Jurickson Profar’s 162-Game Suspension Upheld
Jurickson Profar‘s appeal of his 162-game suspension for a second positive PED test was unsuccessful, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Profar will serve the entire 162-game suspension, missing all of the 2026 season, and will be ineligible for postseason play if Atlanta qualifies. He will not be paid his $15MM salary this season, which means the Braves will also be spared the $3MM of luxury taxes they’d have paid on his contract this season.
Whether Atlanta plans to reinvest any of that $18MM in savings remains to be seen. There’s been little indication the Braves are actively seeking external additions to this point, though it’s certainly possible they were waiting for absolute certainty regarding Profar’s status before spending any additional funds. The Braves were already pushing a franchise-record payroll at the time of Profar’s suspension, and there was ample speculation that perhaps the team was at or near its budgetary limit, given the lack of urgency shown despite three notable injuries in their rotation this spring. Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both had loose bodies removed from their right elbows, and left-hander Joey Wentz was lost for the season due to an ACL tear.
There aren’t many free agents of note for Atlanta to consider, although righty Lucas Giolito stands as one obvious exception. Southpaw Tyler Anderson also remains unsigned. The Braves could also look into any number of veterans who have the right to opt out of minor league contracts around the league over the next week. MLBTR recently profiled 33 such players. No one from that group would command significant money, but it at least gives Atlanta president of baseball operations some additional options to consider if he’s looking to augment his roster following Profar’s departure.
Profar is still under contract with the Braves through 2027, when he’ll be owed $15MM in the final season of what’s become a disastrous three-year, $42MM contract. It’s not yet clear how the Braves will proceed with him, though since he’ll spend the entire 2026 season on the restricted list, there’s no urgency for them to make the decision. With two PED suspensions under his belt, Profar is now one positive test away from becoming just the second player to ever receive a lifetime ban following three positive PED tests. He’d join right-hander Jenrry Mejia in holding that dubious distinction.
White Sox Return Rule 5 Pick Alexander Alberto To Rays
March 19: Alberto has been returned to the Rays after clearing waivers, the White Sox announced. Chicago’s 40-man roster drops to 39 players. Alberto does not have to be added to Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster. He’ll be assigned to a minor league affiliate to begin the season.
March 16: The White Sox have placed Rule 5 pick Alexander Alberto on waivers, reports James Fegan of Sox Machine. Another club could claim the right-hander but would be subject to the standard Rule 5 restrictions, meaning Alberto would not be eligible to be optioned to the minors. If he clears waivers, he will have to be offered back to the Rays.
This effectively means that Alberto isn’t breaking camp with the Sox. Chicago made two Rule 5 picks in December, taking right-hander Jedixson Paez from the Red Sox and Alberto from the Rays. Alberto has tossed 6 2/3 innings over seven spring appearances, having allowed ten runs, eight of them earned. He struck out seven batters but allowed 12 hits, issued four walks and threw one wild pitch.
Under the regulations of the Rule 5, the selecting team must pay $100K to the club they take the player from. The player cannot be optioned to the minors and must therefore stay on the active roster or injured list. If he survives a full season with his new club, including at least 90 days on the active roster, then his rights fully transfer over to the drafting club.
With Alberto’s rough spring showing, it seems the Sox aren’t going to break camp with him. It was always a long shot pick, as Alberto’s career topped out at High-A last year. To skip over Double-A and Triple-A and stick in the big leagues, even with a rebuilding club, would be a tall order.
It’s possible some other club takes a chance on the stuff. Last year, Alberto tossed 48 2/3 innings on the farm, allowing 2.59 earned runs per nine. His 10% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 30.6% of batters faced and induced grounders on 54.4% of balls in play. His cut fastball sits in the upper 90s while his upper 80s slider is considered a strong pairing. If no other club grabs him via waivers, he must be offered back to the Rays for $50K, half of the initial selection fee. The Rays would not need to carry Alberto on their 40-man roster.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
Taylor Walls To Begin Season On Injured List
Rays infielder Taylor Walls has a right oblique issue and will begin the season on the 10-day injured list, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. That will likely lead to Carson Williams being the Opening Day shortstop, though Topkin notes the Rays are open to external additions as well.
