Phillies Select Christian Cairo, Designate Garrett Stubbs For Assignment
The Phillies announced they’ve selected outfielder Justin Crawford and infielder Christian Cairo onto the 40-man roster. Crawford will break camp as the everyday center fielder. Cairo will not be on the Opening Day roster, as Philly optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. They opened a spot on the 40-man by designating catcher Garrett Stubbs for assignment.
Additionally, Philadelphia placed three pitchers on the 15-day injured list. Zack Wheeler (rehabbing thoracic outlet surgery), Orion Kerkering (right hamstring strain) and Max Lazar (left oblique strain) are beginning the season on the shelf. Those placements are retroactive to March 22.
Cairo signed an offseason minor league contract. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that the deal included an upward mobility clause. That required them to add him to the 40-man roster or let him go if another team were willing to give him a roster spot. He still has a full slate of minor league options, so they don’t need to carry him on the MLB club to keep him.
The 24-year-old Cairo has yet to play in the majors. He’s a slick-fielding middle infielder with a light bat. Cairo hit just .237/.338/.331 with two homers over 416 Triple-A plate appearances in the Cleveland farm system last year. He batted .194 with 15 strikeouts over 41 trips to the dish this spring. He’ll open the season in the minors with Edmundo Sosa and Dylan Moore holding utility roles on the MLB bench.
Philadelphia telegraphed the Stubbs move when they began shopping him on the trade market this week. They’re going with Rafael Marchán as the backup catcher behind J.T. Realmuto. Stubbs is out of options and is pushed out of the mix. The Phillies have five days to trade him or place him on waivers. He’s on a split contract that makes it likely he’d accept a Triple-A assignment if no other team carries him on the big league roster.
Wheeler and Kerkering both pitched in minor league games toward the end of the spring. Lazar suffered a mild oblique strain while pitching for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. All three pitchers should be back fairly early in the season.
Giants Select Caleb Kilian
The Giants announced their Opening Day roster moves today. Outfielder Jared Oliva and right-hander Caleb Kilian were selected to the 40-man. In corresponding moves, left-hander Reiver Sanmartin was placed on the 60-day injured list and outfielder Luis Matos has been designated for assignment. It had been reported yesterday that the Giants were likely to select Oliva and designate Matos. The Giants also announced that catcher Eric Haase has been released from his minor league deal and that Rule 5 catcher Daniel Susac has made the team.
Kilian, 29 in June, was signed to a minor league deal in the offseason. He had an impressive camp, tossing 9 1/3 innings while only allowing one earned run. He racked up 11 strikeouts while only issuing two walks.
That strong performance will allow him to make the roster of his original organization. Kilian was drafted by the Giants in 2019 but was flipped to the Cubs as part of the Kris Bryant trade in 2021. He only got to make eight appearances for the Cubs from 2022 to 2024. He was injured for most of 2025 and only made 11 minor league appearances.
Now that he appears to be healthy and pitching well, he’ll make it back to the big leagues. He is out of options and will have to be kept on the active roster or else removed from the 40-man entirely. He has less than a year of service time, so he can be retained for the long term if this season goes especially well.
The San Francisco bullpen has opportunities available because they traded Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval last year and then lost Randy Rodríguez to Tommy John surgery. Their moves to replace those losses were mostly injury reclamation projects, such as Kilian himself.
Sanmartin’s transfer is not a surprise. A waiver claimee from November, it was reported a few weeks ago that he had suffered a significant hip flexor strain that was going to keep him out of action for at least three months.
Behind the plate, the Giants have Patrick Bailey but the backup job was up for grabs. In December’s Rule 5 draft, the Giants got Susac via a trade. The Twins technically selected him from the Athletics fourth overall in that draft but then immediately flipped him to the Giants for minor league catcher Miguel Caraballo.
The fact that the Giants actually gave up a player in order to jump the Rule 5 queue suggested they felt good about Susac’s chances of being an impact guy for them. He helped his own cause by putting up a .350/.386/.550 line in spring training. That was helped by an unsustainable .400 batting average on balls in play but it was enough to get him the job regardless.
As a Rule 5 guy, he can’t be optioned to the minors and will have to stay on the active roster all year long for the Giants to fully acquire his rights. If they want to cut him at any point this year, he could be traded or put on waivers. Any claiming team would take on the same Rule 5 restrictions. If he were to clear waivers, he would have to be offered back to the A’s.
Susac getting the job squeezes out Haase, who had signed a minor league deal in January. He had a huge spring, slashing .286/.375/.536, but also struck out in 14 of his 32 plate appearances. That’s fairly reflective of his big league career, as he has 48 home runs in 1,224 plate appearances but has been punched out at a 30.7% clip. He’ll head out to the open market to see what opportunities are available this week as all clubs shuffle their rosters.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
Rangers Designate Dairon Blanco For Assignment
The Rangers announced that outfielder Dairon Blanco has been designated for assignment. That opens up a 40-man roster spot for Andrew McCutchen, whose contract has been selected. It had been previously reported that McCutchen would make the team.
Blanco, 33 in April, was just claimed off waivers from the Royals a few weeks ago. He made appearances for Kansas City in each of the past four seasons, essentially as a speedy depth outfielder. In 285 plate appearances, he produced a .257/.312/.416 batting line. His 99 wRC+ indicates he was just a hair below league average. He got solid grades for his glovework and stole 59 bases in 73 attempts.
The Rangers were intrigued enough to put in a claim but Blanco was ultimately squeezed off the roster. DFA limbo can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Rangers could take as long as five days to explore trade interest. He still has options, so perhaps he could appeal to a club looking for a bit more outfield depth and speed.
Blanco has a previous career outright. That means that, if he passes through waivers in the coming days, he would have the right to reject another outright assignment in favor of electing free agency.
Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images
Twins Designate Alex Jackson For Assignment
The Twins announced Wednesday that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Cody Laweryson and opened a spot on the 40-man roster by designating catcher Alex Jackson for assignment. They’d been shopping the out-of-options Jackson in recent days but didn’t find a taker. They can continue to explore trades for five days before they’ll have to place him on waivers. Minnesota also placed righties Travis Adams and David Festa on the 15-day IL due to a triceps strain and shoulder impingement, respectively.
