AL Central Notes: Twins, Rojas, Buxton, Gaddis, Tigers
The Blue Jays started asking the Twins about Louis Varland three months before the reliever was actually dealt at last summer’s trade deadline, and Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that the Twins aimed high in negotiations by asking for one of Trey Yesavage or Kendry Rojas in return. Yesavage (the Jays’ top pitching prospect and future postseason breakout star) wasn’t going anywhere, but Toronto eventually budged in moving Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden in exchange for Varland and Ty France.
Fast forward to Spring Training, and Roden is competing for a starting job in Minnesota’s outfield while Rojas’ high-90’s velocity is turning heads in camp. The 23-year-old Rojas got rocked over 32 1/3 Triple-A innings in 2025 and is still trying to harness his control, but he could be a candidate to make his MLB debut at some point this season. The Twins will continue to develop Rojas as a starter but some scouts believe a high-leverage relief role could be in the southpaw’s future. An initial call-up as a reliever could help Rojas ease his way into the big leagues while not closing the door on a potential future as a rotation piece.
More from around the AL Central…
- Guardians right-hander Hunter Gaddis‘ imaging on his forearm “came back clean,” manager Stephen Vogt told MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins and other reporters earlier this week after Gaddis experienced forearm tightness after his first spring outing on February 27. Gaddis has resumed his throwing progression and it doesn’t seem like the issue will impact his Opening Day status, as Vogt said “everything I’m hearing is that it’s good news and we’re good to go.” Stebbins writes that the Guardians were already giving workhorse relievers Gaddis and Cade Smith gradual builds into the season, as a reflection of how much both right-handers pitched in 2024-25 — Gaddis’ 151 appearances were the second-most in baseball over the last two seasons, and Smith was right behind with 150 appearances. Gaddis augmented that durability with a 6.3% walk rate and 25.2% strikeout rate, and he’ll again be leaned on for key leverage innings in Cleveland’s bullpen in 2026.
- Beau Brieske is slated to throw a bullpen session today as the Tigers gauge his recovery from right ribcage tightness. Brieske has pitched in just two games this spring but manager A.J. Hinch told the Detroit Free Press’ Evan Petzold and other reporters that Brieske “has plenty of time as a reliever to accomplish what he needs to make a run at this team.” Ankle and elbow injuries limited Brieske to 22 Major League innings last season, and his health setbacks surely contributed to a 6.55 ERA. While the ribcage issue is another setback, Brieske is aiming to return to his past role as a solid swingman on Detroit’s staff.
- Bookending the post with some more Twins news, x-rays were negative on Byron Buxton‘s forearm after the outfielder was removed from a World Baseball Classic game yesterday after being hit by a pitch. United States manager Mark DeRosa told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ryan Kelapire) that the sixth-inning removal was just precautionary, and done in part because the USA already had a big lead in what ended up as a 15-5 win over Brazil. Even minor injury situations like this can’t help but raise extra concerns given Buxton’s checkered health history, though it appears the outfielder should be fine.
Blue Jays Re-Sign Max Scherzer
TODAY: Scherzer’s contract also contains full no-trade protection, Jon Heyman reports.
MARCH 2: The Blue Jays officially announced they’ve re-signed Max Scherzer to a one-year contract. The Boras Corporation client is reportedly guaranteed $3MM and can earn up to $10MM in incentives. He’d earn his first $1MM bonus at 65 innings and reach another $1MM bonus for every tenth inning, up through 155 frames overall. Toronto cleared a 40-man roster spot over the weekend by waiving infielder Ben Cowles, who was claimed by the Cubs.
It’s the future Hall of Famer’s second season in Toronto. The three-time Cy Young winner signed a $15.5MM deal with the Jays during the 2024-25 offseason. He was coming off an abbreviated season in which he’d been limited to nine starts for the Rangers. Scherzer had undergone back surgery the previous offseason, and a nerve issue in his throwing arm limited him once he recovered from the back procedure.
