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Cubs To Hire Quintin Berry As Third Base Coach

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The Cubs plan to hire Quintin Berry as third base coach, report Will Sammon, Sahadev Sharma and Patrick Mooney of the Athletic. The 39-year-old has spent the past six seasons on the Brewers’ staff, the last four of which have come as first base coach.

Craig Counsell managed in Milwaukee for the first five years of Berry’s coaching tenure. After one season working under Pat Murphy, Berry rejoins Counsell on the North Side. The Cubs moved on from previous third base coach Willie Harris a few weeks ago. Milwaukee has not announced a replacement.

Berry had a 13-year professional playing career and got to the big leagues in parts of five seasons. He was known for his speed and ability to steal bases. That included a perfect 21-21 showing for the Tigers in 2012. That was the only season in which he logged significant MLB playing time, but he bounced around as a quintessential September player. The expanded rosters — teams could carry up to 40 players in September at that time — afforded the flexibility to use him as a designated pinch runner.

Berry won the 2013 World Series with the Red Sox while working in that capacity. He played the same role with the Cubs in 2015. He’ll make a return to Wrigley Field a decade later.

Offseason Outlook: Boston Red Sox

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Despite end-of-season promises of a "full-throttle" approach to the 2023-24 offseason, things were fairly quiet for the Red Sox during their first year under new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's guidance as the club prioritized short-term commitments in free agency and on the trade market without making a major splash. That led to another disappointing season at Fenway where the club posted a lackluster 81-81 record that landed them third place in the AL East and four games out of an AL Wild Card spot. After a season that saw a number of youngsters take steps forward and with more prospect talent nearing the majors, Breslow's second winter at the helm figures to be more active than his first.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Rafael Devers, 3B: $284MM through 2033
  • Trevor Story, SS: $77.5MM through 2027 (includes $5MM buyout on 2028 club option)
  • Masataka Yoshida, DH: $55.8MM through 2027
  • Brayan Bello, SP: $53.33MM through 2029 (includes $1MM buyout on 2030 club option)
  • Ceddanne Rafaela, CF/SS: $48.75MM through 2031 (includes $4MM buyout on 2032 club option)
  • Liam Hendriks, RP: $8MM through 2025 (includes $2MM buyout on $12MM mutual option)
  • Garrett Whitlock, SP/RP: $14MM through 2026 (includes $1MM buyout on 2027 club option; additional club option for '28)

Option Decisions

2025 financial commitments: $105.93MM
Total long-term financial commitments: $562.79MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projected salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: None

Free Agents

Disappointing as the 2024 season was for the Red Sox in terms of their record, one major silver lining for the club this winter is that the majority of their key contributors remain under long-term team control, meaning they'll be able to focus more on upgrading the roster than patching holes created by departing veterans. In particular, they're extremely well set-up in the outfield with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela all currently locked in at the major league level, not to mention the presence of Masataka Yoshida and (assuming his club option is picked up as expected) Rob Refsnyder.

With top prospect Roman Anthony knocking on the door of the majors and even getting some buzz as Baseball America's #1 prospect, the Red Sox remain flush in outfield talent even as they watch Tyler O'Neill and his 30-homer power depart for free agency. Of course, that's not to say O'Neill's bat won't be sorely missed in the Red Sox lineup. As a team, their 104 wRC+ was a hair above average, placing them in a three-way tie with the Brewers and Mariners for the tenth-best figure in the majors. While that's certainly a respectable number, even a prospect as talented as Anthony can't be expected to seamlessly replace the 131 wRC+ O'Neill provided to the club in a resurgent 2024 season.

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Hunter Renfroe, Chris Stratton Exercise Player Options

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Outfielder Hunter Renfroe and reliever Chris Stratton triggered player options in their deals with the Royals, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (X links). Kansas City declined its end of a mutual option on infielder Adam Frazier, per Feinsand. In other Royals’ news, lefty reliever Josh Taylor elected free agency, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Kansas City evidently ran him through outright waivers instead of reinstating him from the 60-day injured list.

All three option decisions went as expected. Renfroe, Stratton and Frazier each signed as free agents last winter. None had a particularly good season. That made it a straightforward call for the players who could return to pass on their chances to retest the market, while the front office had a similarly easy call to move on from Frazier.