Jackson, 30, came over from the Orioles in a November trade sending minor league infielder Payton Eeles to Baltimore. At the time, the Twins’ ownership situation was somewhat in flux, leaving the front office uncertain as to what sort of budget they’d have throughout the winter. Jackson was acquired and signed to a $1.35MM deal, avoiding arbitration and giving the Twins a glove-first backup catcher with some power but immense strikeout and OBP concerns.
The Twins eventually introduced a trio of new minority stakeholders and shuffled up the ownership hierarchy, with Tom Pohlad stepping in as the new control person in place of his younger brother, Joe. That shift came with the apparent green light for some modest investments in free agency, which led to Minnesota signing Victor Caratini on a two-year deal. Caratini became the new backup to starting catcher Ryan Jeffers, leaving Jackson with no path to a 26-man roster spot. Since he can’t be optioned, he’s been designated for assignment and will spend up to a week in limbo waiting to learn his next steps.
Jackson was once a top-10 draft pick and ballyhooed top prospect, but he’s never found his stride in the majors. He’s taken 440 plate appearances dating back to his 2019 MLB debut but mustered only a .153/.239/.288 slash. He’s slugged 11 homers but fallen victim to a strikeout in a disastrous 40.7% of his plate appearances. Jackson draws good marks for his pitch framing and throwing, but his anemic offensive profile makes him better suited to be a third or fourth catcher on any team’s depth chart.
It’s possible he’ll stick with Minnesota in just that role. Jackson’s lack of production, lack of minor league options and $1.35MM salary create a good chance that he’ll pass through waivers unclaimed. He has enough service time to reject an outright assignment to the minors but not enough service to do so while retaining his guaranteed salary. As such, if he clears, he’ll surely accept an assignment to Triple-A and open the season over in St. Paul.
Laweryson, 27, made his big league debut with the Twins last season. He held opponents to a run on four hits and no walks with seven punchouts — a nice follow-up to the 2.86 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate he logged across 44 Triple-A innings. The Twins tried to pass him through waivers in the offseason, only for the Angels to claim him.
The Halos designated Laweryson for assignment in February and released him, at which point he returned to the Twins on a minor league pact. He’s allowed one run on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 spring innings.
Marlins To Sign Austin Slater To Major League Deal
March 25th: The Marlins announced today that Mazur has been placed on the 60-day injured list.
March 24th: The Marlins are in agreement with outfielder Austin Slater on a major league deal, reports Craig Mish of SportsGrid. He just opted out of a minor league deal with the Tigers a few days ago. He’ll make $1MM plus bonuses, per Kevin Barral of Fish on First. The Marlins will need to open a 40-man roster spot but that should be as easy as transferring right-hander Adam Mazur to the 60-day injured list. Mazur underwent Tommy John surgery a few weeks ago and will miss the entire season.
Slater, 33, just had a strong camp with the Tigers. He stepped to the plate 36 times in 15 games and slashed .267/.389/.467. Detroit’s roster is fairly crowded, however. They are going to carry prospect Kevin McGonigle on the Opening Day roster and have bumped outfielder Wenceel Pérez to the minors.
The Marlins will take advantage of that roster crunch by scooping up Slater. In his career, he has generally combined solid defense in all three outfield slots with strong offense against left-handed pitching. His overall batting line is .248/.336/.384. That’s almost exactly league average, translating to a 101 wRC+. That includes a .267/.357/.430 line and 119 wRC+ against southpaws, compared to a .227/.311/.329 slash and 80 wRC+ otherwise.
That profile should fit well in the Miami outfield. The Marlins are slated to begin the season with Kyle Stowers on the injured list, which will leave Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie and Griffin Conine in the outfield. All four of those guys are lefties, so Slater should have plenty of chances to slot in against southpaw opponents.
Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images
Offseason In Review: Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have been focused on the future for a while but that future became the present in 2025. They responded with a very aggressive offseason, making many notable additions to the lineup and pitching staff.
Major League Signings
- LHP Ranger Suárez: Five years, $130MM (includes $3MM signing bonus and $10MM buyout on $35MM mutual option for 2031)
- IF Isiah Kiner-Falefa: One year, $6MM
- LHP Danny Coulombe: One year, $1MM
2026 spending: $17MM
Total spending: $137MM
Trades and Claims
- Acquired C Ronny Hernandez from White Sox for LHP Chris Murphy
- Acquired OF Braiden Ward from Rockies for LHP Brennan Bernardino
- Acquired C Luke Heyman from Mariners for RHP Alex Hoppe
- Acquired RHP Sonny Gray and $20MM in cash considerations from Cardinals for LHP Brandon Clarke and RHP Richard Fitts
- Acquired RHP Johan Oviedo, LHP Tyler Samaniego and C Adonys Guzman from Pirates for OF Jhostynxon García and RHP Jesus Travieso
- Acquired OF Isaiah Jackson from Angels for IF Vaughn Grissom
- Acquired Rule 5 RHP Ryan Watson from Athletics for IF Justin Riemer
- Acquired LHP Jake Bennett from Nationals for RHP Luis Perales
- Acquired 1B Willson Contreras and $8MM in cash considerations from Cardinals for RHP Hunter Dobbins, RHP Yhoiker Fajardo and RHP Blake Aita
- Acquired C Nate Baez from Twins for IF Tristan Gray
- Acquired RHP Gage Ziehl and PTBNL from White Sox for RHP Jordan Hicks, RHP David Sandlin, two PTBNL and $8MM in cash considerations
- Claimed C/IF Mickey Gasper off waivers from Nationals
- Claimed IF Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from Nationals
- Acquired IF Caleb Durbin, IF Andruw Monasterio, IF Anthony Seigler and Competitive Balance Round B pick from Brewers for LHP Kyle Harrison, RHP Shane Drohan and IF David Hamilton.