The arm remained problematic last season. Scherzer left his team debut after three innings because of thumb soreness. That had been traced to the nerve issue and ultimately led the Jays to shut Scherzer down for a couple months. He didn’t return to an MLB mound until late June.
Scherzer was able to avoid the injured list after that point but didn’t perform to his usual level. He allowed more than five earned runs per nine innings for the first time in his career. He closed the season with a 5.19 mark over 85 innings. Scherzer only once allowed more than four runs in a start, but he only went beyond five innings on seven occasions. He had six quality starts in 17 appearances.
The 17-year veteran is still capable of missing bats at a league average level. He struck out a slightly above-average 23% of batters faced against a tidy 6.4% walk rate. The issue is the damage hitters have done when they make contact. Scherzer allowed more than two home runs per nine innings for the first time in his career. It was the fourth-highest homer rate in MLB among pitchers who threw 70+ innings.
Scherzer’s fastball averaged 93.6 mph last season. That’s a tick higher than his 2024 mark, reversing a slight downward trend in his velocity during his late 30s. He nevertheless had a tough time getting hitters to chase his breaking pitches outside the strike zone. Scherzer obviously doesn’t have the same caliber of stuff he did at his peak, which makes him more hittable when he’s forced to challenge hitters. He has allowed a higher than average home run rate in three straight seasons.
At age 41, Scherzer profiles as a back-end starter on paper. Yet he has a wealth of big game experience and showed he’s still capable of getting outs on the biggest stage. The Jays left Scherzer off the roster for their Division Series matchup with the Yankees. They brought him back for the AL Championship Series against Seattle and the World Series showdown with the Dodgers.
Scherzer tossed 5 2/3 frames of two-run ball to get the win in ALCS Game 4. He struggled a bit in Game 3 of the World Series before coming back with one run allowed in 4 1/3 innings in Game 7. Scherzer left the mound with a 3-1 lead in a performance that would have been etched into Toronto sports history if the bullpen had held the lead.
They’ll aim to get over the hump in 2026. Assuming Scherzer builds up in time for Opening Day, he’ll probably slot into a six-man rotation to begin the season. Shane Bieber will begin the year on the injured list after experiencing forearm fatigue during the playoff run. Toronto had been slated to open the season with a starting five of Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, José Berríos and Cody Ponce.
Yesavage is entering his first full MLB season. Ponce is a bit of a wild card in his return from Korea. Scherzer presumably isn’t going to log 150+ innings at this stage of his career. Opening with a six-man rotation would allow the Jays to take some of the burden off a rotation that shouldered as heavy a load as possible into October.
That comes with a trickle-down impact on the bullpen, however. The 13-pitcher limit means the Jays would be down to a seven-man bullpen if they go this route. That increases the importance of having a quality long reliever like Eric Lauer to handle multiple innings.
At the same time, this makes it less likely that Lauer will have a chance to win a rotation spot. The left-hander is an impending free agent and said he’d prefer a starting opportunity. There hasn’t been any indication that Lauer would seek a trade if the Jays keep him in a relief role, though the southpaw told Mitch Bannon of The Athletic he believes that pitching out of the bullpen last season cost him money in arbitration. Lauer lost his hearing, meaning he’ll make the team’s desired $4.4MM salary rather than his camp’s $5.75MM filing figure.
That could be a situation worth monitoring if everyone remains healthy closer to Opening Day. For now, this looks like the ideal outcome for the Jays and Scherzer alike. The $3MM base salary will push their franchise-record luxury tax payroll to approximately $319MM, according to RosterResource. The Jays are taxed at a 90% rate on spending above $304MM. This signing comes with a $2.7MM base tax. Earned performance bonuses are part of a team’s CBT calculation, so the Jays would also pay that 90% fee on any dollars that Scherzer unlocks by hitting innings milestones throughout the year.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported the agreement. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet had the $3MM base and $10MM in incentives. Heyman reported the incentive structure. Image courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images.
MLBTR Podcast: Max Scherzer, The Red Sox’ Lineup, Spring Extension Candidates, And More!
