their third championship in the past six seasons and have been to the Fall Classic five times in the past decade. On top of that, they’ve been utterly dominant this postseason with a combined 9-1 record against the Reds, Phillies, and Brewers. A rotation featuring Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow is among the most frightening in the league and is firing on all cylinders at the moment.

Given that combination of postseason experience, October dominance, and an All-Star rotation, it might seem hard to imagine Toronto being able to put up much of a fight against Los Angeles. After all, this is just the Jays’ third trip to the World Series in team history, and they’ve had to battle every step of the way to get here. They won the AL East off of a tiebreaker, and went to four games against the Yankees in the ALDS before spending their entire series against the Mariners on the back foot. While Kevin Gausman is one of the more reliable veterans in the game and Trey Yesavage has been a standout as a rookie this October, a rotation featuring that duo, 41-year-old Max Scherzer, and Shane Bieber’s first handful of starts post-Tommy John surgery doesn’t exactly inspire the same sort of confidence as L.A.’s quartet.

While some of those concerns are certainly valid, the Jays have several factors working in their favor as well as they try to bring home their first championship since 1993. They’ll have homefield advantage due to winning 94 games in the regular season, while the Dodgers won “only” 93 games. Toronto also has a powerful offense that may give the Dodgers’ pitching staff all they can handle.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been baseball’s best hitter this postseason with an utterly absurd .442/.510/.930 slash line and six home runs over 51 playoff plate appearances.  Ohtani’s 143 wRC+ leads the Dodgers this postseason, but the Jays have four hitters ahead of him on the leaderboard: Guerrero, Ernie Clement, Springer, and Addison Barger. Springer in particular is a postseason standout who already has a World Series MVP award in his trophy case from the last time he faced the Dodgers in October.  While Los Angeles has more than its share of prominent bats, Freddie Freeman (105 wRC+) has actually been slightly cold this October, and regular season standout Will Smith (89 wRC+) hasn’t looked the same while playing through a hairline fracture in his hand.

Speaking of injuries, the Blue Jays have made their deep playoff run without the services of star shortstop Bo Bichette, who is expected back in the lineup for the World Series. After a tough 2024 season, Bichette enjoyed a return to form this year, hitting .311/.357/.483 in 139 games with 18 homers and 44 doubles. Smith’s lackluster performance only serves to underscore the fact that Bichette may not perform at quite that level if he’s less than 100% healthy, but even a diminished version of Bichette should be able to boost Toronto’s lineup.

While the Dodgers have a big advantage in the rotation and the Blue Jays certainly have the hotter lineup, the relief battle may be a draw. Both teams had below-average bullpens this year during the regular season even after signing star closers (Jeff Hoffman in Toronto, Tanner Scott in Los Angeles) to hefty deals this past winter.

Both clubs have also used former rotation pieces in the bullpen to great effect this postseason, with Chris Bassitt (2 2/3 scoreless innings) and Roki Sasaki (eight innings of one-run ball) helping to offer some form of stability on the back-end. Sasaki has even emerged as the Dodgers’ closer throughout the postseason, while Hoffman (7 1/3 innings of one-run ball) has turned things around after a tough second half to dominate in October with a 42.9% strikeout rate so far. Sasaki’s run prevention has been just as impressive, but he’s done so in less dominant fashion with a strikeout rate of just 20.7%.

Who do MLBTR readers think will hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy this year? Will the Dodgers repeat as so many predicted they would this spring, or will the Blue Jays be able to secure their first championship since 1993? Have your say in the poll below:

Poll: Where Will Nick Castellanos Play Next Year?

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It appears the Nick Castellanos era in Philadelphia is coming to a close. Reporting yesterday indicated that the Phillies plan to either trade or release Castellanos this winter, ahead of the final season of his five-year contract with the club, following a year where he clashed with club manager Rob Thomson and struggled to produce at the plate or in the field. It remains to be seen whether Castellanos will be traded or released to sign somewhere else on the league minimum, but either way, it seems likely at this point that his next MLB game will come in a different uniform. Which team fits him best? A look at some of the most intriguing landing spots:

Cleveland Guardians

The Guardians are perhaps the most straightforward fit for Castellanos available. They’ve already made clear they hope to upgrade their outfield mix. As a club without much money to spend most years, the fact that Castellanos could be had for a fraction of his salary (or perhaps even the league minimum) has to be enticing. Lackluster as Castellanos’s production was this year, he could be a good fit for a club that produced a wRC+ of just 70 from right field this year between players like Nolan Jones and Jhonkensy Noel. Castellanos perhaps fits best as a DH given his poor defensive abilities, but that opportunity could be available to him as well with Kyle Manzardo likely to take over first base duties after being blocked by Josh Naylor and Carlos Santana in previous years.

Kansas City Royals

Sticking in the AL Central, Castellanos would be an interesting fit for the Royals as well. Kansas City has struggled to find any sort of production in the outfield for years now. This past year, they got a 69 wRC+ (30th in MLB) from right field with a 75 wRC+ (29th in MLB) from left field. Castellanos would surely provide a major upgrade to either of those spots and is capable of playing every day if needed, which would be a step in the right direction for a team that has too often needed to platoon all around the roster recently. One major flaw with Castellanos’s fit in Kansas City, however, is the presence of Salvador Perez. Perez is expected to remain with the Royals next year, whether via club option or a fresh deal, and started 66 games at either DH or first base this year. Any first base starts would push Vinnie Pasquantino to DH, meaning that Castellanos would have to play the field frequently to be a fit for Kansas City’s roster.

San Diego Padres

The Padres might seem like an odd fit for Castellanos’s services at first glance, but San Diego has frequently had to get creative with some of its additions in recent years to balance its budget while filling holes in the roster. That figures to be true once again this winter, with both Dylan Cease and Michael King leaving major holes in the rotation as they head into free agency. Starting pitching figures to be the focus for the Padres this winter, which leaves the club to replace Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn in the lineup at DH on what might be a shoestring budget.

Enter Castellanos, who won’t cost much but could capably handle regular duties at DH while also potentially spelling Fernando Tatis Jr. and Ramon Laureano in the outfield corners. San Diego hasn’t been afraid to take risks on players in need of a rebound in the past. While not all of those shots have landed, they have found success with some, such as Gavin Sheets. If there’s a flaw with Castellanos’s fit in San Diego, it’s perhaps that Sheets played just 13 games at first base this year and the club might view him as their DH headed into the offseason.

Other Options

These teams aren’t the only ones for whom Castellanos would make sense, though they are perhaps the best fits. The Cubs are about to lose Kyle Tucker to free agency but they could slide Seiya Suzuki into the outfield more often, opening the DH spot for Moises Ballesteros. Guys like Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara are also around to bolster the outfield mix and are probably better than Castellanos at this point anyway. The Diamondbacks could use Castellanos as a right-handed complement to their heavily left-handed outfield and DH mix, but he might be able to do better than a pure bench role and Blaze Alexander might be better suited for that job anyway. Perhaps the Rangers could sign Castellanos to share time with Joc Pederson at DH and back up lefty outfielders like Evan Carter and Alejandro Osuna if they end up non-tendering Adolis Garcia, though even if that happens they might still prefer to try to reunite with him at a lower price point, given his superior defense. The Pirates got very little production from their offense last year but would be a better fit if Andrew McCutchen departs the club. The Giants got minimal production from right field this year but Rafael Devers is likely to be their everyday DH next year.

Where do MLBTR readers think Castellanos would fit best in 2026? Have your say in the poll below:

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