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Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts

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In the same way that players feel extra pressure to produce entering their last season before free agency, managers and front office bosses similarly feel the heat when entering the final year of their contracts.  The difference is that even if a player has a rough season, they’re usually still in position to land at least a one-year deal in some fashion for the next year — a manager or a GM could find themselves fired in the wake of a bad year, with no guarantee about when (or even if) they’ll get another shot at leading a dugout or a front office.

This list details the baseball operations bosses (whatever their specific title) and managers who are entering the final year of their contracts, as well as the personnel whose contractual situations aren’t publicly known.  Some clubs don’t publicize the terms of employee contracts, so it is entirely possible that some of these names signed extensions months ago but the teams have chosen to keep these new deals quiet for the time being.  And, of course, the length of a contract doesn’t always correlate to job security.  One bad season or even a poor start could suddenly threaten the status of a manager or head of baseball ops that seemingly seems safe right now.

As always, thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for reference information on some of these contracts.

Angels: It’s pretty unusual to see a newly-hired manager already on this list, yet that is the situation Kurt Suzuki finds himself in after signing just a one-year guarantee to become the Halos’ new skipper.  The deal has multiple club option years attached, and while one would imagine Suzuki wouldn’t be let go so quickly, the Angels’ manager’s office has been enough of a revolving door in recent years that it is hard to guess what owner Arte Moreno might do next.  GM Perry Minasian is also entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, with a club option for the 2027 season.  Ten consecutive losing seasons has led to a lot of discord in Anaheim, and an eleventh sub-.500 year might get both Suzuki and Minasian sent packing by next offseason.

Astros: GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada are each entering their final season under contract, with Brown hired in January 2023 and Espada in November 2023.  Earlier this month, Astros owner Jim Crane didn’t entirely close the door on the possibility of an extension for either Brown or Espada, but said “I think we’ll go through this year like we always do, evaluate it and then make the decision at the end of the year.”  Reading between the lines, it certainly seems like the spotlight will be on Brown and Espada, especially since the Astros are coming off their first non-playoff season since 2016.  While the team’s laundry list of injuries is a valid excuse for their 2025 letdown, some personnel changes might well be coming if Houston can’t get back into the postseason hunt this year.

Athletics: General manager David Forst’s contract has already expired, as his most recent deal with the team was up following the 2025 campaign.  Owner John Fisher has stated that “conversations are ongoing” about another extension, and since it has apparently been business as usual for the A’s this offseason, it seems like it’s just a matter of time before Forst formally extends his long stint in the team’s front office.  Forst only officially took over the baseball operations department in the 2022-23 offseason, but he has been with the Athletics since 2000, first working as a scout and then becoming one of Billy Beane’s top lieutenants.

Blue Jays: GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider are both entering the final year of their contracts, as the Jays exercised their 2026 club option on Schneider’s deal back in November.  This duo was facing heavy pressure heading into the 2025 season, yet Toronto’s AL pennant and near-miss in the World Series has entirely changed the narrative for both Atkins and Schneider.  The Blue Jays already extended team president/CEO Mark Shapiro a few weeks ago, and extensions for Atkins and Schneider should follow before Opening Day.

Brewers: Pat Murphy is entering the final season of his three-year contract, but it is hard to believe the Brew Crew won’t have the manager soon locked up on another deal.  Murphy has been named NL Manager of the Year in each of the first two seasons, won consecutive NL Central titles, and this October led the Brewers to their first NLCS appearance since 2018.  October also saw Matt Arnold receive a promotion from GM to president of baseball operations, even though Arnold has already been the Brewers’ top baseball exec for the last three seasons.  Arnold’s specific contract situation hasn’t been made clear for a few years now, but it would surely seem like Milwaukee’s continued success and his new job title probably landed the PBO an extension at some point.  Regardless, Arnold seems in no danger of being fired even if 2026 is his last year under contract.

Cardinals: Oli Marmol is headed into his final year, but the manger and the Cardinals have already started discussing an extension to retain Marmol beyond the 2026 campaign.  It seems like something should be finalized in due course, with St. Louis continuing to entrust Marmol with the reins as the team now moves into a full-on rebuild phase.

Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo has quietly become one of baseball’s longer-tenured managers, as Lovullo has been running Arizona’s dugout since the 2016-17 offseason.  He has signed multiple extensions (none for more than two guaranteed years) since his initial three-year pact, yet while 2026 represents the final year of Lovullo’s current deal, the Diamondbacks are reportedly going to let Lovullo enter the season without an extension in place.  Owner Ken Kendrick did praise Lovullo’s efforts in keeping the D’Backs competitive amidst a swath of pitching injuries and a partial trade deadline selloff in 2025, but it is intriguing that the vote of confidence wasn’t backed up by another contract.  This will be a storyline to watch as the Diamondbacks’ season progresses, and a change in the dugout might well be coming if the D’Backs can’t get back into the postseason.

Dodgers: President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman first came to Los Angeles on a five-year, $35MM pact covering the 2015-19 seasons, and he signed an extension back in November 2019.  Terms of that deal weren’t known, yet it is clear that if Friedman hasn’t already signed another new deal in the last six years, the Dodgers are almost surely keen in retaining the executive.  The Dodgers have reached the playoffs in every single season of Friedman’s tenure, have won three World Series championships under his leadership, and have become baseball’s dominant franchise due to both their record-high payrolls and their ability to draft and develop minor league talent.