Option Decisions
- 3B Alex Bregman: Opted out of deal with two years and $80MM remaining (not accounting for deferrals)
- SS Trevor Story: Declined to opt out of deal with two years and $55MM (including $5MM buyout on $25MM club option for 2028)
- RHP Lucas Giolito: Declines $19MM mutual option in favor of $1.5MM buyout
- Team declined $12MM mutual option on RHP Liam Hendriks in favor of $2MM buyout
Notable Minor League Signings
- Jason Delay, Vinny Capra, Devin Sweet, Seth Martinez, Tayron Guerrero, Matt Thaiss, Vinny Nittoli, Kyle Keller, Brendan Rodgers, Tommy Kahnle
Extensions
- None
Notable Losses
- Alex Bregman, Lucas Giolito (still unsigned), Steven Matz, Justin Wilson (still unsigned), Rob Refsnyder, Dustin May, Liam Hendriks, Nathaniel Lowe (non-tendered), Josh Winckowski (non-tendered), Chris Murphy, Brennan Bernardino, Richard Fitts, Cooper Criswell (waivers), Jhostynxon García, Vaughn Grissom, Hunter Dobbins, Jordan Hicks, David Sandlin, Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan
The Sox have essentially been rebuilding since the Mookie Betts trade in early 2020. They did quite well in 2021 but were around a .500 team in the three seasons after that. In that time, young players like Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Brayan Bello established themselves as valuable contributors, but the focus remained on a core of prospects consisting of Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel and Kristian Campbell.
Teel was flipped to the White Sox as the headliner in the Garrett Crochet trade last offseason. The other three all cracked the majors for the first time in 2025. Campbell and Mayer weren’t overwhelming in their debuts. The long-term outlook on Campbell is now a bit concerning but Mayer’s struggles may have been related to injury, as he battled wrist issues and ultimately required surgery. Anthony’s debut was excellent and he looks like a star in the making.
The Sox went 89-73 last year and earned a Wild Card spot. Though they were knocked out by the Yankees, that performance and the arrival of their prospects indicated they had moved well into win-now territory.
Before the offseason could even begin, the front office took a hit. In September, the Nationals plucked assistant general manager Paul Toboni and made him their new president of baseball operations. It appears that the Sox were planning to promote him to general manager, which would have cemented him as the #2 guy on the front office masthead, under chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. Instead, he became the #1 guy in Washington. Boston’s GM search appears to be on pause.
Once the offseason began, Breslow was clear that adding to both the lineup and rotation would be priorities. Though the Sox had a good season in 2025, there were some clear holes. They were giving starts to Dustin May and Walker Buehler late in the year despite both pitchers having ERAs near 5.00. Prospects Connelly Early and Payton Tolle were pushed to the majors even though they had barely pitched at the Triple-A level. Lucas Giolito became a free agent at season’s end. The struggles of Campbell and the Triston Casas injury left them weak at second and first base. Alex Bregman triggered his opt-out, opening a hole at third. Shortstop would at least have continuity, as Trevor Story decided not to opt out of his deal.
It didn’t take long for the rotation to be addressed. A few weeks into the offseason, the Sox reached a deal with Chaim Bloom, who is now the president of baseball operations of the Cardinals. It’s rebuilding time in St. Louis, which meant established veteran players were available. The Sox acquired Sonny Gray for younger pitchers Brandon Clarke and Richard Fitts.
Gray is still a good pitcher but he wasn’t needed in St. Louis. He’s 36 years old and going into the final guaranteed year of his contract. Some Boston fans were underwhelmed when looking at Gray’s age and his 4.28 ERA last year, but there are reasons to be optimistic. His strikeout, walk and ground ball numbers were all strong. His ERA may have been inflated by poor luck on batted balls, which is why his 3.39 FIP and 3.29 SIERA look much nicer.
Though the results have still been good, the contract was tricky, even beyond his no-trade clause. Gray’s deal was backloaded, paying him $35MM in 2026, followed by a $30MM club option with a $5MM buyout. That means he was guaranteed $40MM. The Cards ate $20MM of that to make the deal work and Gray agreed to a slight bump. His contract was reworked at part of the trade so he now gets $41MM, in the form of a $31MM salary and $10MM buyout on a mutual option.
Swallowing that kind of money was enough for the Cards to not just flip Gray but also get a notable return. Fitts is a useful depth starter with options in the near term. With the Sox planning to make rotation upgrades, he was going to get pushed down the depth chart to a point where he would have limited utility.
Clarke is potentially the long-term prize. He hasn’t yet reached Double-A and walks a ton of guys. He still needs a lot of polish but he has high-90s velocity and gets strikeouts. Given his uncertain future, he’s exactly the kind of prospect who should be going from a win-now club to a rebuilder. The Sox get a reliable near-term upgrade while the Cards get the long-term gamble.
Shortly thereafter, the Sox made another rotation addition, once again from an old friend. They made a five-player trade with the Pirates, who are now run by general manager Ben Cherington. The headliners in the trade were Johan Oviedo going to Boston and Jhostynxon García heading to Pittsburgh. García is an exciting upper minors prospect but has no path to playing time in the crowded Boston outfield, so the Sox cashed him in for another arm.
Oviedo is far less established than Gray but there’s intrigue there. He seemed to break out as a viable mid-rotation or back-end guy in 2023 when he gave the Bucs 177 2/3 innings with a 4.31 ERA. He missed 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery, came back in 2025 and looked even better, though in a small sample. He only made nine starts last year but had a 3.57 ERA and 24.7% strikeout rate. His walk rate was high but that may have been rust after his long layoff. Due to his missed time, he is only making $1.55MM this year and can be controlled via arbitration for one more season.
Before the holiday break came, the Sox circled back to Bloom. This time, it was for a lineup addition, with the Sox getting Willson Contreras. The former catcher made a pretty smooth transition to first base last year. Defensive Runs Saved put him just a hair below league average. Outs Above Average put him six above par. The defensive switch didn’t impact his offense, as he slashed .257/.344/.447 for a wRC+ of 124.
His contract situation wasn’t as onerous as Gray’s, as he was owed $41.5MM over two years. The trade ended up structured similarly, though the Cards only ate $8MM this time, a reflection of the fact that Contreras’s deal was closer to market value. Like with Gray, it was restructured to pay him an extra $1MM.
Once again, the Sox flipped out a useful depth starter. Like Fitts, Hunter Dobbins was going to end up down the depth chart, so was sent to a club with more room. Prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita were also included and could be the more notable pieces in the long run. But neither has reached Double-A yet and Fajardo hasn’t even turned 20 years old. As with Clarke in the Gray deal, the Sox have exchanged long-term wild cards for a near-term upgrade, landing the right-handed power bat they’d made a priority entering the winter.
