Phillies, Jesús Luzardo Agree To Extension
The Phillies and left-hander Jesús Luzardo have agreed to an extension, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. It’s a five-year deal beginning in 2027. He was previously slated for free agency after 2026. The Roc Nation Sports client will earn $135MM on the deal, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. There’s also a $32.5MM club option, per Robert Murray of FanSided. Murray adds that every time Luzardo finishes in the top five in Cy Young voting will boost the value of that option by $2MM, potentially maxing out at $42.5MM. Luzardo would get a $1MM assignment bonus each time he’s traded until he reaches 1o-and-5 rights, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Luzardo, 28, was once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball and he has established himself as a legit big league arm in the past few years. With the Marlins in 2022 and 2023, he made 50 starts and logged 279 innings, allowing 3.48 earned runs per nine. His 7.9% walk rate and 40.1% ground ball rate were close to league average as he struck out a strong 28.7% of batters faced. His four-seamer and sinker both averaged in the upper 90s while he also made good use of a mid-80s changeup and slider.
He had a bit of a dip in 2024. He missed time due to some elbow tightness and also due to a lumbar stress reaction. He only made 12 starts on the year and had a flat 5.00 ERA. The Phils still liked the player enough to take a chance on him going into 2025. They sent prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd to the Marlins in exchange for Luzardo and Paul McIntosh.
The bet paid off, as Luzardo returned to form in 2025. He made 32 starts and threw 183 2/3 innings with a 3.92 ERA, 28.5% strikeout rate, 7.5% walk rate and 42.8% ground ball rate. He also made two postseason appearances with a 2.35 ERA. He finished seventh in National League Cy Young voting.
As mentioned, 2026 was slated to be Luzardo’s final arbitration season before he would become a free agent. He and the Phils avoided arbitration by agreeing to an $11MM salary for this year. He could have played out the campaign and would have been in position for a strong contract if he had another good season. He’s currently 28 years and old, turning 29 in September.
The top free agent deals for starting pitchers have been around $200MM in recent years, with Max Fried, Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease all getting to that range. Fried got $218MM. The latter two got $210MM, both with notable deferrals.
Luzardo hasn’t quite put up the same kind of results as those guys. Burnes and Fried have posted ERAs under 3.00 pretty regularly. Cease has had a more wobbly ERA but with comparable strikeout and walk rates to Luzardo with greater availability. Luzardo would have been younger than everyone in that group, however. Cease and Burnes signed their deals going into their age-30 seasons, while Fried was going into his age-31 campaign.
Players who sign extensions a year from the open market generally sacrifice a bit of upside in exchange for the security of locking in a deal that is still quite large. Dating back to 2017, the top extension for a pitcher with service time between five and six years was $131MM over seven years for José Berríos.
Like Luzardo, Berríos was going into his age-28 season and would have been a free agent ahead of his age-29 campaign. Berríos was also generally a guy with an ERA in the 3.50 range, though with greater durability. Berríos agreed to his deal before working out a salary for his final arbitration season. When considering the $11MM Luzardo is getting in 2026, he will make $146MM over the next six years.
Waiting until after 2026 to sign could have led to an even greater contract, but it also would have come with risk. In addition to his aforementioned 2024 injuries, Luzardo also missed a few months due to a forearm strain in 2022. A notable injury could have led to him heading into the winter with significantly less earning power, so he is taking the proverbial bird in the hand with this deal.
For the Phils, they have not been shy about spending money on starting pitching. Going into the 2020 season, they signed free agent Zack Wheeler via a five-year, $118MM deal. Ahead of the 2023 season, they gave Taijuan Walker $72MM over four years. Going into 2024, they brought back Aaron Nola with a seven-year, $172MM pact. They then extended Wheeler for $126MM over three years. They also recently locked up Cristopher Sánchez, who was still in his pre-arbitration years, with a four-year deal worth $22.5MM.
Going into 2026, Wheeler may start the season on the injured list but could be back fairly early. For the 2026 season, health permitting, the four primary starters will be Wheeler, Nola, Sánchez and Luzardo. The fifth could be Walker but also could be prospect Andrew Painter.
Looking ahead to 2027, Luzardo was slated for free agency and Walker as well. That would have left the Phillies with a core of Wheeler, Nola and Sánchez. Wheeler is signed through 2027 and plans to retire after that. Painter could theoretically fill one spot but he’s a big question mark right now. Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2023 and 2024. He was back on the hill in 2025 but posted a 5.40 ERA in Triple-A.
Rather than waiting until next winter to address the 2027 rotation, they have proactively signed Luzardo to stick around. Since this appears to be a new contract, it shouldn’t impact the 2026 competitive balance tax. Luzardo will still have an $11MM hit this year. For the five years from 2027 to 2031, he’ll have a $27MM hit, the average annual value of his $135MM guarantee for those years.
The long-term books have a lot on them. As far out as 2030, they have Nola, Luzardo, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner all signed to deals with CBT hits of over $24MM. RosterResource already projects the club for a CBT number of almost $160MM for that 2030 season, before factoring in arbitration players or any other deals signed between now and then. But the Phils have generally been fine spending on the guys they like as they keep this core going.