Renfroe returns on a $7.5MM salary. He’ll look to improve on this year’s middling .229/.297/.392 slash line. Renfroe hit 15 homers but reached base at less than a .300 clip for a second consecutive season. It was a replacement level performance altogether. He’ll be penciled back in as the starting right fielder for the moment, but the corner outfield is a clear area for the front office to try to upgrade.

Stratton secures a $4.5MM salary. His deal contained a $500K buyout, so that was a $4MM call. The veteran right-hander would probably be limited to minor league offers if he were a free agent. He struggled to a 5.55 earned run average through 58 1/3 innings this past season. It’s not a guarantee that the Royals keep him on the roster all winter. If they do bring him back, they’ll hope to get something closer to the 82 2/3 innings of 3.92 ball that he provided the Cardinals and Rangers in 2023.

Frazier gets a $2.5MM buyout instead of an $8.5MM salary. The former All-Star second baseman hasn’t hit much since being traded from Pittsburgh to San Diego in 2021. That continued during what looks like it’ll be his lone season in Kansas City. Frazier hit .202/.282/.294 while appearing in 104 games. Michael Massey outplayed him to take the second base job. Frazier might need to settle for a minor league deal with a Spring Training invite this winter.

As for Taylor, this effectively serves as an early non-tender. He was eligible for arbitration for a final time. While he was projected for a modest $1.1MM salary, the Royals didn’t want to create a 40-man roster spot after he missed the entire 2024 season. Taylor lost this year to a biceps injury and has also struggled with back issues in recent years.

Jordan Montgomery Exercises Player Option With D-Backs

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Jordan Montgomery exercised his $22.5MM player option with the Diamondbacks, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (X link). There was never much doubt on this decision, though Montgomery stands as one of the top trade candidates of the winter.

Montgomery’s first season in the desert was a nightmare. The veteran southpaw signed late on a $25MM pillow contract after his market failed to materialize. He changed his representation shortly into the season and has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with how former agent Scott Boras handled negotiations. Montgomery surely hoped to retest the market after one season, but he didn’t pitch well enough to give himself that opportunity.

Opponents teed off for a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings. Arizona pushed him out of the rotation after 21 starts, the first time in his career that he lost a starting job. The only silver lining was that Montgomery made enough starts to vest the option that he eventually pushed to a $22.5MM value.

Owner Ken Kendrick pulled no punches after the season. “If anyone wants to blame anyone for Jordan Montgomery being a Diamondback, you’re talking to the guy that should be blamed,” the owner said after the team narrowly missed the playoffs. “Because I brought it to (the front office’s) attention. I pushed for it. They agreed to it. It wasn’t in our game plan. … And looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did. It’s our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint. And I’m the perpetrator of that.”

There was some chatter that Kendrick went public hoping to alienate Montgomery so the pitcher would pass on the option. If that was the intent, it never stood much chance. Montgomery would have been leaving millions on the table if he returned to free agency. He’d likely have been looking at a one-year contract in the $8-12MM range in that case. Even if Montgomery wants a fresh start, that’s too much to bypass. Arizona will probably look for ways to offload a portion of the deal in an offseason trade, though they wouldn’t be able to shed the entire salary without taking back an undesirable contract in their own right.

Twins Decline Mutual Option On Kyle Farmer

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The Twins declined their end of a $6.25MM mutual option on Kyle Farmer, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (X link). The veteran infielder will collect a $250K buyout and becomes a free agent for the first time in his career. Minnesota also declined an option on outfielder Manuel Margot this morning.

Farmer, 34, spent two seasons in the Twin Cities. He had a solid .256/.317/.408 slash during his first year after being acquired from the Reds. Minnesota brought him back for his final season of arbitration. Farmer struggled this past season, though, hitting .214/.293/.353 over 242 trips to the plate. He missed around a month with a strain in his right shoulder.

That made it an easy call for Minnesota to move on. The $6MM net decision was too pricey for a utility player coming off a down year. Farmer could be able to find a major league contract this offseason. He can play anywhere on the infield and carries a career .283/.344/.468 slash versus left-handed pitching.