As the calendar flipped to 2026, the Bregman question hung in the air as he remained unsigned and the Sox still had infield holes to address. Many felt that a return to Boston was the most likely outcome but it was not to be.
Bregman settled for a short-term, opt-out-laden pact last offseason but was now hoping to cash in. Breslow has shown an aversion to long-term deals. Bregman’s three-year deal was the longest free agent contract on Breslow’s ledger, as of the start of this offseason. The Sox did make Bregman a long-term offer this time but watered it down. Reportedly, the Sox got to $165MM over five years but with deferrals stretching decades into the future. Instead, Bregman went to the Cubs. That five-year deal also has deferrals but seemingly to a less extreme degree, and with a better sticker price of $175MM.
It’s a bit of an odd look for Boston, in the grand scheme of things. They signed Bregman a year ago and pushed Rafael Devers off third base, upsetting the face of their franchise. The relationship was apparently so damaged that Devers later spurned a request to play first base when Casas got injured. The Sox responded by shipping Devers to the Giants. Presumably, the Sox didn’t anticipate the dominoes falling that way when they signed Bregman. Regardless, the end result is that they completely abandoned their future with Devers in order to get one year of Bregman, then let Bregman slip away by losing a bidding war by a marginal amount.
They didn’t have time to ruminate on that big picture stuff and quickly pivoted. When Bregman turned down their offer, they seemingly just gave all that money to Ranger Suárez. A few days after the reports of Bregman joining the Cubs, the Sox and Suárez agreed to a five-year deal. The $130MM sticker price for Suárez was south of the $165MM offer to Bregman, but the former came with no deferrals. The exact net present value of the Bregman offer isn’t publicly known but his Cubs’ deal came with an NPV of around $150MM. Assuming that Boston was offering more extreme deferrals, the NPV would probably have been pushed pretty close to what Suárez accepted. Regardless, it set a new benchmark for Breslow, as he blew past his aforementioned free agency limits.
The Suárez signing bolstered what was already a very strong rotation. He is not a dominant pitcher, with his fastballs averaging in the low-90s last year, but he clearly knows what he’s doing. He posted a 3.20 ERA last year with a solid 23.2% strikeout rate, excellent 5.8% walk rate and strong 46.8% ground ball rate. Dating back to 2021, he has a 3.25 ERA.
Boston still had work to do and the specter of the Devers trade would again hover around their next two moves. The first one was effectively a salary dump. They flipped Jordan Hicks to the White Sox, with Chicago taking on $16MM of the $24MM left on that deal. In order to move that money off the books, Boston sent out pitching prospect David Sandlin and two players to be named later. They did get back one prospect and one player to be named later, but this was mostly the Sox selling Sandlin to save money.
The next deal was not about financial concerns. The Sox addressed their infield by acquiring Caleb Durbin from the Brewers. They also added some infield depth by netting Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler in the same deal, in addition to a Competitive Balance Round draft pick (#67 overall). Durbin had a solid rookie season in Milwaukee with a contact approach, rarely walking or striking out. He stole some bases and his defense was good. He doesn’t have a lot of power but his profile could play well at Fenway Park. He’ll take over at third base while the Sox will give Mayer a shot at second. Free agent signee Isiah Kiner-Falefa offers cover at both position in a utility role.
The Sox sent three players to Milwaukee, including starters Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan. The inclusion of Harrison had some echoes of the Quinn Priester trade. The Sox had acquired Priester from the Pirates, watched him post some mediocre results for a bit, then traded him to Milwaukee. Priester immediately flourished with the Brewers after the deal. In this case, the Sox acquired Harrison as part of last year’s Devers trade. His results last year were so-so. Now he’s been traded to Milwaukee and will open the season in that club’s rotation. Time will tell if he’s as immediately successful as Priester.
Though Devers was sent to San Francisco less than a year ago, the trade tree has already shot up to the canopy. The Sox got Hicks, Harrison, James Tibbs and Jose Bello in that deal. They quickly flipped Tibbs to the Dodgers to get Dustin May last year. May was a rental, so he’s gone. With Hicks and Harrison sent out this winter, Bello is the only player in the deal still in the system. Baseball America doesn’t consider him one of the top 30 prospects in the system. Boston did get Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later in the Hicks deal but had to give up Sandlin and two players to be named later. The Milwaukee deal brought in three players but also sent out three, so the branches of the Devers deal will keep spreading out for years to come.
Another key component of the Boston offseason was something they didn’t do. With Anthony’s graduation to the majors, the outfield felt crowded, with Rafaela, Duran and Abreu all in the mix, in addition to Masataka Yoshida. It felt possible that the Sox would flip someone out of that group, most likely Duran or Abreu, but they never did. It seems they will try to find playing time for the four primary outfielders by using the designated hitter spot. That could leave Yoshida as an overpaid bench bat, at least until an injury opens up some playing time.
There has been a lot of roster turnover when looking at the past year but it all adds up to put the Sox in what seems like a good position. They have a lot of young and controllable pieces in the lineup and rotation. They have enough outfield depth that they would still be in a good spot even if there’s a significant injury. They have one of the best rotations in the league. Injuries will inevitably pop up but Tolle is waiting in Triple-A. Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval could get healthy during the season. Casas could also be in game shape in the coming weeks. Perhaps injuries will open a path for him but he could also end up as a notable deadline trade chip now that Contreras is at first.
The AL East is tough to predict. All five teams feel like contenders but they can’t all make the playoffs. Some team will hit roadblocks and end up having a disappointing year. It happened to the Orioles in 2025 and the Blue Jays in 2024. There are no guarantees for any club but the Sox appear to be in a decent position to stay strong over a long season.
How would you grade the Red Sox' offseason?
Photo courtesy of Andrew West, Imagn Images
Cubs, Pete Crow-Armstrong Agree To Extension
The Cubs and star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong are in agreement on a six-year extension covering the 2027-33 seasons. It’s a $115MM guarantee for the CAA client, who can earn another $18MM via escalators. Crow-Armstrong had been under club control through 2030, so the deal — which doesn’t include any option years — buys out two free agent seasons.