For any club who was hoping to make a run at Luzardo next winter, they will have to consider other options. The 2026-27 free agent class already feels a bit light and will now have one fewer marquee name. Tarik Skubal will headline the group of starting pitchers, followed by guys like Freddy Peralta, Kevin Gausman and others. Burnes, Sonny Gray and Tatsuya Imai and others could shake things up by opting out of their deals.
More to come.
Joey Wentz To Miss 2026 Season Due To Torn ACL
Braves left-hander Joey Wentz has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and will miss the entire 2026 season. Mark Bowman of MLB.com was among those to relay the news. Wentz will be transferred to the 60-day injured list whenever the club needs a roster spot, though their 40-man count is currently at 39 due to outfielder Jurickson Profar landing on the restricted list for a PED suspension.
Wentz, 28, was covering first base on a bunt attempt in yesterday’s game when he appeared to injure his right leg. Though he was carted off the field, initial tests seemed to suggest he may have avoided serious injury. It seems that further testing contradicted the first reports.
The lefty was claimed off waivers in July of last year and was effectively in the rotation from that point on. He made 13 starts and one relief appearance for Atlanta, allowing 4.92 earned runs per nine. His 23% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate were both close to league average. He qualified for arbitration as a Super Two player and the club felt good enough about that performance to tender him a contract. The two sides avoided arbitration in November by agreeing to a $900K salary for 2026.
As of a few weeks ago, Wentz was a bit buried in the depth chart but the Atlanta rotation has been hit hard since camp has opened. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep each required surgery a few weeks ago, as both pitchers had loose bodies in their elbows that needed removing. Their specific timelines aren’t clear but each is slated to miss months.
After those two surgeries, Atlanta projected to have a rotation with four spots going to Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes. That left Wentz, Bryce Elder and José Suarez battling for the final spot. Since all three are out of options, one of them was probably going to break camp in a long relief role.
Even before this recent spate of injuries, there was an argument for Atlanta to add more rotation depth, as even the guys who aren’t currently hurt have question marks. Sale has been injury prone in recent years, making more than 2o starts just once in the past six years. Strider returned from internal brace surgery last year but posted a lackluster 4.45 ERA. López only made one start last year due to shoulder surgery. Holmes was diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament last year and is currently trying to pitch in 2026 without surgery. Elder had a 5.30 ERA last year. Suarez is a fringe roster guy who rode the DFA carousel this winter.
Despite all of that uncertainty, the front office hasn’t shown much urgency in adding more arms. It was reported in mid-February, as the Schwellenbach and Waldrep injuries were coming to light, that Atlanta didn’t have much interest in Chris Bassitt before he signed with the Orioles and had not been involved with free agent Lucas Giolito. Up until yesterday, Zack Littell was still out there but he now has an agreement in place with the Nationals.
It’s possible that recent events make the club more likely to make an addition. If the budget was the problem, the Profar suspension helped them out, as he won’t be paid his $15MM salary this year. Atlanta saved about $18MM in total when factoring in tax savings. With the freed-up cash and now yet another injury, perhaps president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos does turn to free agency. In addition to Giolito, guys like Tyler Anderson and Patrick Corbin are still unsigned. More arms could shake loose as Opening Day approaches and other teams make cuts.
For now, the top depth options include Didier Fuentes, JR Ritchie, Martín Pérez, Carlos Carrasco and Elieser Hernández. Fuentes was hastily promoted last year at the age of 20 and was lit up in his first four big league starts. Ritchie is one of the club’s best pitching prospects but he has no major league experience and just 11 Triple-A starts under his belt. The other three are veterans who haven’t had much big league success in recent years.
As for Wentz, it’s a frustrating setback as he had a real chance to earn a rotation gig. Instead, he’ll spend the season on the shelf. If there’s one small silver lining, he’ll earn a full year of service time while on the IL, but he’ll be a non-tender candidate going into 2027.
Photo courtesy of Jordan Godfree, Imagn Images
Nationals To Sign Zack Littell
The Nationals have signed right-hander Zack Littell to a one-year, Major League contract that includes a mutual option for the 2027 season. Financial teams of the contract aren’t yet known. The deal will become official when Littell passes a physical, and when Washington makes a corresponding move for the CAA Sports client to create space on the 40-man roster.
Littell ranked 35th on MLB Trade Rumors’ list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, and was predicted to earn a two-year, $24MM deal. He’ll have to settle for just a one-year pact, and the righty could be on the move again relatively soon if the rebuilding Nationals move him at the trade deadline.
Littell, 30, is a veteran of eight big league seasons but spent most of that time in a bullpen role. In the first five seasons of his MLB career, Littell posted a 4.08 ERA (104 ERA+) with lackluster peripherals in 169 2/3 innings of work. After the 2022 campaign, Littell rode the DFA and waiver claim carousel throughout the 2022-23 offseason. He eventually wound up with the Red Sox to start the season, but he made just two appearances in the majors before being once again designated for assignment. That led him to the Rays, with whom he managed to transform himself from a fringe member of the 40-man roster into a solid mid to back of the rotation arm.
Upon arriving in Tampa, Littell moved into a swing role for the remainder of the 2023 campaign. He posted a 3.93 ERA with a nearly matching 3.99 FIP in 87 innings split between 14 starts and 12 relief appearances. Littell’s 19.8% strikeout rate in those outings was hardly exciting, but he made up for it with pinpoint command that allowed him to post a 2.5% walk rate and an 8.2% barrel rate.