Guardians: Chris Antonetti gets an obligatory mention since the Guardians haven’t publicly addressed his contract status since he signed an extension with the team back in 2013.  Following the 2015 season, Antonetti was promoted to the president of baseball operations title, and his decade in charge has seen Cleveland make seven postseason appearances.  As the Guards are coming off their sixth AL Central crown of Antonetti’s tenure, there is no sense ownership is looking to make a change, nor is there any sense Antonetti (who has turned down overtures from other teams in the past) is looking to leave.

Mariners: Dan Wilson’s contract terms weren’t made public when he was hired as manager in August 2024, and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s status hasn’t been addressed since he signed a contract extension of an unknown length back in September 2021.  It may very well be that Dipoto has quietly signed another deal in the last four-plus years, but regardless, the Mariners’ success in 2025 very likely means neither Dipoto or Wilson are going anywhere, even if the M’s don’t feel the need to publicize any extensions.

Marlins: Previous Miami GM Kim Ng was signed to a three-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season, and the Marlins chose to pass on that option in order to hire Peter Bendix as the new president of baseball operations.  Terms of Bendix’s contract weren’t disclosed, so given the length of Ng’s contract, it is possible Bendix could also be entering his final guaranteed year if Miami pursued the same structure with another first-time front office boss.  While Ng’s dismissal caught many in baseball by surprise, Bendix’s job appears to be a lot safer, as the Marlins’ surprising surge to 79 wins in 2025 is a promising step forward for the team’s (latest) rebuild.

Mets: Carlos Mendoza is entering the final guaranteed year of his three-year contract, and New York holds a club option on the manager’s services for the 2027 season.  The Mets have overhauled both Mendoza’s coaching staff and a good chunk of the roster in the wake of the slow-motion collapse that left the team outside the playoff picture in 2025, so far more is expected than just an 83-79 record this year.  The club option probably means that the Mets will wait until after the season (if at all) to discuss an extension, and given the Mets’ high payroll and expectations, even a slow start might put Mendoza’s status in jeopardy.

Orioles: Mike Elias’ contract terms were never publicized when he was hired to lead Baltimore’s front office in November 2018, though he did receive a title change from general manager to president of baseball operations last offseason.  Elias’ specific contract status remains unspecified, and it is possible he could be facing more heat if the O’s have another subpar season.  Consecutive playoff appearances were followed by the thud of a 75-87 record in 2025, though ownership appears to have given Elias some support in the form of bigger budget, as the Orioles’ busy offseason has been highlighted by the blockbuster Pete Alonso signing.

Padres: Reports in early November suggested that A.J. Preller was close to signing a new extension to remain as San Diego’s PBO, though close to three months later, there hasn’t been any word of a deal between the two sides.  It could be that a contract was signed but simply not publicly announced, or perhaps Preller and the team agreed to table the negotiations until after most of the Padres’ offseason business was complete.  Considering all the reports of discord within the Padres’ ownership situation and some possible tension between Preller and team CEO Erik Greupner, a contract extension probably shouldn’t be considered a sure thing until a deal is actually done, though things still seem to be leaning in the direction of Preller getting re-upped.  For all of the off-the-field drama that has frequently defined Preller’s long tenure in San Diego, the Padres are coming off their fourth playoff appearance in the last six seasons.

Reds: As Cincinnati is coming off its first playoff berth since 2020, president of baseball operations Nick Krall looks to have a decent amount of job security, and might be in line for an extension depending on his current contract status.  Krall has been in charge of the Reds’ front office for the last five seasons, and he received an extension of an unspecified length when he was promoted to the president of baseball operations title following the 2023 campaign.

Tigers: Scott Harris has now finished three full seasons as Detroit’s PBO, so if a four-year contract might be considered the usual minimum for a first-time president of baseball ops, 2026 might be Harris’ final year under contract.  It’s all speculative, of course, since Harris’ terms weren’t made public, and it might also be a moot point since Harris could be an extension candidate, if anything.  The Tigers have made the second round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, though the team’s late-season collapse in 2025 and the uncertainty over Tarik Skubal’s future remain areas of concern.

Twins: Derek Falvey’s shocking decision to step down as Minnesota’s president of baseball (and business) operations has unexpectedly made GM Jeremy Zoll the top voice in the team’s front office.  Zoll was promoted to the GM role in November 2024 to become Falvey’s chief lieutenant, and the length of Zoll’s contract isn’t known.  It is fair to guess that Zoll might’ve gotten an extension after becoming general manager, so he probably remains under team control through at least 2027 even after this sudden elevation to the head of the baseball ops department.

White Sox: Chris Getz has been the team’s GM since August 2023, and his tenure has included a record 121-loss season in 2024 and an improvement to “only” 102 losses in 2025.  Getz’s contract term wasn’t publicized at the time of his hiring so this is just a speculative entry in case his first deal was only a three-year pact.  There doesn’t appear to be any sense that ownership is displeased with the Pale Hose’s progress during the rebuild, so if Getz actually did sign a three-year deal, the Sox might look to extend him at some point this season.

Yankees: Brian Cashman is the longest-tenured front office boss in baseball, acting as the Yankees’ GM since February 1998.  That remarkable 28-year run has included 28 winning records and four World Series titles, though the team hasn’t won the Series since 2009.  Owner Hal Steinbrenner appears to trust Cashman as much as ever, so it seems very likely that Cashman’s tenure will stretch into a third decade barring an utter disaster of a 2026 season.  Cashman’s last deal covered the 2023-26 seasons, but since the Yankees’ aversion to extensions also extends to personnel as well as players, he might not sign his next contract until after his current deal actually expires.  It’s a sign of Cashman’s job security that he has waited until December to sign each of his last two contracts to remain with the club.