The Rays came into camp with Walls and Williams as their top candidates for the Opening Day shortstop job. Walls is the more experienced of the two, having appeared in 480 games for the Rays over the past five seasons. He doesn’t provide anything with the bat, having hit .195/.286/.298 in his career. His defensive grades are mixed, with 52 Defensive Runs Saved at short but minus-14 Outs Above Average, but the Rays clearly skew to the positive side based on how they keep committing to him. They are paying him $2.45MM this year.
Williams has a chance to produce more than that in the long run but is still unproven. He is 22 years old, turning 23 in June. He got to make a brief debut in the big leagues last year, getting into 32 games. He hit five home runs but struck out at an awful 41.5% clip while only drawing a walk in 5.7% of his plate appearances. His minor league track record has been somewhat similar, though with more walks. In 111 Triple-A games last year, his 12.4% walk rate was quite good and he hit 23 home runs but with a very high 34.1% strikeout rate.
There are some skills there but Williams is clearly still young and raw. No qualified hitter had a strikeout rate greater than 32.3% last year. He’ll need to cut down on the punchouts and is still a work in progress. Understandably, the Rays feel he could still use some more polishing in the minors, as they optioned him to Triple-A Durham earlier this week.
The Walls injury may change that plan, at least for the short term. It’s unclear exactly how long Walls will be out. If the issue is fairly minor, he might only miss a week of the season since IL stints can be backdated by three days, even at the beginning of the schedule.
Until Walls is back, the shortstop depth will feel light. Prospects Jadher Areinamo, Gregory Barrios and Brayden Taylor are not too far off but neither has played at the Triple-A level yet. Ben Williamson only played third base for the Mariners last year but he has some minor league shortstop experience. He appears to be the club’s bench infielder at the major league level and would be the backup for either Walls or Williams.
As Topkin mentioned, it’s possible the Rays look for outside help. Perhaps they could find someone they like enough to bump Williams back down to Triple-A, but adding some minor league depth behind Williams could also be a possibility. Not a lot of teams are looking to trade starting-caliber shortstops at this time of year but some fringe guys may become available in the coming days. As teams break camp and make their final roster decisions, some will trigger opt-outs and become free agents while others will hit the waiver wire.
MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently took a look at some looming opt-out situations around the league. Orlando Arcia, Paul DeJong, Kyle Farmer and Dylan Moore are some guys with recent shortstop experience on that list, though Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports that DeJong plans not to trigger his opt-out. Moore is reportedly going to trigger his. Guys like Leo Jiménez, Brett Wisely or Tsung-Che Cheng could end up on waivers in the coming days. The Rays acquired Wisely and Cheng in the offseason but later lost both in subsequent moves.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
Dylan Moore Triggers Opt-Out In Phillies Deal
Veteran infielder/outfielder Dylan Moore has triggered the uniform opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Phillies, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. Philadelphia now has 48 hours to add him to the 40-man roster. If he’s not added to the roster, he’ll become a free agent who can sign with any other club.
The 33-year-old Moore has logged 689 big league games, all but 18 coming with the Mariners. He’s a right-handed hitter with a lifetime .206/.310/.383 batting line, 63 homers and 118 stolen bases in 1922 plate appearances. He hits for low averages against lefties and righties alike, but Moore has above-average pop against opponents of either handedness and walks at better than a 12% clip against lefties. His .216/.327/.400 slash against lefties in his career is about 10% better than average overall, by measure of wRC+.
Moore hasn’t fared all that well this spring, tallying 37 plate appearances and batting .226/.324/.258 with a double and a pair of steals. Be that as it may, he’s a plus runner with solid pop who can play virtually anywhere on the diamond — all of which could appeal to the Phillies or another club. Moore has played every position on the diamond other than catcher, including 1308 innings at second base, 900 at shortstop, 885 in left field, 605 in right field, 431 at third base, 155 at first base and 105 in center field. He’s drawn outstanding defensive grades at second base (14 Defensive Runs Saved, 8 Outs Above Average) and left field (14 DRS, 11 OAA) in particular.