That control and command style was enough to earn him a full-time rotation job headed into the Rays’ 2024 season, and he rewarded the team with a career year. In 29 starts for the Rays in 2024, Littell posted a 21.5% strikeout rate against a 4.7% walk rate while pitching to a 3.63 ERA (110 ERA+) with a 3.81 FIP. His 156 2/3 innings of work made him just one of just 71 pitchers to throw more than 150 innings that year, and only 15 of those pitchers surrendered fewer runs than Littell.
Littell remained generally effective in terms of run prevention last year as he posted a 3.81 ERA (111 ERA+) in a career-high 186 2/3 innings of work across 32 starts for the Rays and Reds. Unfortunately, those solid results were not paired with similar peripherals. A look under the hood reveals Littell’s strikeout rate plummeted to just 17.1%, while his barrel rate jumped to 9.8% as he allowed the second-most homers in all of baseball last season. Perhaps some of that can be explained by Littell pitching his home games at the hitter-friendly Steinbrenner Field and Great American Ballpark, but a 4.88 FIP with a 4.40 SIERA suggested that Littell was more of a back-end starter than his results may have indicated.
The result was a soft free agent market for Littell this offseason, with minimal interest in his services being reported. A reunion with the Rays once seemed to be on the table, but Tampa Bay instead brought in Steven Matz and Nick Martinez. No other clubs were publicly connected to the right-hander’s services for most of the winter, though plenty of pitching-needy teams like the Braves and Athletics emerged as speculative fits.
The Nationals were the ones to ultimately bring Littell into the fold, with some past connections possibly helped complete the deal. New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni formerly worked in the Red Sox front office, new manager Blake Butera spent years managing in Tampa’s farm system, and new pitching coach Simon Matthews was the Reds’ assistant pitching coach in 2025, so all three have direct familiarity with Littell’s work.
D.C. is unlikely to compete for a playoff spot this year as they reboot their rebuilding efforts under Toboni. As such, the team has pursued just short-term and relatively inexpensive veteran signings like Littell and Miles Mikolas, and made another move for the future in trading MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers. The Gore trade diminished an already questionable Washington rotation, so Littell will reinforce a starting five that seems set to include Mikolas and another new signing in Foster Griffin. The last two spots in the rotation figure to go to some combination of Cade Cavalli, Brad Lord, Josiah Gray, Jake Irvin, and Mitchell Parker.
ESPN.com’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan were the first to report the agreement between the two sides, with Joel Sherman of the New York Post reporting that Littell had signed a guaranteed contract. The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka (multiple links) had the details about the one-year term and mutual option, and Littell needing to pass a physical.
Inset photo courtesy of Joe Puetz — Imagn Images
Blue Jays Re-Sign Max Scherzer
TODAY: Scherzer’s contract also contains full no-trade protection, Jon Heyman reports.
MARCH 2: The Blue Jays officially announced they’ve re-signed Max Scherzer to a one-year contract. The Boras Corporation client is reportedly guaranteed $3MM and can earn up to $10MM in incentives. He’d earn his first $1MM bonus at 65 innings and reach another $1MM bonus for every tenth inning, up through 155 frames overall. Toronto cleared a 40-man roster spot over the weekend by waiving infielder Ben Cowles, who was claimed by the Cubs.
It’s the future Hall of Famer’s second season in Toronto. The three-time Cy Young winner signed a $15.5MM deal with the Jays during the 2024-25 offseason. He was coming off an abbreviated season in which he’d been limited to nine starts for the Rangers. Scherzer had undergone back surgery the previous offseason, and a nerve issue in his throwing arm limited him once he recovered from the back procedure.
The arm remained problematic last season. Scherzer left his team debut after three innings because of thumb soreness. That had been traced to the nerve issue and ultimately led the Jays to shut Scherzer down for a couple months. He didn’t return to an MLB mound until late June.
Scherzer was able to avoid the injured list after that point but didn’t perform to his usual level. He allowed more than five earned runs per nine innings for the first time in his career. He closed the season with a 5.19 mark over 85 innings. Scherzer only once allowed more than four runs in a start, but he only went beyond five innings on seven occasions. He had six quality starts in 17 appearances.
The 17-year veteran is still capable of missing bats at a league average level. He struck out a slightly above-average 23% of batters faced against a tidy 6.4% walk rate. The issue is the damage hitters have done when they make contact. Scherzer allowed more than two home runs per nine innings for the first time in his career. It was the fourth-highest homer rate in MLB among pitchers who threw 70+ innings.
Scherzer’s fastball averaged 93.6 mph last season. That’s a tick higher than his 2024 mark, reversing a slight downward trend in his velocity during his late 30s. He nevertheless had a tough time getting hitters to chase his breaking pitches outside the strike zone. Scherzer obviously doesn’t have the same caliber of stuff he did at his peak, which makes him more hittable when he’s forced to challenge hitters. He has allowed a higher than average home run rate in three straight seasons.
At age 41, Scherzer profiles as a back-end starter on paper. Yet he has a wealth of big game experience and showed he’s still capable of getting outs on the biggest stage. The Jays left Scherzer off the roster for their Division Series matchup with the Yankees. They brought him back for the AL Championship Series against Seattle and the World Series showdown with the Dodgers.