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 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Blue Jays re-signing Max Scherzer and how that alters their rotation picture (3:45)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Could it help with parity if the small-market clubs got even more competitive balance picks and if all picks could be traded? (18:25)
- Why do the Yankees seemingly over value their prospects? Wouldn’t it be better to trade Jasson Domínguez instead of relegating him to a depth role? (36:00)
- Do the Red Sox have enough power in the lineup? What bats could be available at the deadline who would fit the lineup? Would Masataka Yoshida have any trade value if he performs well in the World Baseball Classic? (47:15)
- Which players are likely to be extended before the start of the season or which ones would you like to see extended? (55:45)
Check out our past episodes!
- Twins And Orioles’ Injuries, The Guardians And Angels’ Quiet Offseasons, And Chris Sale’s Extension – listen here
- The Tigers’ Rotation, A Brewers-Red Sox Trade, And Late Free-Agent Signings – listen here
- Twins Front Office Shake-Up, The Brendan Donovan Trade, Eugenio Suarez, 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 Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images
Blue Jays Re-Sign Joe Mantiply To Minor League Deal
The Blue Jays announced they’ve re-signed lefty reliever Joe Mantiply to a minor league contract. The ISE Baseball client receives a non-roster invite to MLB camp.
Mantiply finished last season in the Toronto organization. Released by the Diamondbacks in June, he signed a minor league deal with the Jays shortly after the All-Star Break. Mantiply spent a couple weeks building up at the team’s Florida complex before reporting to Triple-A Buffalo. He finished the season with the Bisons, allowing eight runs (six earned) across 15 2/3 innings.
The run prevention was unexceptional, but Mantiply posted a 19:0 strikeout-to-walk ratio against 64 Triple-A opponents. It didn’t get him a big league look. The Jays were impressed enough to bring him back on an NRI after he elected minor league free agency over the offseason.
Mantiply was a surprise All-Star in 2022 — a season in which he posted a 2.85 ERA across a career-high 60 innings. The 35-year-old southpaw has strong command and gets grounders but has below-average velocity. Mantiply averaged 88.4 mph on his sinker last year. He gets good movement on the sinker and his changeup and was a solid middle reliever as recently as 2024. He was knocked around for 17 runs in 9 2/3 MLB frames last year.
The Jays have one of the better rosters in MLB but are light on established left-handed relief. Eric Lauer is set for a multi-inning role. Mason Fluharty is a soft-tossing cutter specialist, while Brendon Little has much bigger raw stuff. Both pitchers can miss bats but aren’t reliably around the strike zone. Ricky Tiedemann could factor into the rotation or relief mix as a rookie, but the oft-injured former top prospect is again battling elbow discomfort early in camp.
Cubs Claim Ben Cowles
The Cubs have brought Ben Cowles back to Wrigleyville, as the team announced that the infielder has been claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays. In a corresponding move, right-hander Shelby Miller was moved to Chicago’s 60-day injured list. Miller underwent UCL and flexor surgery last October and will miss the 2026 season.
Miller’s two-year, $2.5MM deal with the Cubs was officially announced on February 15, and Cowles was designated for assignment to create roster space. The Jays claimed Cowles off the waiver wire, but the infielder now quickly finds himself back in the Cubs organization. There hadn’t been any indication that Toronto had DFA’ed Cowles, but the Blue Jays needed to open up a spot on their 40-man roster now that Max Scherzer is returning to the team.
A tenth-round pick for the Yankees in the 2021 draft, Cowles first came to Chicago at the 2024 trade deadline, when Cowles was one of two prospects dealt to the Cubs for Mark Leiter Jr. Cowles was DFA’ed last September and claimed off waivers by the White Sox, but the Cubs brought Cowles back from their local rivals in January on another waiver claim.