The Twins still have Willi Castro and Austin Martin on hand as utility options behind Brooks Lee, Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis. Minnesota will need to address first base with Carlos Santana hitting free agency and Alex Kirilloff’s surprise retirement.

Brewers Decline Mutual Option On Wade Miley

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The Brewers declined their end of a $12MM mutual option on Wade Miley, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. They’ll pay a $1.5MM buyout to send him back to free agency.

It’s an easy call for the team. He’ll miss a good chunk of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April. A $12MM salary for Miley would’ve been rich even if he were healthy. The veteran left-hander signed for $8.5MM last winter, taking the form of a $7MM salary and the option buyout. That was after a season in which he turned in a 3.14 ERA over 23 starts. He took the ball just twice this year before his elbow gave out.

Miley has battled injuries in recent years. Elbow and shoulder troubles have hampered him since 2022. When healthy, the 37-year-old (38 next month) has managed strong results despite middling velocity and whiff rates. Miley has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the past three seasons in which he has topped 100 innings.

Assuming he’s going to continue pitching, Miley should land an incentive-laden deal. A minor league contract isn’t out of the question, though it wouldn’t be surprising if he secures a base salary in the $2-4MM range with the ability to tack on earnings based on next year’s workload.

Miley’s option is one of a staggering seven decisions involving the Brewers. Rhys Hoskins holds an $18MM player option. Milwaukee has easy calls to exercise team options on Freddy Peralta and Colin Rea. The Brewers have an option on Devin Williams, who’ll be eligible for arbitration even if they decline it. Frankie Montas, Jakob Junis and Gary Sánchez each have mutual options. They’re all likely to become free agents.

Pirates Claim Tristan Gray

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Infielder Tristan Gray has been claimed off waivers by the Pirates, per an announcement from the Athletics. The A’s also announced that right-hander Austin Adams and infielder Armando Alvarez have been outrighted off the 40-man roster. There was no previous reporting about the three being removed from the roster but it’s a time of year where clubs regularly try to clear roster spots. The A’s tried with these three but the Pirates swooped in to grab Gray.

Gray, 28, was only on the Athletics’ roster for a couple of months, as they claimed him from the Marlins at the end of August. Between those two clubs and the Rays, he has a tiny amount of major league experience, having stepped to the plate 36 times in 17 games. He has a dismal line of .152/.222/.273 though it’s obviously a tiny sample size.

The Bucs are undoubtedly more interested in Gray’s prospect pedigree and minor league numbers. It was actually Pittsburgh that drafted him, selecting him with a 13th-round pick in 2017. His initial stint with the Bucs was short-lived, as he was traded to the Rays in the February 2018 trade that brought Corey Dickerson to Pittsburgh.

He was with the Rays through 2023 but reached free agency after that season and secured a minor league deal with the Marlins. To this point, between his various organizations, he has hit .238/.311/.454 in his minor league career for a 104 wRC+. He is capable of playing all four infield positions.

Gray’s previous tenure in the Pirates’ system predated Ben Cherington being hired as the general manager, but the appeal of grabbing him now is understandable. Gray’s minor league offense has been passable and he can provide the club with depth all around the infield. He is still optionable and doesn’t need to be guaranteed a spot on the active roster.

The Pirates have uncertainty at essentially every infield position. Shortstop Oneil Cruz was recently moved to center field. Third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes has ongoing back problems. First baseman Rowdy Tellez was released late in the 2024 season. Second base was a revolving door this year.

For Adams, this move is effectively an early non-tender. He could have been retained for 2025 via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a salary of $1.7MM. This move suggests the A’s weren’t keen at bringing him back at that price.

Adams has regularly posted strong strikeout numbers but often with poor control. He throws his frisbee slider the majority of the time, often missing bats but also missing the strike zone and hitting batters.

He tossed 41 1/3 innings for the A’s this year, allowing 3.92 earned runs per nine. He struck out 27.7% of batters faced but also gave out 23 walks for a 12% clip and hit 13 batters.

Players with at least three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to elect free agency rather than accept another outright assignment. Adams qualifies on both counts and will likely be officially a free agent soon.

Alvarez, 30, just made his major league debut this year. He was selected by the A’s in June and hit .243/.282/.270 in 39 plate appearances.