Scherzer tossed 5 2/3 frames of two-run ball to get the win in ALCS Game 4. He struggled a bit in Game 3 of the World Series before coming back with one run allowed in 4 1/3 innings in Game 7. Scherzer left the mound with a 3-1 lead in a performance that would have been etched into Toronto sports history if the bullpen had held the lead.
They’ll aim to get over the hump in 2026. Assuming Scherzer builds up in time for Opening Day, he’ll probably slot into a six-man rotation to begin the season. Shane Bieber will begin the year on the injured list after experiencing forearm fatigue during the playoff run. Toronto had been slated to open the season with a starting five of Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, José Berríos and Cody Ponce.
Yesavage is entering his first full MLB season. Ponce is a bit of a wild card in his return from Korea. Scherzer presumably isn’t going to log 150+ innings at this stage of his career. Opening with a six-man rotation would allow the Jays to take some of the burden off a rotation that shouldered as heavy a load as possible into October.
That comes with a trickle-down impact on the bullpen, however. The 13-pitcher limit means the Jays would be down to a seven-man bullpen if they go this route. That increases the importance of having a quality long reliever like Eric Lauer to handle multiple innings.
At the same time, this makes it less likely that Lauer will have a chance to win a rotation spot. The left-hander is an impending free agent and said he’d prefer a starting opportunity. There hasn’t been any indication that Lauer would seek a trade if the Jays keep him in a relief role, though the southpaw told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic he believes that pitching out of the bullpen last season cost him money in arbitration. Lauer lost his hearing, meaning he’ll make the team’s desired $4.4MM salary rather than his camp’s $5.75MM filing figure.
That could be a situation worth monitoring if everyone remains healthy closer to Opening Day. For now, this looks like the ideal outcome for the Jays and Scherzer alike. The $3MM base salary will push their franchise-record luxury tax payroll to approximately $319MM, according to RosterResource. The Jays are taxed at a 90% rate on spending above $304MM. This signing comes with a $2.7MM base tax. Earned performance bonuses are part of a team’s CBT calculation, so the Jays would also pay that 90% fee on any dollars that Scherzer unlocks by hitting innings milestones throughout the year.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the agreement. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet had the $3MM base and $10MM in incentives. Heyman reported the incentive structure. Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images.
Rangers Sign Andrew McCutchen To Minor League Deal
March 6: McCutchen passed his physical, and the Rangers have formally announced his signing.
March 5: The Rangers are bringing veteran outfielder Andrew McCutchen aboard on a minor league contract with an invitation to big league camp, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The Aegis Sports client’s base salary would be $1.25MM if he makes the team, per Grant. It can max out around $2.5MM if he makes the roster and hits his full slate of incentives, per Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports.
McCutchen, 39, is years removed from peak form but still turned in a .239/.333/.367 slash (95 wRC+) last year in what now looks like his final season with the Pirates. His .267/.353/.389 output against left-handed pitching was a bit above average, and he knocked lefties around at a heftier .261/.383/.410 clip as recently as 2023.
For the past three years, McCutchen has suited back up for his original club in Pittsburgh, where he was a first-round pick who broke out as a star and eventually won National League MVP honors. The hope for both McCutchen and the Pirates was that he’d return to play out his final seasons where it all began, leading a more competitive Bucs club back to the playoffs in the twilight of his career.
That storybook ending never came to be. Pittsburgh struggled in each of the past three seasons, finishing under .500 each year along the way. The Bucs fired manager Derek Shelton last May and took a more urgent and aggressive approach to building up their offense this winter. Pittsburgh acquired Brandon Lowe via trade and signed free agents Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna. They had even bigger targets throughout the winter (e.g. Kyle Schwarber, Josh Naylor, Kazuma Okamoto, Eugenio Suárez). All those pursuits cast doubt on whether there was room for one more go-around with McCutchen on what’d have been a more nostalgic/sentimental reunion. Last month’s signing of Ozuna all but confirmed that the book on the three-year reunion with McCutchen had been closed.
McCutchen now heads to the Rangers in hopes of grabbing a bench spot. His right-handed bat makes for a natural platoon complement alongside designated hitter Joc Pederson. Cutch could also see some time in the outfield corners when Texas faces off against left-handed starters, with Wyatt Langford shifting over to center field in place of lefty-swinging Evan Carter, who has just five hits in 68 career plate appearances against southpaws.
There’s little sense citing McCutchen’s career .289/.387/.514 slash against lefties, since so much of that is influenced by otherworldly production during his MVP peak. However, even over the three seasons in his late-career return to PNC Park, McCutchen hit .244/.353/.392 in 435 plate appearances. That sort of production is more solid than eye-catching, but it’d still mark an upgrade over the awful .225/.290/.363 batting line the Rangers turned in versus left-handed pitching in 2025.
Pirates, Reds Swap Tyler Callihan For Kyle Nicolas
The Pirates announced they’ve traded relief pitcher Kyle Nicolas to the Reds for left fielder/second baseman Tyler Callihan. Both players were on the 40-man roster, so there’s no corresponding move.