The Phillies have one bench spot up for grabs. Either Rafael Marchán or Garrett Stubbs will be the backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto, filling one spot. (Both are out of minor league options.) Edmundo Sosa has a utility job locked down, and righty-swinging Otto Kemp is likely to make the club as a platoon option for left fielder Brandon Marsh. With outfielder Johan Rojas facing an 80-game PED suspension, Moore could be a backup center field option behind rookie Justin Crawford while providing some versatile depth for just about every other starter in the lineup. His primary competition is fellow outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, who offers far less defensive flexibility and has consistently graded out as a poor corner outfield defender.
Given the lack of competition, there’s a good case for the Phils to select Moore’s contract rather than let him become a free agent on Saturday. Of course, Philadelphia could also find some other candidates for that final bench job as other veterans with this same uniform out clause in their minor league contracts become available. MLBTR recently profiled 33 players (Moore included) with opt-out opportunities in their minor league contracts prior to Opening Day.
Trey Yesavage To Begin Season On Injured List
Blue Jays righty Trey Yesavage will open the 2026 season on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement, manager John Schneider announced to the team’s beat (via Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet). Yesavage reported to camp with the injury and has been built up slowly as a result. He tossed 35 pitches in a minor league game this week and felt good, but he won’t have enough time to finish ramping up before the season begins. He’ll throw again on March 25, but the Jays are not putting a formal timetable on his potential return.
Yesavage becomes the third Jays starter ticketed for the IL to begin the season. He’ll join righties Shane Bieber (forearm fatigue) and José Berríos (right elbow stress fracture) on the shelf. That’ll leave Toronto with a season-opening rotation of Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer.
The 22-year-old Yesavage was set to enter the 2026 as one of the favorites for American League Rookie of the Year honors after an eye-opening debut late last year. The former No. 20 overall pick made three regular-season starts and notched a 3.21 ERA in 14 innings before breaking out as a postseason hero. In six playoff appearances (five starts), Yesavage logged a 3.58 ERA, a 35.8% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate.
Those postseason numbers are a bit skewed from one rough start against the Mariners (five runs in four innings), but Yesavage pushed Toronto into a 3-2 World Series lead when he held the Dodgers’ star-studded lineup to one run over seven frames while piling up a dozen strikeouts at Dodger Stadium. The Jays couldn’t close things out in the final two games back home, but Yesavage’s electric Game 5 performance emphatically thrust him into the national spotlight. He’s still a clear Rookie of the Year candidate, but the shoulder issue clouds those chances a bit. He’ll miss at least a couple starts to begin the year, and we don’t yet have a sense for when Yesavage will rejoin the rotation.
Despite the slate of injuries, there are some silver linings for the Jays. Toronto has thus far resisted trading any starting pitching despite signing Cease, Ponce and Scherzer — a trio of signings that pushed them to eight starters for five spots. More importantly, there’s no indication that any of the current injuries are particularly severe. While Bieber’s forearm fatigue and especially Berríos’ stress fracture sound alarming, the actual prognoses are less troublesome. Bieber is throwing from flat ground and expected to be on a mound soon, Schneider said this morning (via Zwelling). Berríos is symptom-free and only discovered his injury when undergoing a physical for World Baseball Classic purposes. He’s currently expected to resume throwing within a matter of days.
Though none of the injuries currently point to monthslong absences, the Jays’ depth is already being tested. They can scarcely afford even another minor injury, especially with depth starter Bowden Francis out for the year following Tommy John surgery and prospects Ricky Tiedemann and Jake Bloss still working back from injuries of their own.