His minor league numbers have been better in recent years, as he hit .301/.369/.551 over the 2022-24 seasons for a 127 wRC+. But as a 30-year-old journeyman who just made his MLB debut, the A’s likely didn’t view him as a key building block and bumped him off the roster.

Alvarez doesn’t have three years of service or a previous career outright, but he does have seven years in the minors, so he’ll soon be able to elect minor league free agency.

Burch Smith, Daniel Johnson Elect Free Agency

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The Orioles announced that right-hander Burch Smith and outfielder Daniel Johnson have both elected free agency rather than accept outright assignments. There hadn’t been any reporting about either player being removed from the roster but apparently the O’s quietly passed each through waivers quietly in recent days.

Smith, 34, started the year on a minor league deal with the Rays. He had an upward mobility clause in that deal and triggered it at the end of spring training, getting flipped to the Marlins. He stuck with the Fish through the middle of June before getting released and landing with the O’s.

Between those two clubs, he managed to toss 56 1/3 innings this year, allowing 4.95 earned runs per nine. His 19% strikeout rate was subpar but his 5% walk rate was quite strong and his 43.8% ground ball rate around league average. His 63.2% strand rate was a bit on the unlucky side, which was a factor in his 3.66 FIP and 3.79 SIERA being more than a run better than his ERA.

The O’s could have retained Smith via arbitration for 2025, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $1.6MM salary next year. It appears the O’s didn’t have any intention of doing that, so they put Smith on waivers as an effective early non-tender.

Players with at least three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to reject further outright assignments and elect free agency. Smith qualifies on both counts and chose to exercise his right.

Some things last a long time but not Johnson’s tenure on the Baltimore roster. He signed a minor league deal with the club in the offseason and had his contract selected on September 21. He got into that day’s game as a pinch runner and later grounded out. He was optioned the next day, making that his only plate appearance of the season.

He has a fairly limited major league track record, also spending some time with Cleveland in 2020 and 2021. He hit 21 home runs in exactly 500 plate appearances at Triple-A this year and slashed .259/.320/.448, but that actually translated to a subpar 97 wRC+ in this year’s inflated offensive environment in the International League.

Johnson still has less than a year of service time and could have been cheaply retained for next year but the O’s decided to move on instead. As a player with a previous career outright, he has the right to reject further outright assignments and exercised that right to return to the open market.

Offseason Outlook: Los Angeles Dodgers

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After years of aggressive activity on both the trade and free agent markets -- to say nothing of savvy drafting and player development -- the Dodgers stand alone on top of the MLB mountain. They erased a 5-0 deficit in Game 5 to topple the Yankees by a score of 7-6, securing the largest comeback ever in a clinching game. It's the eighth World Series win in Dodgers history and the fourth time they've topped the Yankees in the Fall Classic. Now, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes and the rest of L.A.'s baseball operations outfit must turn their focus to a 2025 title defense.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH: $698MM through 2033 ($678MM deferred, without interest, through 2043)
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto, RHP: $270MM through 2035 (player can opt out after 2029 or 2031 seasons)
  • Mookie Betts, OF/INF: $265MM through 2032 ($128MM deferred [$45MM signing bonus, $83MM of salary] through 2044)
  • Tyler Glasnow, RHP: $111.5625MM through 2028 (includes $21.625MM player option for 2028)
  • Freddie Freeman, 1B: $81MM through 2027 ($36MM deferred, without interest, through 2040)
  • Will Smith, C: $96.45MM through 2033 ($45MM deferred through 2043)
  • Chris Taylor, OF/INF: $17MM through 2025 (includes $4MM buyout of 2026 club option)
  • Max Muncy, 3B: $12.5MM through 2025
  • Tommy Edman, INF/OF: $9.5MM through 2025
  • Ryan Brasier, RHP: $4.5MM through 2025

2025 commitments: $214.5MM ($93MM deferred)
Total long-term commitments: $1.565 billion ($887MM deferred)

Option Decisions

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: May, Gonsolin, Brogdon

Free  Agents

As is often the case, the first "question" of the offseason for the Dodgers will center around the dugout. Dave Roberts, who's helmed the club for nine seasons en route to eight division titles, four National League pennants and World Series wins in 2020 and 2024, is slated to enter the final season of his contract. A change would register as a shock after Roberts' first World Series win in a 162-game season. An extension to avoid lame-duck status next year seems like it'll be in order, though it's possible that'll be held off until spring training. Broadly speaking, changes on the staff will likely be minimal, unless the Dodgers see a coach or coaches hired away for promotions on other staffs.