It’s a swap of talented but largely unproven players between the NL Central rivals. Nicolas, 27, has the more significant MLB experience of the two. A second-round pick by the Marlins in 2020, he was traded to Pittsburgh as one of two prospects the following year for Gold Glove catcher Jacob Stallings. Nicolas was a starting pitcher at the time but always projected to a bullpen future because of spotty command.
Nicolas debuted as a September call-up in 2023. The Ball State product has opened each of the following two seasons on optional assignment to Triple-A Indianapolis. Nicolas has posted below-average numbers at the MLB level but remains an intriguing depth piece with big stuff.
In 98 MLB innings, Nicolas carries a 4.68 earned run average. He has struck out a league average 22% of opponents while issuing walks at a lofty 12.2% rate. He split his time evenly between the majors and Triple-A last year. While he allowed nearly five earned runs per nine at the MLB level, he posted a 3.79 ERA with an excellent 31% strikeout rate against minor league opposition. Nicolas walked more than 12% of Triple-A opponents and has posted double digit walk rates at almost every stop of his professional career.
The command will probably keep Nicolas in middle relief. He’d have the raw stuff to pitch at the back of a bullpen if he can find a way to throw more strikes. Nicolas sits in the 97-98 mph range with his heater and has a pair of power breaking balls: a 90-91 mph slider and mid-80s curveball.
He also uses his 6’3″ frame to get down the mound and generate a lot of extension, though the long levers have also seemingly held him back from finding consistency in his delivery. Nicolas commanded the ball better down the stretch last season. He walked only 8.4% of opponents while posting a 3.46 ERA in 26 innings after the All-Star Break. It’s a small sample but perhaps something to build off as he tries to earn a permanent bullpen spot.
Nicolas has a little over one year of service time. He’s at least two years away from arbitration and five years from reaching free agency. He has one minor league option remaining, so the Reds can send him to Triple-A Louisville without exposing him to waivers. Nicolas tossed two scoreless innings this spring before joining Team Italy for the World Baseball Classic. (He’s from Ohio but has a family link to Italy that made him eligible to participate.)
Cincinnati doesn’t have a ton of roster flexibility in the bullpen, where six of their relievers cannot be optioned. Graham Ashcraft has options but is a lock to begin the season in the late innings. Unless the Reds move on from Sam Moll, they’d only have one bullpen spot available between Nicolas, Luis Mey, Connor Phillips and Zach Maxwell. The latter four pitchers all have big arms but come with strike-throwing questions.
The Pirates subtract from their bullpen depth to take a flier on an intriguing hitter who hasn’t found a position. The 25-year-old Callihan was an overslot third-round signee out of high school in 2019. Scouts have praised the lefty hitter’s offensive aptitude while panning his defense. The Jacksonville native has a career .262/.332/.417 batting line over six minor league seasons.
Callihan’s performance in the low minors was a little inconsistent. He has posted better numbers as he’s climbed the minor league ladder. Callihan hit .271/.345/.413 in Double-A two seasons ago and was out to a .303/.410/.528 start over 24 Triple-A contests last year. The Reds called him up at the end of April.
Unfortunately, Callihan didn’t get a chance to establish himself as a rookie. He suffered a gruesome injury just six days into his big league career.
Callihan was playing left field against the Braves on May 5. Matt Olson hit a line drive that sliced away from him down the left field line. Callihan slid to try to catch the ball and was unable to brace himself before hitting the wall with his outstretched glove hand. The collision broke his arm and forced him to undergo season-ending surgery. (Adding insult to injury, Olson trotted around for an inside-the-park home run because Callihan had touched the ball in fair territory.)
That ended his debut campaign after six at-bats, in which he collected his first career hit and run batted in. Callihan entered Spring Training without any restrictions and has gotten into seven exhibition contests, going 2-9 with a home run.
Baseball America ranked Callihan the #20 prospect in the Cincinnati system over the offseason, while Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs slotted him 29th in the organization. Callihan has improved his plate discipline and has above-average raw power, but his strikeout rate has climbed in the upper minors.
He’s a below-average defender at second base who probably fits better in left field or at first base. There are some similarities to last winter’s Spencer Horwitz pickup in that regard, though Horwitz had a much longer track record of hitting in Triple-A than Callihan does.
Callihan has less than one year of service and has two minor league options remaining. He’ll battle for a bench job in camp but seems likelier to begin the season in Indy. He can factor in as a bat-first utility type throughout the season if he’s hitting well in the minors.
Respective images via Jordan Godfree and Sam Greene, Imagn Images.
Hunter Greene To Undergo MRI On Right Elbow
Reds ace Hunter Greene is heading for an MRI after experiencing stiffness in his right elbow, manager Terry Francona tells reporters at Reds camp this morning. Greene himself says the injury dates back to late last season (link via Charlie Goldsmith). He was recommended for an injection and had a normal offseason but tells the Reds beat that the discomfort has crept back up recently. Greene will be examined by longtime team physician Timothy Kremchek and have a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He says his ulnar collateral ligament was intact at a recent check, but news of a new round of imaging will inherently lead to some concern until the results are known.
Greene acknowledged in his comments that, like many big league pitchers, he’s aware of some bone spurs in his elbow. He’s navigated that issue in the past, it seems, and surgery has not been recommended as an option to this point. The right-hander wouldn’t commit to whether he’ll be able to make his first start of the season.