Crow-Arsmtrong will collect a $5MM signing bonus. He’ll make a pre-arbitration salary this year before his salary jumps to $10MM annually between 2027-29. He’ll make $20MM in 2030 and $30MM per season in 2031-32. There’s a $1MM assignment bonus any time he’s traded throughout the contract, while his salaries in the final two seasons can climb depending on his placements in MVP voting between 2027-30.
Chicago tried to get a deal done with Crow-Armstrong during last year’s Spring Training. He was coming off a modest .237/.286/.384 season as a rookie, but the Cubs clearly felt he had another gear offensively. There has never been any doubt regarding his elite center field defense.
The sides couldn’t reach an agreement last spring. Crow-Armstrong’s asking price has certainly jumped 12 months later. He took a huge step forward from a power perspective, connecting on 31 home runs with 72 extra-base hits. He stole 35 bases, making him one of seven players to go 30-30 last year. He also led all outfielders with 24 Outs Above Average, while tying for second among center fielders (behind Ceddanne Rafaela) with 15 Defensive Runs Saved.
For a good portion of the season, Crow-Armstrong looked to be on track for a top three MVP finish. He was on an offensive tear for four months, hitting 27 homers with a .272/.309/.559 slash line through the end of July. His bat went ice cold to close the season, as he stumbled to a .188/.237/.295 mark over his final 200 trips to the plate.
The tough finish “dropped” Crow-Armstrong to ninth in NL MVP balloting. He deservedly earned his first All-Star selection and Gold Glove. He finished the season as a slightly above-average hitter, posting a .247/.287/.481 line across 647 plate appearances. Crow-Armstrong had a tough postseason (batting .185 without an extra-base hit in eight games) but was much better this spring while playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Crow-Armstrong’s late-season slump highlights the remaining concerns about his offensive consistency. He’s one of the most aggressive hitters in the league, swinging at nearly 60% of the pitches he has seen in his career. No other player who took 500 plate appearances last year swung more often.
Only Yainer Diaz and Michael Harris II more frequently chased pitches outside the strike zone. As a result, Crow-Armstrong has walked in fewer than 5% of his career plate appearances. He has gone down on strikes at a slightly elevated 24% rate. The approach leaves him with a low floor from an OBP perspective that’ll probably continue leading to a streaky offensive game.
At the same time, Crow-Armstrong clearly has a ceiling that few players in the league can match. The glove isn’t going to slump. He’s an elite runner and athlete with a fantastic arm and an excellent first step. The defense alone would give him a high floor even if he had minimal offensive upside. Crow-Armstrong can carry a lineup when he’s going well, as he showed for the first two-thirds of last season. He has above-average bat speed and plus power, particularly against right-handed pitching.
The lefty hitter posted a .271/.315/.523 mark with 24 homers when holding the platoon advantage. He struggled against southpaws, batting .188/.217/.376 with seven longballs in 188 plate appearances. The defense is so good that the Cubs won’t use him as a platoon player, but they’re surely hoping to see more competitive at-bats against lefties.
It’s possible that’ll come with experience. Crow-Armstrong is entering his age-24 season. It’s unlikely he’s ever going to become a patient hitter, but it’s fair to project him some improvements to his selectivity as he gets into his mid 20s. If he plateaus at 10-15 percent better than average offensively, he’d remain one of the better all-around players in the National League. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference each valued him around 5-6 wins above replacement a year ago. Crow-Armstrong’s all-out playing style has also made him a favorite of the fanbase and arguably the face of the franchise.
Crow-Armstrong is two days shy of having two full years of service time. He would have qualified for early arbitration as a Super Two player next offseason. He was five years away from reaching free agency, when he would have hit the market at age 29.
Jackson Merrill’s nine-year, $135MM extension with the Padres last spring is the top guarantee for a player with between one and two years of MLB service. Merrill and Crow-Armstrong have similar profiles as star center fielders with power but some on-base concerns. Crow-Armstrong is the superior defender, though Merrill is a very good outfielder in his own right. The latter probably has a slightly higher offensive floor because he makes more contact.
Merrill was a year younger than Crow-Armstrong is now. He was not on track to qualify as a Super Two player, but he was trending towards hitting free agency by age 27. Merrill probably left some money on the table, though his deal is the most obvious comparison point for talks between the Cubs and Crow-Armstrong’s camp. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Cubs’ 2025 offer was for $66MM.
Chicago’s long-term outfield is wide open. Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ are on track to hit free agency next offseason. Nico Hoerner, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon are also slated to hit the market, and the Cubs surely aren’t bringing everybody back. They traded Owen Caissie to the Marlins as a centerpiece of the Edward Cabrera return. Prospect Kevin Alcántara has power but concerning strikeout rates. Crow-Armstrong would have been in center field either way, but there could be a fair amount of turnover around him in the Wrigley outfield a year from now.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the agreement and the six-year, $115MM guarantee. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported the $18MM in escalators. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com had the escalator specifics and salary breakdown.
Image courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images.
MLBTR Podcast: The PCA and Sanchez Extensions, And Prospect Promotions And Reassignments
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The extension between the Cubs and Pete Crow-Armstrong (recorded prior to the numbers being reported) (2:20)
- The extension between the Phillies and Cristopher Sánchez (7:00)
- The Braves losing Spencer Strider to the injured list (14:00)
- Is there a trend of starting pitcher prospects being used in major league bullpens? (18:15)
- The Nationals optioning Dylan Crews and Harry Ford, with Josiah Gray landing on the 60-day IL (23:35)
- Carson Benge making the Mets‘ Opening Day roster (30:30)
- JJ Wetherholt making the Cardinals‘ Opening Day roster (35:40)
- The Pirates not breaking camp with Konnor Griffin (39:15)
- The Guardians not breaking camp with Travis Bazzana (44:40)
- The Blue Jays starting the season with José Berríos and Trey Yesavage on the injured list (49:20)
- The Marlins optioning Braxton Garrett (55:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- Banged-Up Reds And Braves, Kevin McGonigle, And Spring Breakouts – listen here
- Jesús Luzardo’s Extension, Atlanta’s Depth, And Zack Littell – listen here
- Max Scherzer, The Red Sox’ Lineup, Spring Extension Candidates, And More! – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images
The Opener: Opening Day, Roster Moves, Extensions
Baseball is back! Here are three things for baseball fans to keep an eye on as the 2026 season gets underway:
1. Opening Day 2026:
The 2026 season kicks off this evening with a single game set to air on Netflix. The Yankees will head to San Francisco for a game against the Giants that’s set to begin at 5:05pm local time. Right-hander Logan Webb (4th in NL Cy Young voting last year) is poised to face off against southpaw Max Fried (4th in AL Cy Young voting last year). The Yankees didn’t make any real changes to their lineup over the winter, though they’ll be without injured shortstop Anthony Volpe, which will give Jose Caballero the Opening Day nod at shortstop. It’ll be the first Yankees Opening Day for Caballero and third baseman Ryan McMahon, both of whom were acquired at last year’s trade deadline. The Giants, meanwhile, added infielder Luis Arraez and center fielder Harrison Bader in free agency, and Wednesday will be Rafael Devers‘ first Opening Day with San Francisco following last year’s June acquisition.