Padres To Sign Marco Gonzales To Minor League Deal

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The Padres and left-hander Marco Gonzales have agreed to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The CAA Sports client will make a salary of $1.5MM if he makes the team with an extra $1MM available via incentives.

Gonzales, 34 in February, spent many years as a solid mid-rotation starter in the majors but is coming off a few injury-marred seasons. From 2018 to 2022, he gave the Mariners 765 2/3 innings, allowing 3.94 earned runs per nine. His 17.7% strikeout rate was subpar but he also only gave out walks at a 5.8% clip.

In 2023, nerve issues in his forearm limited him to just ten starts. He required surgery in August of that year. Going into 2024, he was included in the Jarred Kelenic trade with Atlanta, seemingly as financial ballast. He was traded to Pittsburgh a few days later. Due to further forearm strains, he went on and off the injured list and only made seven starts for the Bucs that year. He underwent flexor tendon surgery that August.

The Pirates made the easy decision to turn down his $15MM club option for 2025 since he was looking at a lengthy surgery recovery. He didn’t sign anywhere else and didn’t pitch in any official capacity last year.

It’s anyone’s guess what he can provide after three straight issues more or less tanked by forearm problems. For the Padres, he’s a sensible flier to take as they certainly need pitching. Right now, their on-paper rotation is fronted by Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove. There’s not a ton of certainty in there. King was injured for a lot of 2025. Pivetta has been in trade rumors. Musgrove missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Behind those top three, there are guys like Randy Vásquez, JP Sears, Kyle Hurt and Matt Waldron. Vásquez had a 3.84 ERA last year but that seems unsustainable since he only struck out 13.7% of batters faced. The other three all posted ERAs above 5.00 in 2025.

It’s unclear how much spending capacity the Padres have at this stage of the winter. RosterResource currently projects them for a $220MM payroll and $262MM competitive balance tax figure. At the end of 2025, those numbers were $214MM and $266MM.

If the budget is tight, that could explain why the Friars are open to moving Pivetta and his backloaded contract. He made a $3MM signing bonus and $1MM salary last year but his salary jumps to $19MM, $14MM and $18MM in the next three seasons, with an opt-out after 2026. Flipping him would save some money but further thin out the rotation.

Gonzales is hard to bank on after his injury odyssey but he would be nice value for money if he can return to something resembling his prior form. He will join Triston McKenzie as non-roster arms pushing for big league jobs with the Padres this year.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images

Latest On Zac Gallen’s Market

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Zac Gallen is one of two unsigned players who declined a qualifying offer at the beginning of the offseason. The former All-Star righty is also arguably the second-best pitcher available behind Framber Valdez. It has nevertheless been a quiet winter in terms of rumors, and the odds of Gallen settling for a pillow contract are presumably rising as Spring Training approaches.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post appeared on MLB Network this week and provided an update on the starter’s market. Heyman listed the Cubs, Orioles and incumbent Diamondbacks as teams that remain in the mix. He added that the Angels and Padres have “checked in” this offseason as well but implied that the latter two teams are longer shots to get something done.

No one from that group is an ideal fit. The O’s have been most frequently connected to Valdez. Gallen feels more like a fallback target if Valdez’s asking price remains above Baltimore’s comfort zone. The Diamondbacks made a two-year, $40MM investment to bring back Merrill Kelly and signed Michael Soroka to a one-year deal. They’d still have room in the rotation for Gallen, but GM Mike Hazen suggested recently that the Kelly contract limited their financial flexibility to sign an established late-inning reliever.

That doesn’t bode especially well for their chances of fitting Gallen in the budget unless owner Ken Kendrick makes an exception to bring back a player with whom he’s familiar. Even if Gallen takes a two-year deal with an opt-out clause, he’d probably command something close to the $22.025MM qualifying offer salary which he declined at the beginning of the winter.

The Cubs went to the trade market for their biggest upgrade, sending a package led by outfield prospect Owen Caissie to the Marlins for Edward Cabrera. He’ll pair with Cade Horton at the top of a rotation that could get Justin Steele back from elbow surgery within the first couple months of the season. Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Colin Rea, Javier Assad and Jordan Wicks are on hand as a decent collection of depth starters.

Further bolstering the rotation isn’t necessarily a need, but Patrick Mooney of The Athletic writes that the Cubs are keeping their options open on that front. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acknowledged the higher risk of pitching injuries in the modern game and pointed out that teams often need to lean on nine or ten starters to get through a season. While that doesn’t mean they’re certainly aggressively pursuing Gallen, they’ll probably keep in contact until the veteran righty makes his decision.

The Padres and Angels have more acute rotation needs. Payroll is the bigger question for both clubs. San Diego already surprised by re-signing Michael King on a three-year, $75MM deal with opt-outs. The Angels have limited themselves to a handful of cheap one-year deals. That leaves them with a decent amount of spending room before they hit last season’s level, but there’s also no indication that ownership is willing to spend much this offseason.

Other teams known to remain in the starting pitching market include the Tigers, Braves, Athletics and White Sox. Detroit was loosely linked to Gallen around the Winter Meetings but has more recently been tied to the likes of Lucas Giolito, Chris Bassitt and Nick Martinez. None of the others have been publicly linked to Gallen this offseason, and it’d be a particular surprise to see a rebuilding White Sox team part with a draft pick to sign a qualified free agent.