Swingman Yariel Rodríguez could be summoned back to the 40-man roster after previously clearing waivers, but options beyond him are lacking. Righty Lazaro Estrada has just 7 1/3 MLB innings under his belt. Prospect Adam Macko and Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles have yet to pitch in the majors. Non-roster options beyond Rodriguez include Connor Seabold and Michael Plassmeyer. Seabold has had a shaky spring and has never found big league success. Plassmeyer is a 29-year-old lefty with 11 major league innings under his belt.
The Opener: Spring Opt Outs, Trades, Woodruff
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. XX(B) Opt Outs today:
A number of veterans on minor league deals have uniform opt-out clauses in their contracts scheduled for today. That’ll provide them an opportunity to return to free agency before Opening Day, though they’ll have additional opportunities to do so later in the year. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look at more than 30 veterans who qualify for the opportunity earlier this week. Among the most notable players on that list are Padres righty Walker Buehler, Braves lefty Martín Pérez, Mets reliever Craig Kimbrel, Cubs outfielder Michael Conforto, and Guardians first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Will any of these players return to free agency, or will their clubs add them to the 40-man roster ahead of their impending opt-out decisions?
2. Late spring trades on the horizon?
Yesterday, it was reported that the Twins have been shopping catcher Alex Jackson before the season begins. Jackson was initially signed with a likely path toward being part of the club’s catching tandem, but after a change in philosophy during the offseason thanks to movement at the ownership level, the Twins wound up not only keeping Ryan Jeffers but also signing Victor Caratini to a two-year deal. That leaves Jackson as the third catcher, and since he’s out of minor league options, the Twins figure to see if there would be any takers on him and his $1.35MM salary.
Jackson isn’t the only one who could change teams shortly before the season begins. The Royals have indicated an openness to moving southpaw Bailey Falter. Like Jackson, he’s out of minor league options. Falter doesn’t have a path to a rotation spot with Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron and Kris Bubic healthy — and Ryan Bergert, Luinder Avila and Mitch Spence as depth — and the Royals may not want to dedicate his $3.6MM salary to a swingman. There are surely other players on the bubble of their team’s active roster who could be moved in the last few days before the season begins as well.
3. Will Woodruff be ready for Opening Day?
Right-hander Brandon Woodruff is the ace of the Brewers’ pitching staff now that Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta have both departed, but he might not be on the mound to open the season. The Brewers have made clear throughout Spring Training that they haven’t made a decision on whether Woodruff will begin the season in the rotation or be given additional time to build up on the injured list following the lat strain he suffered last year. That makes today’s spring start against the Rangers a significant one. If Woodruff looks sharp and is able to pitch reasonably deep into the game while maintaining his stuff, that would go a long way toward convincing Brewers officials that he’s ready to take the ball on Opening Day. The game is scheduled for 6:10pm local time at the team’s Spring Training complex in Phoenix, and the veteran righty will face Rangers southpaw Jacob Latz.
MLB Mailbag: Mets, Reds, Skenes, Braves
I'm pinch-hitting for Tim Dierkes on this week's MLB Mailbag while he has some other commitments. In this week's installment, we'll get into the Mets' bullpen, the Reds' defense and lineup, Paul Skenes' looming arbitration eligibility, the Braves' rotation and Jurickson Profar (among various other tangents and side topics).
Sandy asks:
The Mets lineup seems solid and deep and their rotation is possibly top 5. That leaves the pen and defense. The D is probably average, maybe slightly below but serviceable. What is your take on their pen? Thanks!
The Mets' bullpen is close to set at this point. They have six starters entering the season (Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga), which leaves them seven bullpen spots. None of Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, Luis García or Bryan Hudson can be optioned. The Mets have already indicated that righty Huascar Brazobán will have a spot as long as he's healthy, and they similar indicated Tobias Myers would be in the group several weeks ago (before Myers posted a 1.86 ERA and 12-to-4 K/BB ratio in his first 9 2/3 spring frames).