2. Roster moves aplenty:
All 30 teams, not just the Yankees and Giants, need to get their rosters ready for Opening Day today. That means there will be plenty of roster moves to keep an eye on throughout the day. Veterans who opted out of minor league deals are signing new contracts, players are being selected to 40-man rosters and designated for assignment, injury list decisions are being made, and even a few trades are likely to take place. Keep an eye on MLBTR throughout the day for the latest on all the last-minute roster decisions and transactions around the league.
3. Extension season continues:
Yesterday, the Cubs and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong finalized a six-year extension that guarantees the All-Star $115MM. That’s only the most recent in a busy spring for extensions, with Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, and Chris Sale among those to have inked new contracts on the player side, while Ross Atkins, Oli Marmol, Pat Murphy, and A.J. Preller have all done so on the personnel side. Extension conversations tend to continue a bit beyond Opening Day, and that’ll likely be true in 2026. Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin and A’s catcher Shea Langeliers are among the young players whose teams could look to lock them up long-term. Pending free agents like Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta have been heavily discussed extension candidates but might be less likely to get a deal done with just seven months to go before free agency.
Offseason In Review: Chicago Cubs
The Cubs deepened their rotation, rebuilt their bullpen, and made one of the biggest free agent splashes in franchise history.
Major League Signings
- Alex Bregman, 3B: five years, $175MM. $70MM in deferred salary resulting in an approximate net present value of $154,469,510
- Shota Imanaga, SP: one year, $22.025MM. Accepted qualifying offer
- Phil Maton, RP: two years, $14.5MM. Includes $8.5MM club option with a $3MM buyout
- Hunter Harvey, RP: one year, $6MM. Includes $8MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout
- Caleb Thielbar, RP: one year, $4.5MM. Includes $6MM mutual option with a $500K buyout
- Hoby Milner, RP: one year, $3.75MM
- Shelby Miller, RP: two years, $2.5MM
- Jacob Webb, RP: one year, $1.5MM. Includes $2.5MM club option with no buyout
- Tyler Austin, 1B: one year, $1.25MM
2026 spending: $80.525MM ($15MM deferred)
Total future spending: $231.025MM ($70MM deferred)
Option Decisions
- Cubs declined three-year, $57.75MM club option on Imanaga. Player then declined a $15.25MM player option (plus provisions for 2027-28 options). Cubs then made qualifying offer, which was eventually accepted.
- Declined $10MM mutual option on 1B Justin Turner, resulting in $2MM buyout
Trades and Claims
- Acquired cash considerations from Orioles for RP Andrew Kittredge
- Acquired $250K in international bonus pool money from Astros for minor league RP Nico Zeglin
- Acquired SP Edward Cabrera from Marlins for RF Owen Caissie, minor league SS Cristian Hernandez, and minor league 1B/3B Edgardo De Leon
- Claimed RP Ryan Rolison off waivers from White Sox
- Claimed OF Justin Dean off waivers from Giants
- Claimed IF Ben Cowles off waivers from White Sox. Later claimed by Blue Jays
Notable Minor League Signings
- Michael Conforto, Chas McCormick, Dylan Carlson, Collin Snider, Corbin Martin, Trent Thornton, Scott Kingery, Christian Bethancourt, Vince Velasquez, Kyle Wright
Extensions
- Colin Rea, SP/RP: Facing a $6MM club option for 2026 with a $750K buyout, the parties instead agreed to a new deal paying $5.5MM for ’26. The new deal includes a $7.5MM club option for 2027 with a $1MM buyout, for a $6.5MM guarantee and $5.75MM in new money.
Notable Losses
- Kyle Tucker, Brad Keller, Owen Caissie, Andrew Kittredge, Drew Pomeranz, Reese McGuire, Justin Turner, Willi Castro, Taylor Rogers, Ryan Brasier, Eli Morgan, Aaron Civale, Michael Soroka
The Cubs’ offseason kicked off with a series of option decisions regarding starter Shota Imanaga. Given the team’s lack of faith in Imanaga at the end of last season, those went as expected: the club declined their three-year option, and Imanaga declined his two-year option.
The Cubs’ decision to then issue Imanaga a one-year qualifying offer worth $22.025MM came as a surprise. With big offseason plans, why risk tying up that much money on him in mid-November? Perhaps the Cubs thought the 32-year-old would find a better deal elsewhere, netting them a mid-70s pick in the 2026 draft.
But the team certainly understood it was possible Imanaga would explore the market and elect to return to Chicago on the QO, and that’s what he did. Imanaga is a solid mid-rotation starter, one-year deals are rarely a problem, and restored velocity this spring may lead to a season more like his excellent 2024.
The only detriment to the Imanaga gambit would be if the Cubs found themselves pinching pennies elsewhere to make up for it. On the same day Imanaga became a free agent – before qualifying offers were due – the Cubs did make a financially-motivated move. Despite several of Craig Counsell’s other trusted relievers entering free agency, the Cubs shipped Andrew Kittredge back to Baltimore rather than pick up his $9MM club option.
Kittredge, 36, was excellent in 21 2/3 innings for the Cubs after coming over at the trade deadline, and was Counsell’s highest-leverage reliever in the playoffs. He’s been slowed by shoulder inflammation this spring, but back in November, I thought the Cubs would welcome him back to their bullpen. The Kittredge decision was curious, but 36-year-old pitchers are fickle, and $9MM tends to be the top range of what Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer is willing to spend for one season of a reliever. The Cubs did bring swingman Colin Rea back, throwing him a little extra money to get a club option for 2027.