Injury Notes: Eovaldi, Musgrove, Callihan

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Nathan Eovaldi’s 2025 campaign ended in August when he went down with a rotator cuff strain. The veteran righty dealt with another health issue in October, undergoing surgery to repair a sports hernia. Eovaldi said on the SportsDay Rangers podcast that he’s recovered from both issues and expects to be ready for the 2026 season.

“I don’t expect to have any limitations coming into Spring Training,” Eovaldi said. “I’ve been throwing multiple bullpens, and my arm feels great, body feels great, and I’m ready for the season to get going.”

Eovaldi was phenomenal when healthy last season. His 1.73 ERA over 22 starts would’ve led the league if he had thrown enough innings to qualify for the crown. Injuries have plagued Eovaldi for the majority of his career, but he’s stayed relatively healthy in his three seasons with Texas. The 35-year-old has averaged more than 25 starts a year as a Ranger. He’ll form an imposing trio at the top of the rotation with Jacob deGrom and the newly-acquired MacKenzie Gore.

Fellow veteran starter Joe Musgrove is also getting back on track after multiple injuries. He missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Musgrove hit the IL multiple times in 2024 with elbow inflammation. He made it back for nine starts down the stretch, plus a postseason appearance, but ended up going under the knife in October of that year. Musgrove is expected to be good to go for Spring Training, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune. Acee adds that Musgrove was preparing to be available in the NLCS if the Padres made it that far.

“I feel really good right now,” Musgrove said. “I feel like I’m in a good position physically, mentally for the season.”

San Diego will need Musgrove to be a steady presence on a staff with minimal proven options beyond Michael King and Nick Pivetta. The 33-year-old righty hasn’t reached 100 innings or 20 starts since 2022. “We expect him to be a guy that can throw a lot innings for us this year,” president of baseball operations A.J. Preller told reporters back in December.

On the position player side, Reds utilityman Tyler Callihan said he’s a “full-go” for Spring Training. The 25-year-old missed much of the 2025 season after a brutal crash into the wall in Atlanta. He broke his left forearm and wrist while trying to reel in a Matt Olson drive. Callihan provided the update to reporters, including Pat Brennan of the Cincinnati Enquirer, at Redsfest last week.

An injury to Jeimer Candelario in late April opened up a spot on the MLB squad for Callihan to make his debut. He played in just four games before getting hurt. Callihan had been torching Triple-A pitching prior to getting called up. Given his experience in both the infield and outfield, Callihan could play a versatile role for the Reds this season. “He’s going to come in and compete for a spot on the club,” president of baseball operations Nick Krall said. “That’s a testament to him and his rehab and our rehab staff and him just putting in the work.”

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images

Yu Darvish Contemplating Retirement, Has Not Made Final Decision

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7:05 pm: Darvish added in another statement that he and the Padres have discussed terminating his contract since last year, although discussions between those parties and the Players’ Association have not been finalized. He maintained that he wants to pitch again if his rehab goes well. “If I can thoroughly complete my rehab and feel confident that I can pitch in games both mentally and physically, I’d like to start over and compete from scratch again. As for this year, I plan to go to Petco Park for rehab as well, and also attend a bit of spring training.”

5:50 pm: Padres starter Yu Darvish is contemplating retirement, but he has not yet made a final decision. An initial report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune indicated that Darvish was retiring. Darvish’s agent, Joel Wolfe, refuted that, saying, “Yu has not made a final decision yet. This is a complicated matter we are still working through” (link via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN).

Darvish addressed the situation through a statement on his X account. “Although I am leaning towards voiding the contract,” he said, “there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres so the finer details are yet to be decided. Also I will not be announcing my retirement yet. Right now I am fully focused on my rehab for my elbow, and if I get to a point where I can throw again, I will start from scratch again to compete. If once I get to that point I feel I can’t do that, I will announce my retirement.”

The 39-year-old right-hander is owed $43MM over 2026-28 from the extension he and the Padres signed in 2023. If he retires without reaching a settlement, he would forfeit that money. As Darvish indicated, he and the Padres may be working on a buyout that would see him keep some portion of his salary while giving the team significant cost savings over the next three years.

If he does decide to retire, he’ll be wrapping up an incredible 21-year career across Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and MLB. In 2005, Darvish made his debut at age 18 for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters in NPB. He pitched 94 1/3 innings over 14 starts as a rookie that year, following it up with a 2.89 ERA in 149 2/3 innings in 2006. The Ham Fighters won the Japan Series in the latter year, with Darvish making his first start in Game 1 and earning the win in the clinching Game 5.

From 2007-11, he was absolutely dominant, totaling 1,024 1/3 innings with a 1.72 ERA and 1,083 strikeouts. Darvish was an NPB All-Star in every season in that span, twice being named the Pacific League MVP (2007 and 2009) and winning the Sawamura Award (NPB’s equivalent of the Cy Young) in 2007. His final NPB season in 2011 was sensational. Darvish posted an 18-6 record in a career-high 232 innings with a microscopic 1.44 ERA, along with 276 strikeouts and just five home runs allowed all season.

Following the season, the Ham Fighters made him available to MLB clubs via the posting system. The Texas Rangers outbid the other suitors with a massive $51.7MM posting fee to the Ham Fighters (proportional posting fees not having been established yet). The team ultimately signed Darvish for a six-year, $56MM guarantee.