“If something has to be done, it’s early and we’ll get it out of the way quick and can have the big chunk of the season,” Greene said this morning. “If we have a playoff push, I’ll be ready to go.”
Even a brief absence for Greene is a bitter pill for the Reds to swallow. The former No. 2 overall draft pick has been one of the game’s best pitchers on a rate basis over the past two seasons but has missed considerable time due to a pair of groin strains in 2025 and some elbow discomfort in 2024. He’s started 45 games across the past two seasons and worked to a 2.76 ERA with a 29.2% strikeout rate, 8.1% walk rate and 33.5% ground-ball rate. Last season’s 15.4% swinging-strike rate was fourth-best in MLB (min. 100 innings pitched), trailing only Tarik Skubal, Dylan Cease and Logan Gilbert.
Greene is entering the fourth season of a six-year, $53MM extension. The 26-year-old is being paid $8MM this season before making $15MM and $16MM in 2027-28. The Reds hold a $21MM club option (with a $2MM buyout) over his 2029 season.
With Greene’s status up in the air, one of the stronger-looking rotations in the sport takes a big hit. Cincinnati can still trot out Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer and top prospects Chase Burns (the No. 2 pick in 2024) and Rhett Lowder (the No. 7 pick in 2023), but neither Burns nor Lowder has fully established himself in the majors yet. Lowder pitched only 9 1/3 minor league frames last year due to forearm, oblique and shoulder issues.
Depth options on Cincinnati’s 40-man roster include another former first-rounder, Chase Petty, and a pair of formerly touted prospects returning from injury: righty Julian Aguiar and lefty Brandon Williamson. The Reds also selected righty Jose Franco to the 40-man roster this past November to protect him from the 2025 Rule 5 Draft; he tossed 110 innings of 3.11 ERA ball between Double-A (2.76 ERA) and Triple-A (3.51 ERA) last season.
There are, of course, some notable starters remaining in free agency. Lucas Giolito and fellow righty Zack Littell — the latter of whom finished the 2026 season with Cincinnati — remain unsigned. Veterans like Tyler Anderson, Patrick Corbin and old friend Anthony DeSclafani would be more affordable depth pursuits.
However, president of baseball operations Nick Krall told Goldsmith that even if Greene misses time, he doesn’t anticipate engaging with any free agents to fill that void. That perhaps leaves the door cracked for waiver and trade activity to replenish some depth, but the Reds’ 2026 payroll is already expected to be higher than in 2025, so the team may not have much budget space with which to tinker after spending more than $47MM in free agency already.
MLB Issues 162-Game PED Suspension To Jurickson Profar
Major League Baseball announced that Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games after testing positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance. The ban goes into effect on Friday and will cost him the entire 2026 season, including the playoffs. It’s the second career PED suspension for Profar, who missed 80 games last year after testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotropin.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Players Association plans to file a grievance challenging this suspension. MLB generally does not announce violations of the drug policy until after the appeal process plays out, as the player is usually allowed to continue playing pending that appeal. Rosenthal writes that Profar’s suspension, by contrast, is not stayed because it’s his second career PED ban. However, the process will be expedited to quickly reach a final resolution.
It’s rare for a player’s PED suspension to be overturned on appeal. Assuming the suspension stands, Profar will not be paid his $15MM salary this season. The Curacao native is also barred from representing the Netherlands in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
“We were incredibly disappointed to learn that Jurickson tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and is in violation of MLB’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the Braves said in a press release. “Our players are consistently educated about the Program and the consequences if they are found to be in violation.”
Profar, who turned 33 a couple weeks ago, was entering the second season of a three-year, $42MM contract. Last year’s suspension cost him just under $6MM of his $12MM salary in year one of that free agent deal. He’s signed through the 2027 season and is owed a $15MM salary again in the contract’s final year. If he incurs a third positive test in his career, he would receive a lifetime ban.
As a teenager, Profar was ranked as the top prospect in the entire sport. A switch-hitting shortstop with a tantalizing blend of power, speed and defensive aptitude, he was hailed as a future star but saw his career derailed by multiple shoulder injuries. He missed nearly the entire 2014 and 2015 campaigns due to shoulder surgery.
The version of Profar that returned looked far different. He hit .227/.316/.315 in 377 MLB plate appearances from 2016-17 before turning in a solid offensive season in 2018. His defense at shortstop had become untenable following the shoulder troubles. Profar spent time at second base and first base before being traded to the A’s, who had him for only one disappointing year before trading him to the Padres.
Profar had an up-and-down run in San Diego. He had an awful start in the shortened 2020 season before a torrid three-week finish to the 60-game season salvaged his batting line. A clear favorite of Padres GM A.J. Preller — who signed him as an international amateur during his days as a Rangers assistant GM — Profar inked a three-year deal following that season but flopped with a .227/.329/.320 slash in year one of the contract. He chose to forgo an opt-out opportunity, returned to San Diego for the 2022 season, turned in a better offensive performance opted out of a net $6.5MM to again test the open market.
Free agency was cold to Profar that winter. He wound up signing with the Rockies just prior to Opening Day 2023 on a $7.75MM deal. Colorado released Profar after he hit just .236/.316/.364 in 111 games. He re-signed in San Diego for the remainder of the season and hit well in 14 games late that year. Profar spent the entire offseason twisting in the winds of free agency before the Padres brought him aboard on a one-year, $1MM deal that looked like the steal of the offseason when he erupted with a .280/.380/.459 batting line in a career-best showing.