After an unproductive and injury-marred second half, the Cubs seemed to have little interest in signing Kyle Tucker, whether to the $400MM+ deal he likely hoped for, or the record-setting AAV short-term opt-out deal he eventually signed with the Dodgers. The Cubs probably wouldn’t have signed Tucker even if his second half had been strong. But they did make him a qualifying offer to lock in the #75 pick in this year’s draft.
Knowing they’d get that pick likely boosted the Cubs’ willingness to forfeit their second-rounder, had they signed another team’s qualified free agent. That possibility was on the table throughout the offseason, with the Cubs showing some level of reported interest in Dylan Cease, Michael King, Ranger Suarez, and Zac Gallen.
The Cubs made a legitimate run at Cease, who they drafted out of high school back in 2014. Cease ultimately reached an agreement on a seven-year, $210MM deal with the Blue Jays on November 26th. As Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic put it on December 3rd, the Cubs “bowed out as the bidding reached the $200 million mark.”
The thing is, the bidding kind of didn’t reach the $200MM mark on Cease, who deferred $64MM and signed with a net present value of approximately $189.2MM. Either the Cubs actually drew their line below that range, or Hoyer had not yet convinced the Ricketts family to bend on their recent opposition to deferred money.
With Cease off the board, the Cubs reportedly at least entertained a number of top free agents throughout December beyond the starters mentioned, including Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, Tatsuya Imai, and Eugenio Suarez.
Simultaneously, the Cubs set about rebuilding their bullpen through free agency. They snagged Phil Maton, a soft-tossing righty with a big strikeout rate last year, in November. Maton’s two-year, $14.5MM deal marked the first multiyear free agent relief signing of Hoyer’s five-year tenure atop the Cubs’ front office, and the club’s first since their disastrous Craig Kimbrel signing in June 2019. Hoyer saw another target, Ryan Helsley, land with Baltimore, but came away with Maton, Hunter Harvey, Caleb Thielbar, Hoby Milner, and Jacob Webb before the end of the year.
Save for a few minor league deals for depth, Hoyer’s bullpen work was done. Perhaps emboldened by his success in acquiring Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, and Kittredge last year, Hoyer brought in four new bullpen options while retaining Thielbar.
In the 2024-25 offseason, five relievers signed for $20MM or more: Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman, Blake Treinen, A.J. Minter, and Carlos Estevez. The first three posted ERAs of 4.37 and up last year, and Minter pitched only 11 innings. Estevez had success for the Royals, but is showing red flags this spring with a drastic velocity drop. Given that bust rate – the Cubs were actually the high bidder on Scott – it’s hard to fault Hoyer for letting Keller go to the Phillies for $22MM. Still, the Cubs’ bullpen, led by holdover and Team Venezuela stopper Daniel Palencia, comes with tons of variance for 2026.
The Cubs went off the beaten path to snag Tyler Austin on a cheap split contract. The 34-year-old first baseman had a touch of success in the Majors with the 2018 Yankees and Twins, but eventually decamped to Japan for a six-year run with the Yokohama BayStars (where he was teammates with Imanaga). It seemed that perhaps Austin would take over Justin Turner’s role as Michael Busch‘s caddy against tough lefties. But after an excellent 2025 season, the Cubs are saying Busch has earned a shot against southpaws. Part of that may be owed to the patellar tendon debridement procedure Austin underwent in February, expected to keep him out months. But the commitment to Austin was minimal, he could eventually supplement Moises Ballesteros at DH, and the Cubs still have right-handed options on the active roster in Miguel Amaya and Matt Shaw.
The Cubs’ interest in Cease suggested a desire to add a pitcher to the front of their rotation. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, “the Cubs seem to have been the most aggressive suitor” of Japanese righty Tatsuya Imai, but they instead allowed the 27-year-old to sign an opt-out-laden three-year, $54MM deal with the Astros.
Perhaps the Cubs weren’t fans of the opt-out structure of Imai’s contract, after a similar one with Cody Bellinger became a headache. They instead pivoted to a longtime target, Marlins righty Edward Cabrera. The Cubs landed Cabrera in a January 7th trade with Miami, surrendering Baseball America’s #43 prospect in Owen Caissie (plus two others) to get him. The Cubs control the hard-throwing Cabrera for three years, and he comes cheap in 2026 at just $4.45MM.
Cabrera, 28 in April, set a career-high with last year’s 144 2/3 innings (which includes a couple minor league rehab starts). Dating back even before his 2021 debut, injuries have been a consistent theme in Cabrera’s career. He dealt with biceps inflammation in ’21, but still reached the Majors in August of that year. The biceps slowed him again the following year, which also included elbow tendinitis. A shoulder impingement cost him a month in ’23, which recurred the following spring and again in May of ’24. That one knocked him out for two months.
Cabrera began 2025 with an IL stint for a blister, another common injury for him. An elbow injury cropped up in July, but did not necessitate a trip to the IL. An elbow sprain did put Cabrera on the IL in September, though he returned in less than a month to make two final starts. His velocity was back at full strength in those appearances.
Of all the starting pitching options the Cubs entertained last winter, Cabrera was a high-risk, high-reward choice. But, particularly after Imanaga accepted the QO, they needed front of the rotation upside more than depth. The price on Cabrera was high; Caissie might have wound up as the Cubs’ starting right fielder for years otherwise. Though he throws hard, Cabrera’s fastball is actually ineffective, as Sharma explained. But he brings an excellent curveball and unique changeup, and he cut his walk rate last year. Cabrera is the type of starter the Cubs were missing in last year’s playoffs, though whether he’ll be healthy in October is anyone’s guess.
Though there was a bit of stray Zac Gallen talk, the Cabrera acquisition completed the Cubs’ rotation. They’ll trot out Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Imanaga, Cabrera, and Jameson Taillon to start the season, with Justin Steele hoping to return from surgery around June. Javier Assad will start the season in Triple-A, with Ben Brown working multi-inning stints out of the MLB bullpen and Rea always ready to take starts as needed. Jaxon Wiggins, the game’s 78th best prospect according to BA, will be at Triple-A Iowa as well. Even with Taillon’s shaky spring, the Cubs’ rotation depth looks strong for now. 160+ innings from Horton would still go a long way, after last year’s second-place Rookie of the Year finish.