Throughout all of these comings and goings, Cowles has yet to make his Major League debut. The 26-year-old posted decent numbers in the lower minors but has hit only .235/.299/.368 over 536 plate appearances at the Triple-A level. The lack of offense has surely contributed to Cowles’ apparent status as 40th-man type, though he has speed (70 steals in 92 attempts in the minors) and has plenty of experience as a shortstop, second, and third baseman, plus a couple of cameo appearances in the outfield.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see Cowles again land in DFA limbo the next time the Cubs need to create a 40-man opening, but the team clearly sees some value in the infielder’s skillset. Whether this translates into any time on the active roster remains to be seen, as Cowles might only get considered for a call-up if an injury arises to an infield regular.
Blue Jays Notes: Rotation, Berríos, Lauer
Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos made his spring debut today, throwing 2 2/3 innings against the Mets. That’s a notable step for the righty since his health became an issue late last year. He told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, that he already had doubts about his health at this time a year ago and that those doubts stayed in his mind through the season.
“I threw that way last year all year long,” he said. “I’ve never been in that situation before. I just was dealing with that. Everything was new for me. I never saw myself (not pitching) so that’s why I kept trying to fight and compete with my team.”
Berríos tossed 166 innings last year, so it certainly wasn’t a lost season, but it was relatively injury-marred by his own high standards. He made 32 starts in every full season from 2018 to 2024, plus 12 starts in the shortened 2020 season. He finished 2025 on the injured list due to elbow inflammation, though he now says it was actually his biceps tendon which had the inflammation, which was impacting his elbow.
Though he didn’t hit the IL until late in the year, it’s possible his arm was gradually wearing down as the season went along, as he had a 3.75 earned run average in the first half and a 5.15 ERA in the second. His four-seamer and sinker averaged over 94 miles per hour in his first start of the year but were below 92 mph by the end of August. He was in the 91-92 mph range today, per Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet, though Zwelling added that the cold conditions seemed to be hampering many pitchers today.
As Berríos struggled last year, he was bumped out of the rotation, shortly before hitting the IL. The Jays are likely going to start the season with Shane Bieber on the IL, so Berríos is projected to once again have a rotation spot behind Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce.
A healthy and productive season from Berríos would be great for the Jays and could also impact his earning power. At the end of the year, he can opt out of his deal, walking away from two years and $48MM. He can also increase that guarantee depending on how many innings he pitches in 2026.
Sticking with the rotation, left-hander Eric Lauer is currently on the outside looking in. He projects to be the #6 guy right now, which would mean starting the season in the bullpen as the long man, though an injury could quickly open a rotation spot for him. He spent much of 2025 in that spot, switching between starting and relieving. He finished the year with a 3.18 ERA in 104 2/3 innings over 15 starts and 13 relief appearances. He also made five postseason appearances with a 3.18 ERA.
The southpaw tells Mitch Bannon of The Athletic that he would prefer to have a full-time starting job, as most pitchers would. Bannon floats the possibility of Lauer ending up traded, though the Jays want him around and stretched out since injuries will inevitably cut into their depth.
That’s a natural preference for the Jays to have since their optionable depth is far more questionable. Bowden Francis is going to miss the year due to Tommy John surgery. Jake Bloss is still recovering from last year’s elbow surgery. Ricky Tiedemann didn’t pitch last year due to his surgery. Adam Macko hasn’t yet cracked the majors and Lazaro Estrada has just two big league games. Yariel Rodríguez is in camp but isn’t currently on the roster.
Keeping Lauer around decreases the odds of the Jays needing to turn to that depth pile, but on the other hand, Lauer could still get squeezed out. Bieber may not miss much time and the Jays have kept in touch with free agent Max Scherzer. If Scherzer is re-signed and Bieber’s arm holds up, Lauer could quickly move from sixth on the chart to eighth. At that point, it’s possible the Jays prefer to trade him for something else, as opposed to holding him in a spot where he’s buried.
Photo courtesy of Rhona Wise, Imagn Images
Blue Jays Notes: Schneider, Varsho, Jimenez
John Schneider has “had some discussions about” a long-term extension with the Blue Jays, the manager told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. Schneider is entering the final year of his current contract, and “if there’s a way to do [an extension] for both sides that makes sense, that’d be great….We’ll continue to talk and there’s no place I’d rather be than with this group.”