In his debut MLB season in 2012, Darvish pitched 191 1/3 innings over 29 starts with a 3.90 ERA, a 27.1% strikeout rate, and a stellar 46.2% groundball rate. He made his first playoff start in the AL Wild Card Game against the Orioles, pitching 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and no walks but earning a tough-luck loss. He was valued at 4.7 WAR that year according to FanGraphs, which stands as the highest mark of his career to date. He also earned the first of five All-Star nods in the majors and finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

His 2013 season was just as dominant. Darvish lowered his ERA to 2.83 in 209 2/3 innings as the Rangers’ ace and upped his strikeout rate to 32.9%. He earned his second All-Star nod and finished as the runner-up to Max Scherzer in the AL Cy Young vote, while his 277 strikeouts that year were the best of his MLB career. He was an All-Star again in 2014, but he was placed on the injured list with elbow inflammation in mid-August and missed the rest of the season. He experienced further soreness during Spring Training the following year and ultimately underwent Tommy John surgery, missing the entire 2015 season.

Darvish returned in May 2016 and picked up where he left off. In 100 1/3 innings over 17 starts that year, he posted a 3.41 ERA with a 31.7% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate. He was a bit less effective the following year, with a 4.01 ERA in 22 starts before being sent to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in exchange for three prospects led by Willie Calhoun. Darvish’s strikeout and walk numbers improved in nine regular-season starts in Los Angeles, but he struggled in the World series against the Astros with subpar starts in Games 3 and 7.

Still, Darvish’s track record as a front-of-the-rotation arm made him a top target in free agency. In February 2018, he signed a six-year, $126MM deal to join the Cubs. He wound up spending 2018-20 on the North Side. He struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness in 2018, pitching just 40 innings over eight starts. He rebounded in 2019 with a 3.98 ERA and a 31.3% strikeout rate in 178 2/3 innings. In 12 starts during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he was utterly dominant with a 2.01 ERA and just a 4.7% walk rate, finishing second in the NL Cy Young vote.

The Cubs traded Darvish to the Padres that December, and he has been with San Diego ever since. Darvish’s strikeouts began to wane in his mid-30s, but he compensated by improving his control. From 2021-25, his walk rate sat in the 6% range and never topped 7.5% in a season (2023). His best Padres season to date was in 2022, as Darvish made 30 starts with a 3.10 ERA and a 20.8% K-BB rate, the latter being ninth-best among qualified starters.

The club was confident enough in his performance to extend him heading into 2023. The deal was for six years and $108MM, of which five years and $90MM were new money. In the first three years of that deal, Darvish has made 55 starts with a 4.41 ERA while struggling with injuries. He made five trips to the IL from 2024-25, most recently for an internal brace procedure on his throwing elbow this past October. While coming with a shorter recovery period than a second Tommy John surgery, Darvish was still set to miss the entire 2026 season regardless.

In an interview last month, Darvish indicated that he was focused on getting healthy and returning to pitching, though a later report from Acee indicated that retirement was on the table. This latest update suggests that Darvish is contemplating the end of his career, but that he is still open to returning if his rehab goes well. Further details could be made public soon, pending the outcome of his talks with the Padres.

Photo courtesy of David Banks, Imagn Images

Padres Sign Samad Taylor To Minors Contract

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The Padres have signed infielder Samad Taylor to a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Taylor was designated for assignment by the Mariners last week and elected free agency prior to signing this new deal.

Taylor, 27, was a tenth-round draft pick by Cleveland in 2016 and spent 2016-22 in the minors with them and the Blue Jays. He reached the Triple-A level in 2022, batting .258/.337/.426 with a 104 wRC+ in 280 plate appearances. He showed solid on-base ability with a 10.0% walk rate and also showed off his speed by stealing 23 bases. He also cut his strikeout rate down to 22.1% after sitting at 29.4% in Double-A in 2021. In August 2022, he was traded to the Royals alongside right-hander Max Castillo as part of the deal sending Whit Merrifield to Toronto.

After starting 2023 at Triple-A, Taylor was called up by the Royals in mid-June for his big-league debut. In a 69-PA cup of coffee, he batted .200/.279/.267 with a wRC+ of just 50, although he maintained his strong walk rate (10.1%) and speed (eight stolen bases). That stands as his most significant big-league playing time to date. Taylor was traded to the Mariners for a player to be named later in January 2024, but made just five big-league plate appearances that year and just nine in 2025.

He performed decently at Triple-A from 2024-25. Although he was 9% below average by wRC+ in 2024, he got on base at a 35.2% clip and remained a threat on the basepaths with 50 stolen bases in 136 games. In 2025, he maintained his on-base ability and speed while upping his slugging percentage to .461 and cutting his strikeout rate to 18.7%. That brought his 2025 batting line up to .296/.378/.461, which was 14% better than average by wRC+.

Taylor has less than a year of big-league service time and is out of minor-league options. For the Padres, there’s no harm in keeping him in Triple-A as a depth piece. The club has Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, and Jake Cronenworth entrenched at three infield spots. Newcomer Sung Mun Song is slated for time around the infield and potentially the outfield, though he could start the year on the injured list following an oblique injury. An infielder by trade, Taylor spent 1,136 innings in the outfield in the minors from 2023-25 and profiles as a utility depth piece.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images

Rich Hill Not Planning To Play In 2026

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Left-hander Rich Hill doesn’t want to use the word but it seems to be leaning towards retirement. Appearing on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast, Hill was asked by host Rob Bradford if he was retiring and said “I don’t have any plans on playing next year.” The situation is somewhat analogous to that of Joe Kelly, who announced on the same podcast last month that he didn’t want to use the word “retire” but wasn’t planning on playing anymore.

