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White Sox Outright Mike Clevinger

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April 18: Clevinger cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Charlotte, per Scott Merkin of MLB.com. He has enough major league service to reject the assignment in favor of free agency.

April 16: The White Sox announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Steven Wilson. In a corresponding move, fellow righty Mike Clevinger has been designated for assignment. The Sox also announced that righty Justin Anderson, who was designated for assignment last week, has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte.

Clevinger, 34, had some good years as a starter but never seemed to get back on track after Tommy John surgery. From 2017 through 2020, he posted a 2.96 earned run average and 28% strikeout rate across 489 1/3 innings in the majors. But he missed 2021 while recovering from TJS and hasn’t been able to get the punchouts back. From 2022 to 2024, he had a 4.20 ERA and 19.4% strikeout rate.

In 2024, he lingered unsigned into April before signing a $3MM deal with the White Sox. After a ramp-up period, he joined the club in May, making four starts before landing on the injured list with elbow inflammation. In July, he underwent season-ending disc replacement surgery in his neck.

Going into 2025, the Sox re-signed him via a minor league deal with the plan of trying him out in the bullpen. He tossed six scoreless innings in the spring and cracked the Opening Day roster but the regular season hasn’t been kind to him. So far, he has made eight appearances but logged just 5 2/3 innings. He has struck out three opponents but issued eight walks and allowed five earned runs.

It seems the Sox have decided to quickly pull the ripcord on the experiment. Given his poor results and $1.5MM salary this year, it’s unlikely there will be much interest from other clubs around the league. As a player with at least five years of service time, Clevinger has the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while keeping his salary in place. Unless he wants to report to Triple-A Charlotte and continue the relief experiment, he seems likely to be a free agent at some point in the next week.

Wilson, 30, was outrighted off the club’s roster in February. That left him to start the season in Triple-A, which has gone well so far. He has thrown 5 1/3 innings with one earned run, ten strikeouts and one walk. His big league track record consists of 140 2/3 innings between the Padres and White Sox with a 4.03 ERA, 24.2% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate. He still has a full slate of options, so he’ll give the Sox an extra bullpen arm with some roster flexibility.

Anderson has hit the three-year mark in terms of service time, which gives him the right to reject his outright assignment. However, since he has less than five years, he would have to forfeit his remaining salary to elect free agency. He and the Sox avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $900K salary this year. Presumably, he’ll want to keep that coming and will report to Triple-A Charlotte. He’ll give the Sox some non-roster depth and try to work his way back to the big leagues.

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images

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Orioles To Promote Brandon Young For MLB Debut

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Orioles right-hander Brandon Young will start Saturday’s game, making his major league debut. Jake Rill of MLB.com was among those to relay the update. Young has been added to the taxi squad for now and will be officially recalled prior to his start. He is already on the 40-man roster, so the O’s will only need to make a corresponding active roster move.

Young, 26, is one of Baltimore’s top pitching prospects. He went undrafted in 2020, the year in which the draft was shortened by the pandemic to just five rounds. He signed with Baltimore and has since been climbing through the minors and raising his stock, though Tommy John surgery led to him missing most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

Around that long rehab process, he has tossed 265 minor league innings, allowing 3.57 earned runs per nine. He has struck out 28.5% of opponents while only giving out walks at an 8% clip. Last year, he tossed 111 innings between Double-A and Triple-A with a 3.57 ERA. His strikeout and walks rates matched his overall track record, coming in at 28.5% and 8% respectively.

That was strong enough that the O’s didn’t want to risk losing him in the Rule 5 draft, so they added him to their 40-man roster in November. Baseball America ranked him the club’s #20 prospect coming into this year, suggesting he could become a back-end starter in the big leagues. His somewhat tepid fastball velocity, which averaged 92.5 miles per hour last year, seemed to make BA a bit bearish. FanGraphs is a bit more bullish, recently giving Young the #6 spot in the organization, believing that improvements to his curveball and changeup give him a bit of a higher ceiling.

He has started this year in the Triple-A rotation, posting a 2.76 ERA in his first three starts. Though Young has been putting up good numbers, his promotion perhaps says more about what’s going on elsewhere on the roster. The Orioles have Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells, Trevor Rogers, Albert Suárez and Chayce McDermott all on the injured list. That leaves them with a current rotation core of Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Dean Kremer and Cade Povich.