Promoted from bench coach to interim manager after Charlie Montoyo was fired midway through the 2022 season, Schneider led that year’s Jays team to a wild card berth, which earned him a three-year deal to remain as the team’s full-time skipper. That contract included a club option for the 2026 season, which the Jays naturally exercised last November in the wake of Toronto’s run to Game 7 of the World Series.
The Jays have a 303-257 record under Schneider, and the team has reached the postseason three times in his four seasons. The one non-playoff year came in 2024 when the Blue Jays struggled to a 74-88 record, and there was plenty of speculation heading into the 2025 campaign about whether or not Toronto needed a change in the dugout and/or in the front office. Winning the AL pennant naturally changed that conversation in a hurry, leaving Schneider and GM Ross Atkins looking like extension candidates.
It wouldn’t at all be a surprise if Schneider and Atkins both had new deals signed before Opening Day, though it would be a real eye-opener if Daulton Varsho was extended as he heads into his final season before free agency. This isn’t a reflection on how the Jays feel about Varsho, but rather the fact that Varsho is represented by Scott Boras, whose clients almost always test the open market rather than opt for extensions.
Atkins has said in the past that the Jays have interest in extending Varsho, though the outfielder didn’t even confirm that any talks had taken place when speaking with the Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm and other reporters earlier this week.
“I stay out of those [extension] conversations, I don’t want to be in them,” Varsho said, noting that he leaves such business to his representation. Varsho did express an interest in remaining with the Jays, saying “I love being here. They treat families really well and they do everything to kind of keep players here…I’ve enjoyed my time. I’m going to keep enjoying it.”
Another obstacle between Varsho and an extension could be the fact that signing a deal now might result in a lot of money left on the table. As Chisholm notes, a healthy and consistent 2026 campaign could put Varsho in line for a major free agent payday next winter, so it could be in his interest to use 2026 as a platform year.
Varsho is arguably the best defensive center fielder in baseball, and he has hit 85 homers over the last four seasons. However, his .225/.292/.432 slash line since the start of the 2022 season translates to an exact 100 wRC+, as Varsho’s lack of walks and penchant for strikeouts have offset his power potential. He was also limited to 71 games in 2025 — Varsho missed time due to recovery from a September 2024 rotator cuff surgery, and then a hamstring strain that cost him two months of regular-season action.
In other news around the Blue Jays’ spring camp, MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson writes that minor league signing Eloy Jimenez “has been spending a lot of time at first base.” Jimenez never played first base during his first big league seasons with the White Sox and Orioles from 2019-24, but he logged seven games at the position in 2025 when playing in the Blue Jays’ and Rays’ farm system, and he also saw some first base action in Winter League ball.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is obviously locked into the starting first base job in Toronto and the Jays added some more depth at the position by signing Juan Yepez to a minors deal last week. However, the Jays don’t have a set backup in place behind Guerrero, as Kazuma Okamoto is expected to primarily play third base. Becoming a regular first baseman could help Jimenez’s slim chances of cracking the Blue Jays’ roster, and a move to first base is a logical career path anyway given how Jimenez’s defensive struggles in the outfield led to an increased amount of DH at-bats during his time in Chicago.
Jimenez hit .270/.321/.469 with 94 home runs over 2026 PA with the White Sox from 2019-24, as this solid production nevertheless didn’t live up to the high expectations placed on Jimenez as a top prospect and a ballyhooed international signing. Injuries and a lack of consistency caught up to Jimenez, and he is now looking to reignite his MLB career as he enters his age-29 season.
Yimi Garcia Won’t Be Ready For Blue Jays’ Opening Day Roster
Yimi Garcia‘s 2025 season was prematurely ended last September by surgery to fix scar tissue in his throwing elbow. The right-hander’s recovery progress will stretch into at least the first bit of the 2026 campaign, as Garcia told Sportnet’s Shi Davidi that he will “100 percent” not be ready to pitch when the Blue Jays begin play on March 27.