“I’m looking for open possibilities to stay in the game of baseball and be a contributory factor,” Hill continued. “I enjoy the work aspect of whatever it might be that’s next. I think that’s one thing that… why athletes get hired in other positions and other… outside of sports is because they are highly-driven people that want to succeed. And that’s something that I’m looking forward to.”

It’s not shocking that Hill is slowly wafting into the next stage of his career. Though he did pitch in the 2025 season, he was easily the oldest player in the league. He was 45 years old when he suited up for the Royals and will turn 46 in March. Though he has continued pitching to an age when most other players have called it quits long ago, he did so with some unconventional approaches. He waited until midseason to sign in 2024 in a deliberate attempt to be more fresh for a stretch run.

If this is indeed the end, it will wrap up one of the more unique arcs of a player in recent history. Hill was drafted by the Cubs way back in 2002 and made his major league debut in 2005. He didn’t find immediate success but had a really good season in 2007, posting a 3.92 earned run average over 32 starts.

But from there, he went into a really challenging period of his career. He struggled with results and health for many years, leading him to be bounced between the majors and minors and between various different organizations. From 2008 to 2014, he tossed a total of 153 innings split between the Cubs, Baltimore, Boston, Cleveland, the Angels and Yankees. He posted a 5.41 ERA over that stretch.

2015 would turn out to be an incredible comeback season. He started the year on a minor league deal with the Nationals. He opted out of that contract in June and signed with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League. He made just two starts for that club but struck out 21 opponents in 11 innings. That was enough to get him back into affiliated baseball via a minor league deal with the Red Sox.

Boston called him up in September and he made four starts as the season was winding down. In those, he logged 29 innings with a 1.55 ERA. He had a mammoth 34% strikeout rate, a tiny 4.7% walk rate and a strong 48.4% ground ball rate. That was a tiny sample size but the Athletics made a bet on it, signing Hill to a one-year, $6MM deal for 2016. That wager paid off handsomely, with Hill giving the A’s 14 starts with a 2.25 ERA.

At that year’s deadline, he was traded to the Dodgers alongside Josh Reddick, with the A’s getting Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes, and Jharel Cotton in return. Hill gave the Dodgers six starts with an ERA of 1.83 and then three postseason starts with a 3.46 ERA.

The Dodgers were happy enough with that showing to bring Hill back via a three-year, $48MM contract. That was a pretty staggering deal for a 37-year-old who was not too far removed from being in indy ball but it worked out well. He logged 327 innings over those three seasons with a 3.30 ERA, plus 37 postseason innings with a 2.43 ERA.

After that deal ran its course, Hill went into his 40s and mercenary mode. He signed a series of one-year deal with the Twins, Rays, Red Sox and Pirates. In 2023, he seemed to wear down as the season went along, not surprising for a 43-year-old. His 4.76 ERA with Pittsburgh was still respectable but he collapsed after a deadline deal to the Padres, posting an 8.23 ERA after the swap.

As mentioned, he then tried to think outside the box to continue as an effective big league pitcher. He planned to intentionally sign at midseason in 2024 in order to spend more time with his family and also save his bullets for the second half and postseason. He stayed unsigned until inking a minor league deal with the Red Sox in August. He did get called up but only for four relief appearances before being released. In 2025, he signed a minor league deal with the Royals in May. He got called up in July but was designated for assignment after just two starts.

Given the unusual shape of his career and his willingness to buck conventions, it’s possible he’ll change his mind and find his way back to the mound. But if Hill doesn’t make it back to the majors, he will finish with 1,418 innings tossed over 388 games for 14 different clubs. In that time, he posted a 4.02 ERA but will likely be best remembered for the 2015-2021 run which saw him post a 3.15 ERA in his late 30s and early 40s. Baseball Reference pegs his career earnings over $75MM, most of that coming to Hill in his late-career surge. We at MLB Trade Rumors salute him on a fine career, which may or may not be done, and wish him the best on whatever is next.

Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images

Padres Have Shown Interest In Freddy Peralta

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Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta is not a lock to be traded but plenty of other clubs are interested. He’s already been connected to the Astros, Giants, Mets, Orioles, Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers and Braves this offseason. Today, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic writes that the Padres have checked in with the Brewers while Katie Woo of The Athletic reports that the Dodgers remain engaged.

The widespread appeal is understandable as Peralta is both good and cheap. Dating back to the start of 2021, he has given the Brewers 738 1/3 innings, allowing 3.30 earned runs per nine. His 9% walk rate in that time was close to league average while he struck out a big 29.6% of batters faced. He just wrapped up a 2025 season in which he posted a 2.70 ERA with a 28.2% strikeout rate and 9.1% walk rate.

Milwaukee signed Peralta back in 2020, before he was established as a viable big league starter. That deal turned into a massive win for the Brewers, as it was only a $15.5MM guarantee over five years. It also included $8MM club options for 2025 and 2026. By the time those options rolled around, they were obvious bargains and picked up without hesitation.

That salary on a one-year commitment is very appealing for all teams. The top starting pitchers often make in the range of $25MM to $45MM annually on multi-year deals. This offseason has seen Dylan Cease, Ranger Suárez and Michael King land average annual values in the $25-30MM range. In short, Peralta’s deal is a steal.