After last spring’s four-year, $115MM offer to Alex Bregman fell well short, I didn’t expect the Cubs to make a bigger push a year later. I was wrong. It turned out the Cubs’ previous failure to push further was more on ownership than Hoyer. According to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, Hoyer and GM Carter Hawkins used the intervening period to meet with higher-ups to “update the club’s philosophy on using deferred money to help finance deals for free agents.” The fact that the Cubs’ big starting pitching acquisition, Cabrera, added less than $5MM to the payroll likely emboldened Hoyer on Bregman.
As the Chicago Bears were mounting a wild comeback to beat the Packers at Soldier Field to win the NFC Wild Card game – with Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in attendance – Hoyer was wrapping up a stunning deal with Bregman. Whereas their 2025 four-year offer covered his age 31-34 seasons, this year’s five-year deal covers age 32-36. That’s the first time the Cubs have signed a free agent through age 36 since Yu Darvish nearly eight years prior — a contract Hoyer dumped halfway through to get Caissie.
The Bregman deal included $70MM in deferred money, resulting in a net present value a bit shy of $155MM. Bregman did a bit better than expected, as MLBTR had called for $160MM over six years. Certainly Bregman brings a clubhouse effect that Kyle Tucker does not. But though the Cubs didn’t have to include a sixth year (age 37 for Bregman), I was still surprised to see them sign a player for big money that deep into his career. As Davy Andrews of FanGraphs put it, “He’s not starting out with much margin for error, so things could get ugly when his bat speed or his contact skills start to go. And Bregman is already slow and a below-average baserunner. He already has a weak arm. When the first-step quickness goes, the defense could crater pretty quickly too.” Long-term pessimism aside, Bregman still projects for 3+ WAR this year.
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner, quietly worth 17.5 WAR over the last four years, had been in trade rumors throughout the winter. Hoerner’s contract is up after 2026, but the Cubs did not see fit to move him this winter to clear a spot for Matt Shaw. Shaw, 24, was displaced from his starting third base job by the Bregman signing. Shaw popped up in rumors as well, but instead the Cubs plan to use him in a super-utility role this year. For example, he’ll see time in right field early in the season as Seiya Suzuki recovers from a PCL strain suffered in the World Baseball Classic.
The Cubs’ Opening Day right field start against Nationals righty Cade Cavalli may go to Michael Conforto, as the veteran will make the team folllowing Suzuki’s injury. Minor league signee Dylan Carlson also claimed a bench spot. At the time of this writing, Scott Kingery and Chas McCormick are vying for the last position player job, with Kingery’s infield versatility probably giving him the leg up.
Late Tuesday, the Cubs put a cherry on top of an exciting offseason by locking up center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong to a long-term extension running through 2032. PCA, just 24 on Wednesday, cemented himself as a fan favorite with a first half last year that put him in the MVP conversation. Crow-Armstrong’s second-half flop didn’t deter the Cubs from extending him, though they already controlled him through 2030. As perhaps the game’s best defensive center fielder, PCA offers a high floor even if he can’t get his batting average up or learn to hit left-handed pitching.
Crow-Armstrong’s six-year extension begins in 2027, so it covers his four arbitration years plus his first two free agent seasons. If we assume around $40MM in potential arbitration earnings, each free agent year gets valued at around $37-38MM. That’s a hefty price, but as my colleague Steve Adams put it, the Cubs have a knack for getting players to give up an atypical number of free agent years (as in the cases of Hoerner and Ian Happ).
The PCA deal doesn’t really have a clear comp. Consider:
- Crow Armstrong: signed at age 24 with 1.170 Major League service, buys out four arbitration years and two free agent years covering age 25-30 for $115MM
- Jackson Merrill: signed at age 22 with 1.006 service, buys out one pre-arb year, three arb years, and as many as six free agent years covering age 23-32 for $156MM (if 2035 club option is exercised)
- Roman Anthony: signed at age 21.25 with 0.058 service, buys out three pre-arb years, three arb years, and as many as three free agent years covering age 22-30 for $160MM (if 2034 club option is exercised)
- Corbin Carroll: signed at age 22.57 with 0.038 service, buys out three pre-arb years, three arb years, and as many as three free agent years covering age 22-30 for $134MM (if 2031 club option is exercised)
- Tyler Soderstrom: signed at age 24.1 with 2.053 service, buys out one pre-arb year, three arb years, and as many as four free agent years covering age 24-31 for $111MM (if 2033 club option is exercised)
As you can see, none of these really match up with Crow-Armstrong, who signed a bit later in his career than most, gave up the fewest free agent years, gave up no club options, and like Anthony and Carroll preserved a shot at free agency heading into his age-31 season.
PCA was already part of the Cubs’ long-term outlook, but here’s how that looks at present (relievers excluded):
- Free agents after 2026: Hoerner, Suzuki, Happ, Imanaga, Taillon, Boyd, Carson Kelly
- Under control through 2027: Steele
- Under control through 2028: Cabrera
- Under control through 2029: Dansby Swanson, Busch, Miguel Amaya
- Under control through 2030: Bregman, Horton
- Under control through 2031: Moises Ballesteros, Shaw
- Under control through 2032: Crow-Armstrong
Barring further extensions, the Cubs might see something on the order of 17 WAR walk out the door after the 2026 season, plus four relievers. Throw a lockout into the mix, and the 2027 Cubs could look quite different when the dust eventually settles. They’ve certainly got the payroll flexibility to sign Hoerner and/or Suzuki. However, Hoerner could be somewhat difficult to value, and I’m not sure the Cubs will want to go further with a 32-year-old Suzuki. The Cubs may be left seeking a pair of corner outfielders, multiple starting pitchers, and several relievers next offseason.
Those are problems for another day. Though the PCA signing kicks in next year, the Cubs have pushed their 2026 payroll to new heights, passing the $244MM competitive balance tax threshold. They’ve built a strong team despite losing Tucker, though they probably face tougher competition from the rest of the NL Central than many realize. That includes needing to find a way to jump the Brewers, who have kept them second in the division for three straight seasons.