It doesn’t appear as though Garcia will miss too much time, even if he does start the season on the 15-day injured list. “I feel good right now, I feel better than last season,” Garcia said, and he expects to start throwing off a mound perhaps as early as this week. Still, since the veteran reliever is “a little behind” in his throwing progression, it appears Garcia and the Jays are playing the long game in making sure he is fully ready for the coming season, even if that means some missed time in March and April.
To his chagrin, Garcia has been a frequent visitor to the IL in the last two seasons, as a variety of injuries have limited the righty to 61 appearances and 60 innings pitched for the Blue Jays and Mariners in 2024-25. Garcia missed time in 2024 with both neuritis and inflammation in his right elbow, and he was limited by a shoulder impingement (leading to a 60-day IL stint) and a sprained left ankle in 2025. Garcia hasn’t pitched since July 2, as his elbow issues resurfaced while he was rehabbing his ankle sprain.
All of these injuries would be a concern for any pitcher, especially a veteran like Garcia who is turning 36 this August. Garcia has still been pretty effective when he has been able to pitch, posting a 3.60 ERA and 30.5% strikeout rate over his last 60 IP. His walk rate did take a big leap upwards from 7.8% in 2024 to 13.3% in 2025, which could be viewed as an injury-related outlier given how Garcia’s previous career high BB% was 8.3%, and that came over 15 innings during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
The Blue Jays dealt Garcia to the Mariners at the 2024 trade deadline, and despite his elbow issues, Toronto felt comfortable enough to bring the reliever back on a two-year, $15MM free agent deal last winter. It is quite possible that having a healthy Garcia in the bullpen might’ve put the Blue Jays over the top in the World Series, and the team is again viewing him as a key piece of the late-game mix. When healthy, Garcia will join postseason workhorse Louis Varland and new signing Tyler Rogers as the top set-up options to closer Jeff Hoffman.
Blue Jays In Talks With Max Scherzer
The Blue Jays have maintained some interest in Max Scherzer throughout the winter, and talks between the two sides have become more serious over the past week, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. There’s no deal in place, and there are still other clubs hoping to sign the future Hall of Famer, but Toronto has apparently hastened its efforts to get the three-time Cy Young winner back to the Rogers Centre.
Scherzer, 41, spent the 2025 season with the Jays after signing a one-year, $15.5MM deal in free agency last winter. Repeated injuries pertaining to his thumb and a nerve in his right arm limited him to 85 big league innings in the regular season, during which he posted a career-worst 5.19 ERA. However, Scherzer still fanned a roughly average 22.9% of opponents against a tidy 6.4% walk rate. His 10.7% swinging-strike rate was down about three ticks from his career mark but was closely aligned with the 11% league average.
Much of the damage against Scherzer came in one nightmare start, where he surrendered seven runs in two-thirds of an inning in his penultimate appearance of the season. He had a 4.48 ERA across his other 16 starts. Obviously, any pitcher looks better if you toss out his worst appearance of a season, and even that 4.48 mark isn’t great, but Scherzer was at least serviceable for much of the season and looked better in the playoffs, when he made three starts and posted a 3.77 ERA in 14 1/3 innings.
The Jays already have ample rotation depth. Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios and KBO returnee Cody Ponce will open the season in the rotation, health permitting. Righty Shane Bieber is back on a one-year deal after forgoing free agency in favor of picking up his $16MM player option, but he’ll open the season on the injured list due to some forearm fatigue. The team is framing that as a matter of precaution after Bieber pitched 88 innings and worked deep into the postseason in his return from Tommy John surgery, but it’s still a notable development — as is the fact that one of the team’s top depth options, Bowden Francis, will miss the year due to Tommy John surgery.
With Toronto’s rotation depth taking those two hits in the past 10 days, it’s understandable if they’ve ramped up their efforts to bring in some further depth. An exact plan remains to be seen, assuming a deal comes together, that is. Nicholson-Smith suggests the Jays could possibly ease Scherzer up with a slow build, eyeing a season debut in late April or early May.