That makes him very appealing to all clubs. For big spending teams, Peralta is a theoretical rotation upgrade without the big contract. Most of the top spenders are also facing huge tax bills, in many cases more than doubling the cost of signing any free agent. For teams with payroll crunches, it’s also obviously helpful to be able to get a top arm without a big price.

It also makes Peralta valuable for the Brewers, who are never big spenders. But the fact that Peralta is nearing free agency puts them in a tricky spot. Their low payrolls usually make it hard for them to sign their players for the long term, which can lead to them being traded as free agency nears.

In recent years, players like Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader have been traded as their respective windows of control were shrinking. But with Willy Adames, Milwaukee decided to hold onto him until he hit the open market. They collected compensation in the form of an extra draft pick after he rejected a qualifying offer and then signed with the Giants.

Peralta could go either way. President of baseball operations Matt Arnold downplayed the trade possibility back in November but the club is also reportedly concerned about its payroll. Earlier this month, they were one of nine teams who terminated broadcast deals with Main Street Sports. It’s possible they could negotiate a new deal or pivot to having MLB handle things but they will almost certainly bring in less broadcast revenue in 2026 compared to the year prior.

Trading Peralta wouldn’t save the Brewers a ton of money but it would allow them to theoretically bolster other areas of the roster without having to spend on free agents. However, no offer has compelled them to pull the trigger yet, with pitchers and catchers set to report to spring training in less than three weeks.

The Padres make a lot of sense as a landing spot for Peralta. Rotation depth was a concern for them throughout 2025 and then they lost Cease and King to free agency at season’s end. Shortly thereafter, Yu Darvish underwent UCL surgery, ruling him out for the entire 2026 campaign.

They have since brought back King but further bolstering the rotation would make sense. Currently, they project to have King, Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove in three spots, followed by a cluster of potential depth options including Randy Vásquez, JP Sears, Kyle Hart and Matt Waldron.

Even within that group, there are notable questions. King is coming off a season impacted by injuries. Pivetta has been in some trade rumors due to his back-loaded contract. Musgrove will be coming back from missing 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Vásquez had a nice 3.84 ERA last year but just a 13.7% strikeout rate. Sears, Waldron and Hart all had poor seasons.

Adding to that group makes sense but the Friars have seemingly been walking a financial tightrope for a few years. Their payroll peaked in 2023 but the offseasons since then have seen them trying to work around an apparent lack of spending capacity. That seemed to motivate the Juan Soto trade two offseasons ago. Last winter, they were able to sign Pivetta but with an unusual structure. It was $55MM over four years but with just a $3MM signing bonus and $1MM signing bonus in the first year.

RosterResource projects the payroll for $220MM next year, which is a bit above last year’s spending. The competitive balance tax figure is pegged at $262MM, above the base threshold of $244MM. The Padres reset their tax status in 2024 but paid the tax last year. That means they would be second-time payors in 2026, which leads to a 30% base tax rate. Going above $264MM would increase the tax rate to 42% on spending beyond that line.

That presumably makes the Padres at least somewhat unwilling to spend big on a free agent like Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen or Chris Bassitt. Rosenthal writes that their preferred spending range is $8MM to $12MM and he floats Nick Martinez, Lucas Giolito and Justin Verlander as guys who could theoretically fall to that range.

Though Peralta’s $8MM salary would undoubtedly be appealing, especially if they move Pivetta and his $19MM salary in 2026, the Brewers would want something notable in return. Subtracting from the big league roster would be counterproductive and the Padres have also traded away a large number of prospects in recent years, including sending top prospect Leo De Vries to the Athletics in last year’s Mason Miller deal. Lining up on a deal with Milwaukee may be tricky.

Turning to the Dodgers, Woo notes that their interest presumably indicates at least some level of concern from the club in relation to the current rotation mix. The Dodgers have a great starting group on paper but questions with most of the individuals. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is only guy still on the roster who topped 91 innings pitched last year. Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Emmet Sheehan, Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki all came in under that line due to various different health situations. The Dodgers presumably don’t expect the whole group to stay healthy for 2026.

They also seem better positioned than the Padres to offer the Brewers the kind of young, controllable pitching they would probably want in return. Sheehan and Sasaki are both still in their pre-arb years. The same is true of guys like Ben Casparius, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, Justin Wrobleski, Gavin Stone, Landon Knack and others.

Woo also floats outfielder Ryan Ward as a possibility, with the recent Kyle Tucker signing blocking his path. She writes that the Dodgers were considering a platoon of the lefty-swinging Ward and righty Alex Call before landing Tucker, so Ward may now be expendable. The Brewers subtracted from their outfield this offseason when they traded Isaac Collins to the Royals alongside Nick Mears to acquire left-hander Ángel Zerpa. They still have a decent group including Christian Yelich, Sal Frelick, Jackson Chourio, Garrett Mitchell, Blake Perkins and others.

Whether the Brewers can be compelled to complete a trade remains to be seen. Without Peralta, their rotation would still consist of a pretty good group including Brandon Woodruff, Jacob Misiorowski, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Tobias Myers and others, plus whatever they can get in return in the Peralta trade. But they could also just hold Peralta to make another run in 2026. If Peralta is healthy a season from now, he would be a lock to reject a QO, netting the Brewers a compensatory draft pick if he signs elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images

Several Teams Showing Interest In Miguel Andujar

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Free agent infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar is drawing widespread interest, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post, with the Rangers, Padres, Cardinals, Reds, Cubs and Athletics listed as some of the clubs in the mix.