That performance prompted the Braves’ three-year, $42MM deal, but it will now forever be met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Profar missed 80 games last year, hit .248/.358/.446 in 355 plate appearances upon returning, and now won’t take another plate appearance until at least 2027. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Braves will welcome him back or look to move on entirely.
That question doesn’t need to be answered for the time being. Profar can and will be placed on the restricted list, where he won’t be paid or count against Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The Braves will not only save on Profar’s $15MM salary — they’ll also dodge the 20% tax they’d been paying for him as a team that was over the luxury threshold. It amounts to an overall $18MM in savings for Atlanta, which gives the Braves some intriguing possibilities late in the offseason.
Atlanta has incurred a pair of notable injuries in the rotation. Righties Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both underwent elbow surgery to remove loose bodies/bone spurs. It’s not yet clear when they’ll return, but Schwellenbach is already on the 60-day IL and Waldrep will surely follow.
That’s left the Braves with Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez (who made just one start last year due to shoulder surgery) and Grant Holmes (who had a UCL tear last summer and rehabbed without surgery) in the top four spots of the rotation. Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, Didier Fuentes and Jose Suarez are the fifth starter options on the 40-man roster. Non-roster invitees include veterans Martin Perez, Carlos Carrasco and Elieser Hernandez, as well as top prospect JR Ritchie.
Notable veterans like Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell and Tyler Anderson remain unsigned in free agency. Atlanta’s outfield group, of course, takes a hit following the Profar suspension, although the team’s November signing of Mike Yastrzemski means the Braves won’t necessarily need to add another outfielder. Yastrzemski, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. can start on most days, though Acuña has had his share of recent injury troubles and Yastrzemski has long-running platoon issues. Righty hitters Eli White and Jorge Mateo are already on the roster as potential complements, but neither has even average career numbers against left-handed pitching.
Atlanta still projects to be just north of the $244MM luxury threshold, but the front office suddenly has an influx of cash that could be used to acquire additional help, be it another starting pitcher or a veteran right-handed bat to plug into the lineup. Time will tell whether those funds are put to immediate use or saved for in-season additions to the roster, but the Braves immediately become a team to watch with regard to a potential late-offseason addition.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported Profar was facing a 162-game PED ban. Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images.
Out Of Options 2026
Every spring at MLBTR, we publish a list of players who are out of minor league options and cannot be sent to the minor leagues without first clearing outright waivers. Option status is particularly relevant as teams set their rosters prior to Opening Day. A lack of minor league options is often a key reason a certain player will make the roster over another who had a superior spring performance, and it’s a frequent factor in March trades.
The following is a list of all 40-man players throughout the league with fewer than five years of service time — players with more than five years of service can refuse an optional assignment — and no minor league options remaining. We’ve included players who have signed extensions or multi-year deals, even though they’re often less likely to be optioned.
Angels
- Jo Adell, OF
- Vaughn Grissom, IF
- Oswald Peraza, IF
- Chase Silseth, SP/RP
Astros
- Nick Allen, IF
- Roddery Muñoz, RP
- Isaac Paredes, IF
- Nate Pearson, SP/RP
- César Salazar, C
Athletics
- Andy Ibáñez, IF
- Luis Medina, SP/RP
Blue Jays
- Ernie Clement, IF
- Tyler Heineman, C
- Leo Jiménez, IF
- Tommy Nance, RP
- Jesús Sánchez, OF
Braves
- Bryce Elder, SP
- Ian Hamilton, RP
- Grant Holmes, SP
- Joel Payamps, RP
- José Suarez, SP/RP
- Joey Wentz, SP/RP
- Eli White, OF
- Brett Wisely, IF/OF
- Danny Young, RP
Brewers
- Rob Zastryzny, RP
Cardinals
- Justin Bruihl, RP
- José Fermín, IF/OF
- Iván Herrera, C
- Riley O’Brien, RP
- George Soriano, RP
Cubs
- Miguel Amaya, C
- Tyler Austin, 1B
- Edward Cabrera, SP
- Justin Steele, SP
Diamondbacks
- Jorge Barrosa, OF
- Pavin Smith, 1B/OF
Dodgers
- Brock Stewart, RP
Giants
- José Buttó, RP
- Jerar Encarnación, 1B/OF
- Matt Gage, RP
- Sam Hentges, RP
- Luis Matos, OF
- Heliot Ramos, OF
- Randy Rodríguez, RP
Guardians
- Gabriel Arias, IF
- Connor Brogdon, RP
- Joey Cantillo, SP/RP
- Matt Festa, RP
- Nolan Jones, OF
- Brayan Rocchio, IF
Mariners
- Eduard Bazardo, RP
- Cooper Criswell, RP
- Casey Legumina, RP
- Miles Mastrobuoni, IF/OF
- Luke Raley, 1B/OF
- Gabe Speier, RP
- Carlos Vargas, RP
Marlins
- Ronny Henriquez, RP
- Janson Junk, SP/RP
- Otto López, IF
- Christopher Morel, IF
- Tyler Phillips, RP
Mets
- Vidal Bruján, IF/OF
- Bryan Hudson, RP
- Ben Rortvedt, C
- Mark Vientos, IF
Nationals