The one spot that's up for grabs seems to be that of Hudson. The journeyman lefty was outstanding for the Brewers in 2024 but struggled in the majors both in 2023 and 2025. The Mets picked him up from the White Sox for cash last month. He's pitched 2 1/3 spring innings and allowed three runs on four hits (one homer) and a walk. It's not an especially compelling showing, particularly when factoring in last year's 4.80 ERA in the majors and 5.97 mark in Triple-A.
Beyond Hudson, candidates for that final spot who are still in major league camp include Richard Lovelady (who's on the 40-man roster), Craig Kimbrel (a non-roster invitee) and perhaps Austin Warren (also on the 40-man). There hasn't been much talk of Warren making the club among the Mets' beat, and he has an option remaining, so he's a long shot. Kimbrel has allowed two runs in five spring innings but also has five walks, two hit batters and only two strikeouts. The Mets seem to habitually acquire Lovelady and jettison him just as frequently; their recent waiver claim of the southpaw was the fifth time they've acquired him in the past calendar year. They clearly like him, but not enough to just give him a dedicated roster spot.
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Cardinals Option Richard Fitts
The Cardinals optioned Richard Fitts on Wednesday, seemingly finalizing their season-opening rotation. Fitts was trying to win a spot at the back end over Michael McGreevy or Andre Pallante.
The latter two righties seem set to round out a rotation led by Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May and Kyle Leahy. The Cardinals announced Wednesday that Liberatore will take the ball for the season opener opposite Drew Rasmussen and the Rays. It’ll be the 26-year-old southpaw’s first Opening Day assignment.
Fitts landed with St. Louis in the November trade that sent Sonny Gray to Boston. The Cards acquired A-ball pitching prospect Brandon Clarke as the headliner. Fitts was more of a secondary piece but is a controllable starter with good velocity and a pair of minor league options who should factor in over the course of the season.
A 26-year-old righty, Fitts made 15 MLB appearances for the Red Sox between 2024-25. He managed a 3.97 earned run average but only struck out 17.5% of opponents while struggling with the home run ball. He took the ball three times this spring, giving up six runs on nine hits and three walks across 9 1/3 frames. He struck out nine of 39 batters faced while working with an impressive 97 mph fastball on average.
He’ll head back to Triple-A, where he has a 4.13 ERA over 143 2/3 innings. There’s a good chance Fitts is the first man up if an injury or extended stretch of the schedule opens a rotation spot. He’s the only depth starter on the 40-man roster who has any MLB experience.
Liberatore and May were assured of rotation spots. The Cardinals intended to give Leahy a chance to start after he tossed 88 innings of 3.07 ERA ball in a long relief role last season. He has been a little homer-prone this spring but leads the team with 20 strikeouts over 17 2/3 innings to solidify his starting job. It’ll be his first rotation work since he was in Double-A four years ago.
Pallante and McGreevy seemed on shakier ground at the start of camp. Pallante took 31 starts and logged 162 2/3 innings a year ago, but he mustered only a 5.31 ERA. McGreevy allowed 4.42 earned runs per nine over 95 2/3 innings. Both pitchers ranked near the bottom of the league in strikeout rate. They’ve each managed a sub-3.00 ERA despite modest strikeout totals this spring.
Red Sox Notes: Durbin, Infield, Coulombe
The Red Sox have told Caleb Durbin he’ll be the primary third baseman, the infielder told reporters (including Tim Healey of The Boston Globe). Things had clearly been trending in that direction throughout camp, though manager Alex Cora held off on making any formal declarations.
Durbin remains at the position where he started 119 games for the Brewers last year. He’d made three starts at second base for Milwaukee. Durbin started a trio of games at the keystone against 10 starts at third base this spring.
The 26-year-old is coming off a third place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He stole 18 bases and connected on 11 homers with a .256/.334/.387 line across 506 plate appearances. The Red Sox acquired him last month in a six-player trade built around Durbin and left-hander Kyle Harrison, who has a good chance to open the season in Milwaukee’s rotation. He has made a strong impression on his new team in camp, batting .394 with five walks and only three strikeouts over 40 plate appearances.