Price point will matter on any deal for Scherzer, particularly if the idea is for him to be on a slow progression early in the season. The Jays are in the top tier of luxury penalization and are exceeding the base threshold for a third straight season. They’ll pay a 110% tax on whatever money is paid out to Scherzer, which is a notable consideration for a team that’s already in line to establish a new franchise-record payroll by more than $30MM.
Still, there’s good reason to consider the depth in spite of the resulting tax bill. With Francis out for the season and Bieber opening on the IL, the sixth starter is Eric Lauer, who enjoyed a resurgent year with the Jays in 2025. He’ll open in a swing role, barring another injury to the top five arms, but depth options thereafter are murky.
Former top prospect Ricky Tiedemann should be healthy but hasn’t pitched since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024 — a season in which he totaled only 17 1/3 innings. Prospect Adam Macko struggled with poor command and posted an ERA over 5.00 in Triple-A last year. Righty Lazaro Estrada made his big league debut last year but was hit hard in 7 1/3 frames and logged a 5.73 ERA in the minors. Righties Angel Bastardo and Spencer Miles are also on the 40-man roster but are subject to Rule 5 restrictions. Bastardo was selected in 2024 but missed the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He can’t be optioned to Triple-A before spending 90 days on the active roster. It’ll be hard for the Jays to carry either. Non-roster options in camp include Yariel Rodriguez, whom the Jays passed through waivers in December, and journeymen Connor Seabold and Michael Plassmeyer.
It’s not an especially deep or appealing set of depth options, and if Bieber winds up missing more time than expected and/or the Jays incur another injury on the big league staff, the depth will be tested in a hurry. In that sense, whether it’s a one-year reunion with Scherzer or a non-roster deal for a veteran like Anthony DeSclafani, bringing in some additional depth would be prudent for the Jays.
AL East Notes: Chisholm, Palacios, Kiner-Falefa, Bieber
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is open to extension talks but still hasn’t been approached by the club in that department, he tells Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Chisholm is entering his final year of club control before he’s slated for free agency.
It’s a similar situation to last year, when it seemed Chisholm was more open to talks than the club. Spring training is a common time for clubs to approach players about extensions, so it’s notable that there’s still no momentum in that department.
The Yankees don’t do many extensions in general and may prefer to wait things out in the middle infield. A year from now, it’s possible that prospect George Lombard Jr. has joined Anthony Volpe and José Caballero in the mix. If the Yanks can cover their middle infield spots internally, then they could focus next winter’s resources elsewhere. If not, they could pivot back to Chisholm as a free agent.
Some more camp notes from around the A.L. East…
- The Rays are going to get Richie Palacios some third base reps this spring, reports Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Palacios has mostly played second base and the outfield corners in his career. His third base experience consists of ten innings in 2024. Adding some more versatility could help him carve out a bench role, though he does have an option remaining. Junior Caminero will be Tampa’s regular at third but his defensive grades weren’t great, so it could make sense for him to occasionally serve as the designated hitter or be replaced by a better defender late in some games.
- The Red Sox are going to have Isiah Kiner-Falefa play some first base in spring, reports Sean McAdam of MassLive. Kiner-Falefa has loads of experience at every position on the diamond except for first base. The Sox have Willson Contreras as their regular first baseman but the depth is banged up. Triston Casas ruptured his left patellar tendon last year and may not be reading for Opening Day. Romy González is also questionable for the opener due to a shoulder injury that recently required a platelet-rich plasma injection. Kiner-Falefa may not be needed there much due to the presence of Contreras but injuries can happen at any time and Kiner-Falefa also mentioned the possibility of pinch running for Contreras on occasion.
- The Blue Jays may be getting Shane Bieber back sooner than expected, according to manager John Schneider (link via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). Schneider said that Bieber is “feeling good” throwing from 120 feet and might throw off a mound within two weeks. Last week, it was reported that Bieber would begin the season on the injured list out of an abundance of caution due to forearm fatigue. This update may not change that timeline, but the team has enough rotation depth to take it slow with his ramp-up regardless. A healthy Bieber would slot in behind Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, and Kevin Gausman in the Jays’ rotation. For now, Cody Ponce and Jose Berrios round out the group.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images