Andujar, 31 in March, is coming off his best season in years. He missed a little over a month due to an oblique strain but got into 94 games, split between the A’s and Reds after a deadline trade. He generally puts the ball in play a lot, avoiding both strikeouts and walks, and that continued to be the case last year. In his 341 plate appearances, his 5% walk rate was quite low but he was also only struck out at a 14.4% clip.

He produced a .318/.352/.470 batting line, production which translated to a wRC+ of 125, or 25% better than league average. There was likely a bit of good luck in there, as his .348 batting average on balls in play was quite high, but it would have been a good showing even with neutral luck. He slashed .277/.315/.399 over 2023 and 2024 for a wRC+ of 103, with a decreased .306 BABIP in that stretch.

Andujar hits from the right side and has strong platoon splits. For his career, he has a .297/.332/.475 line and 121 wRC+ against lefties, compared to a .275/.307/.427 line and 101 wRC+ without the platoon advantage. It was even more extreme last year, as Andujar had a .389/.409/.578 line and 171 wRC+ against southpaws. Against righties, he held his own with a .290/.331/.429 line and 108 wRC+.

Defensively, he doesn’t play a premium position but does provide some versatility, as he lined up at the four corner spots last year. He doesn’t get great marks anywhere but the ability to move around is helpful when a club is looking to play matchups.

Andujar can therefore be of theoretical use to any club with a lefty in a corner somewhere. The A’s employed Andujar in 2024 and part of 2025 and could do so again. They have Nick Kurtz at first with the outfield corners manned by Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler. They could potentially be more competitive in 2026 but could also trade Andujar at the deadline again. Last year, they were able to get pitching prospect Kenya Huggins from the Reds.

The Rangers project to have Brandon Nimmo in left. Evan Carter is another lefty, with notable struggles against southpaws, and projects to be the club’s center fielder. There has been some suggestion that Wyatt Langford could take some center field playing time, which could make room for a righty bat in a corner. Joc Pederson projects to be the designated hitter. He is coming off a poor season but has crushed righties and flailed against lefties in his career.

Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom recently said the Cards have room for a righty-hitting outfielder. The club projects to have lefty Lars Nootbaar in one corner, with Alec Burleson at first base and Nolan Gorman possibly getting lots of playing time at third. The Cards are rebuilding but Andujar could help the club protect their current players and then perhaps be traded at the deadline, just as he was last year.

The Reds just had Andujar for the final two months of the 2025 season and could once again slot him in. They traded Gavin Lux to the Rays but project to have lefty JJ Bleday in one outfield corner. The Cubs have Michael Busch at first base and Moisés Ballesteros is probably the favorite to take over the designated hitter spot. The Padres project to have some combination of Jake Cronenworth, Sung Mun Song and Gavin Sheets covering first base, second base and designated hitter.

Andujar isn’t likely to command too much on the open market as a short-side platoon player. Guys like Austin Hays and Randal Grichuk are somewhat comparable players who each got one-year, $5MM deals last offseason. Rob Refsnyder just got $6.3MM from the Mariners on a one-year deal last month.

Hays and Grichuk are out there again now, alongside Andujar. Other similar players in this market include Austin Slater, Tommy Pham, Starling Marte and Chas McCormick. There’s also Harrison Bader, though he should be a tier above this group. Since he is a strong defender in center, he is a viable everyday player and may be able to secure himself a two-year deal.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images

Sung Mun Song To Miss Four Weeks Recovering From Oblique Injury

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Padres infielder Sung Mun Song will require about four weeks of recovery time due to an oblique injury, according to Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency.  Song sustained the injury during a recent batting practice session.

The projected recovery period just about matches up with the start of San Diego’s spring camp, so Song might not miss any time at all as he prepares for his first big league Spring Training.  As always, of course, oblique-related injuries are notoriously tricky to gauge, so the four-week timeline perhaps represents a best-case scenario.  Song will also be missing out on offseason prep time in general, so depending on his progress, the Padres could place him on the 10-day injured list to begin the season if Song still needs a little more time to ramp up.

As Yoo notes, the more immediate matter for Song even before Opening Day is the World Baseball Classic in March.  That said, it wasn’t known if Song was intending to play for the South Korean national team or if he was skipping the WBC to focus on his debut season in the majors.  Yoo writes that Song didn’t take part in the South Korean team’s preliminary camp that opened on January 9, hinting that Song might not have been in the team’s plans even if healthy.

Song wasn’t on the national team’s radar during the last WBC in 2023, as the infielder didn’t really start to produce big numbers in the KBO League until the 2024 season.  Song broke out with 19 homers and a .340/.409/.518 slash line over 602 plate appearances for the Kiwoom Heroes that year, and followed up by hitting .315/.387/.530 with 26 home runs in 646 PA in 2025.

This put Song onto the radar of Major League teams, and after the Heroes agreed to post him, San Diego signed Song in December to a four-year contract worth $15MM in guaranteed money, with a player opt-out prior to the 2029 season and a club option for the 2030 season.  Manny Machado is occupying Song’s primary position of third base, but Song’s ability to also play first and second base should allow him plenty of playing time bouncing around the Padres’ infield, plus the team has also considered him as an outfield candidate.  There’s plenty of intrigue in how the 29-year-old will adjust to MLB pitching, though this oblique issue is an unwelcome first hurdle to Song’s Padres career.

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