Cora said the Sox prefer to have Durbin playing one position rather than bouncing around the infield. Locking him in at the hot corner leaves second base as the spot up for grabs. Marcelo Mayer has been the favorite throughout the spring. The Red Sox have yet to commit to carrying Mayer on the Opening Day roster after he hit .228/.272/.402 with a 30% strikeout rate in his first 44 MLB games.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio (who came over from Milwaukee in the Durbin trade) would be the alternatives if the Sox want Mayer to open the season in Triple-A. Kiner-Falefa and Monasterio fit best as utility players. They’re each right-handed hitters and could take short side platoon bats if the Sox want to keep the lefty-hitting Mayer away from tough southpaws.
Romy Gonzalez could be back in that role midseason, but he’ll miss at least the first two months. Gonzalez underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder last week. The Sox placed him on the 60-day injured list when they finalized their $1MM free agent deal with lefty reliever Danny Coulombe.
Coulombe had been a Sox target dating back to the Winter Meetings. The team wanted a more established player than Jovani Moran to serve as their top lefty bullpen arm in front of closer Aroldis Chapman. They ultimately added Coulombe for a guarantee marginally above the $780K league minimum, though his deal was initially going to be a little pricier.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that the Red Sox had agreed to terms with Coulombe at a higher number before flagging something in the medical review process. Jen McCaffrey and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic added specifics, reporting that it would have been a $2.25MM base salary with $750K available in appearance-based incentives.
Coulombe’s actual deal comes with the same appearance incentive package. It also includes up to $1.25MM in roster bonuses, as first reported by The Associated Press. He’d earn $250K apiece at 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 days on the active roster or MLB injured list — so long as any IL stint isn’t related to his pitching arm.
In each case, the maximum value of the contract would be $3MM. If Coulombe stays healthy and holds his roster spot all year, he’ll come out just as well as he would have if not for the health concern. It’s not clear what specifically the medical staff flagged, though it’s evidently related to his arm in some form. In 2024, Coulombe underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He missed time in May and June last year with a forearm strain and had a minimal IL stay in September due to shoulder fatigue.
Twins Shopping Alex Jackson
The Twins are trying to move third catcher Alex Jackson, a National League evaluator tells Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. If they don’t line up a trade before Opening Day, there’s a decent chance the 30-year-old will land on waivers.
Jackson is out of minor league options. The Twins can’t send him down without getting him through waivers. They acquired him from the Orioles in November, sending minor league utility player Payton Eeles in return. Eeles is a 26-year-old coming off a .253/.379/.321 season in Triple-A. He’s certainly not a top prospect, but the Twins wouldn’t have parted with an upper minors depth infielder if they didn’t feel Jackson had a chance to break camp at the time.
That’s more difficult to envision a few months later. The Twins not only rebuffed trade interest in starting catcher Ryan Jeffers, they added Victor Caratini on a two-year free agent deal in the middle of January. There’s no scenario in which Jackson jumps either player on the depth chart. He’d only remain on the roster if the Twins break camp with three catchers or one of Jeffers/Caratini suffers an injury during the final six games of Spring Training.
It’s not out of the question that Jackson simply clears waivers and sticks in the organization on a non-roster capacity. He and the team agreed to a $1.35MM salary to cover his first year of arbitration. Any team that traded for him or claimed him off waivers would assume that above minimum salary and face the same roster restrictions the Twins do. Jackson’s three years of service time give him the right to elect free agency if he clears waivers, yet he’d walk away from the guaranteed money to do so. He’d almost certainly accept an assignment to Triple-A St. Paul.
Jackson played in 37 games for the Orioles last year. He connected on five home runs and eight doubles over 100 plate appearances. It was easily his best power production at the MLB level, but it came with 37 strikeouts and only five walks. Jackson has fanned at a 40.7% clip to hit .153/.239/.288 over parts of six seasons in the majors. If the Twins trade him or lose him on waivers, they’d be very light on experienced upper minors catching depth. David Bañuelos, who has appeared in exactly one big league game in each of the last two seasons, is their only non-roster catcher with any MLB service time.