- Luis García Jr., IF
- Richard Lovelady, RP
- Keibert Ruiz, C
- José Tena, IF
Orioles
- Blaze Alexander, IF
- Dietrich Enns, RP
- Rico Garcia, RP
- Jackson Kowar, RP
- Bryan Ramos, IF
- Colin Selby, RP
- Leody Taveras, OF
Padres
- Luis Campusano, C
- Bryce Johnson, OF
- Ron Marinaccio, RP
- Randy Vásquez, SP
- Matt Waldron, SP
Phillies
- Jonathan Bowlan, RP
- Rafael Marchán, C
- Zach Pop, RP
- Cristopher Sánchez, SP
- Garrett Stubbs, C
Pirates
- Joey Bart, C
- Oneil Cruz, OF
- Justin Lawrence, RP
- Yohan Ramírez, RP
Rangers
- Cole Winn, RP
Rays
- Jonathan Aranda, 1B
- Bryan Baker, RP
- Garrett Cleavinger, RP
- Yoendrys Gómez, SP/RP
- Manuel Rodríguez, RP
- Cole Sulser, RP
- Edwin Uceta, RP
- Ryan Vilade, IF/OF
Red Sox
- Jovani Morán, RP
Reds
- Sam Moll, RP
- Tony Santillan, RP
Rockies
- Jimmy Herget, SP/RP
- Edouard Julien, IF
- Jake McCarthy, OF
- Mickey Moniak, OF
- Keegan Thompson, SP/RP
Royals
- Bailey Falter, SP/RP
- Alex Lange, RP
- Nick Mears, RP
- Drew Waters, OF
Tigers
- Drew Anderson, SP/RP
- Jahmai Jones, IF/OF
- Zach McKinstry, IF/OF
Twins
- Anthony Banda, RP
- Kody Clemens, IF/OF
- Alex Jackson, C
- James Outman, OF
- Simeon Woods Richardson, SP
White Sox
- Luisangel Acuña, IF/OF
- Derek Hill, OF
- Anthony Kay, SP
- Korey Lee, C
- Curtis Mead, IF
- Everson Pereira, OF
- Lenyn Sosa, IF
- Miguel Vargas, IF
Yankees
- Osvaldo Bido, SP/RP
- Jorbit Vivas, IF
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images
Johan Rojas Reportedly Tests Positive For Performance-Enhancing Drug
Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas has tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, according to reporter Wilber Sánchez as well as Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman says Rojas will be appealing the ruling. Players face an 80-game suspension for a first-time positive test for PEDs. There has not yet been any formal announcement regarding Rojas from Major League Baseball or the Phillies.
Rojas, 25, has played for the Phillies at the major league level in each of the past three seasons. Broadly speaking, he has been a speed-and-defense guy who doesn’t provide much value from the batter’s box.
He has appeared in 250 games with 51 steals in 58 attempts. He has logged 1,714 innings in center field and has been credited with 22 Defensive Runs Saved and 18 Outs Above Average. But in 699 plate appearances, he has just six home runs and a .252/.294/.340 batting line. That translates to a 74 wRC+, indicating he has been 26% below league average as a hitter in his career overall.
Despite his skills, the lack of offense cut into his playing time with the Phillies. He was essentially an everyday center fielder in 2024, appearing in 120 contests. He held that job for part of the 2025 season but the Phils acquired Harrison Bader at the deadline, which led to Rojas getting optioned to the minors for the final two months of the schedule.
Bader became a free agent at season’s end and eventually signed with the Giants but it didn’t seem as though the Phillies had Rojas as a prominent piece of their 2026 plans. It was reported pretty early in the offseason that he was available in trade talks as the Phils planned to give prospect Justin Crawford a shot at the center field job.
Rojas was likely going to be relegated to a fourth outfielder role. He also has an option remaining and could have been sent down for regular playing time at the Triple-A level. A suspension would cut into his ability to serve in either role. He can continue to play during the appeals process but it’s unclear if the Phils will keep using him in spring games, per Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb of The Athletic. He was going to participate in the World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic team but dropped out last week.
Although Rojas had fallen down the depth chart, it would be a notable loss for the Phillies if Rojas is ultimately suspended. Their roster is quite strong but the outfield looks like one of the weaker points. As mentioned, Crawford is going to get a shot at the center field job, despite having no major league experience yet. The Phils have plugged Adolis García into right field, hoping for a bounceback after two down years. Brandon Marsh is a decent left fielder but needs a platoon partner since he’s awful against lefties. Otto Kemp could be Marsh’s platoon partner, though he has far more experience as an infielder than as an outfielder.
Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Pedro León are also on the 40-man roster. Both have options and are lined up to start the season in the minors. Rincones hasn’t yet made his major league debut and The Athletic notes that he is currently not playing due to ongoing knee problems. León is a waiver claimee who has just seven big league games under his belt. Bryan De La Cruz, who slashed .191/.240/.213 in limited action last year, is in camp as a non-roster invitee.
It’s not an especially strong group on the whole and losing Rojas would thin it out further. If the Phils want to add before Opening Day, guys like Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen are currently free agents. Some other guys will also shake loose in the coming weeks as teams make their final roster decisions when spring training winds down.
Photo courtesy of Kelley L Cox, Imagn Images