With regard to contractual options on the actual roster, there's not a lot of drama. Clayton Kershaw has already committed to returning to the Dodgers next season. Exercising his $10MM player option seems like the most straightforward means of making that happen, but perhaps the two parties will connect early to hammer out slightly different terms. Miguel Rojas' $5MM club option is a net $4MM decision when factoring in the $1MM buyout. After the season he just had, that should be a no-brainer, even if he's ticketed for a more limited role in 2025. Austin Barnes is an organizational favorite, but the Dodgers are deep at catcher. He's a borderline call, but maybe shelling out $3.5MM (and a presumptive 110% luxury tax) for a veteran backup isn't something the organization cares to do with Hunter Feduccia, Diego Cartaya and Dalton Rushing all on the the near-MLB depth chart.

Talk of Juan Soto will dominate the offseason, but we'll get to him in a bit. Starting pitching figures to be the primary focus for a Dodgers club that patched its staff together in the rotation and watched several young arms go down with long-term injuries. Righty Gavin Stone is likely out for all of 2025 following shoulder surgery. River Ryan, Kyle Hurt and Emmet Sheehan all had Tommy John surgery this season. Dustin May's return from flexor surgery was derailed by a bizarre and frightening tear in his esophagus that required surgery. Tony Gonsolin had Tommy John surgery last August and should be back in '25, but he'll be on an innings restriction. Walker Buehler and deadline pickup Jack Flaherty are free agents. Last season's breakout right-hander Bobby Miller endured a nightmare 2024 campaign, logging an 8.52 ERA in the majors and a 6.00 mark in Triple-A.

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Craig Albernaz Withdraws From Marlins’ Managerial Search; Clayton McCullough Still Under Consideration

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Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz has withdrawn his name from the Marlins’ managerial search, reports ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Both the Marlins and White Sox liked Albernaz enough to consider him a finalist in their searches, but Passan suggests Albernaz took his name out of the bidding in Chicago as well prior to the team’s hiring of Will Venable. In a separate report, Passan adds that Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough is still in the mix for Miami’s vacancy. MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola first linked Miami and McCullough about three weeks ago.

Albernaz, 42, was a minor league catcher in the Rays and Tigers systems from 2006-14. He spent four years as the Giants’ bullpen and catching coach and overlapped with then-manager (and now Marlins assistant GM) Gabe Kapler’s time in San Francisco’s dugout. The Guards hired him away from the Giants last offseason — but not after first interviewing him for their own managerial vacancy (which eventually went to Stephen Vogt). Albernaz was originally hired as the Guardians’ field coordinator, but just 16 days later he was listed as the team’s bench coach when they finalized their entire staff under the newly hired Vogt.

McCullough, 44, played four years in the minors before shifting to a minor league coaching track. He managed for seven seasons in the Blue Jays’ system and has been with the Dodgers since 2015. Los Angeles originally hired McCullough as their minor league field coordinator, and he’s been Dave Roberts’ first base coach since the 2021 season.

For the past few years, McCullough has been widely viewed as a future manager. He’s interviewed not only with the Marlins but also the White Sox, Brewers, Guardians, Mets and Royals — emerging as a finalist alongside Matt Quatraro for the Kansas City gig. De Nicola tweets that Dodgers star Mookie Betts has called McCullough “the best coach I’ve ever had.” Like Albernaz, McCullough has worked with Kapler in the past, as the two overlapped during their time in the Dodgers’ minor league coaching ranks.

It’s not clear at this juncture who, beyond McCullough, is still under consideration. Albernaz and Venable were reported to be among the team’s finalists earlier this week. Venable, of course, has since been hired by the White Sox while Albernaz has taken his name out of the running. Other known candidates for Miami’s managerial search included Tigers bench coach George Lombard and Luis Urueta, who served as the bench coach under Skip Schumaker prior to his recent departure from the organization.

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