The O’s have been able to get by with a four-man rotation recently. Eflin was the most recent injury, landing on the IL April 8th. Since then, the off-days on April 10th and 14th gave the club some natural breathing room. But they are now halfway through a six-game stretch and then an off-day on Monday will be followed by nine straight.

Young will come up and make at least one start to keep the rotation on track. He could perhaps stay a bit longer but the O’s will have Kyle Gibson entering the mix eventually. Gibson signed in the second half of March and agreed to be optioned in order to ramp up after missing spring training. He has made two Triple-A starts thus far, both between three and four innings long, so he shouldn’t be too far off.

Perhaps Young will just get one start for now or perhaps he’ll stick around for a lengthier stay. That will likely depend upon his own performance as well as the health of the other pitchers on the roster going forward.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

Brewers Recall Caleb Durbin For MLB Debut

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April 18: Milwaukee has made it official, announcing that Durbin has been recalled from Triple-A Nashville.

April 17: The Brewers are set to recall infield prospect Caleb Durbin tomorrow, reports Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Milwaukee announced this morning that infielder Oliver Dunn had been optioned to Triple-A Nashville but did not provide a corresponding move. Durbin, whom the Brewers acquired in the trade sending Devin Williams to the Yankees, is already on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move will not be necessary. He’ll make his MLB debut the first time he’s in the lineup (presumably tomorrow).

A 14th-round pick by the Braves in 2021, Durbin has already been traded twice in his career. He went from Atlanta to New York in exchange for lefty Lucas Luetge, and the Yankees coupled him up with Nestor Cortes in a trade bringing Williams to the Bronx this past offseason. He’ll now get the first big league opportunity of his career with his third organization.

The 25-year-old Durbin has hit at every stop in his minor league career. Listed at a stocky 5’7″ and 183 pounds, he has below-average power but plus contact skills and plus speed. The righty-swinging speedster is out to a .278/.316/.481 start in Nashville, where he’s already tallied a pair of homers, five doubles and three steals in 58 plate appearances. His premium contact ability has been on full display; Durbin has fanned only five times in those 58 plate appearances (8.6%). He’s walked more than he’s fanned (or posted identical walk and strikeout totals) and tallied at least 31 steals in every full season of his professional career thus far.

Second base has been Durbin’s primary position in pro ball, but he has 733 career innings at third base, which has been his most frequent position this season in Nashville. He’s also played 370 innings at shortstop and has a handful of appearances both in center field and in left field. He’s likely to slot in as a regular or semi-regular at third base in the short term, but depending on future acquisitions or player development success stories, Durbin has the skill set to be a versatile and valuable utility option.

Enough of the season has elapsed that Durbin can’t earn a full year of major league service time in 2025. If he’s in the majors to stay, he’d be controllable all the way through 2031. He’d finish out the current season with 150 days of service, putting him on pace for Super Two status and four trips through arbitration rather than the standard three (the first of which would come following the 2027 season).

Dunn, 27, is a quality defensive player but hasn’t provided value at the plate in parts of two MLB seasons with Milwaukee. He’s a .206/.260/.291 hitter in 145 big league plate appearances, including just a .167/.205/.222 output in 41 plate appearances this season. Dunn and journeyman Vinny Capra have handled all of the Brewers’ reps at third base this season, though the latter has struggled even more than Dunn (and is out of minor league options, meaning he couldn’t be sent down without being designated for assignment and clearing waivers). Brewers third basemen are batting a combined .150/.188/.233 on the season, placing them 29th in batting average, last in on-base percentage, 25th in slugging percentage and 29th in wRC+ (18).

Mariners, Zach Pop Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners and right-hander Zach Pop have agreed to a minor league contract, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. The Blue Jays designated Pop for assignment at the end of spring training when they needed a 40-man roster spot. The out-of-options righty was battling elbow inflammation at the time, and since injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, the Jays instead had to place him on release waivers. He became a free agent a couple weeks ago and will now join the fifth organization of his professional career.

Pop, 28, was a seventh-round pick by the Dodgers back in 2017. Los Angeles traded him and four others to the Orioles in the 2018 Manny Machado blockbuster, and he’s since pitched with the Marlins and Blue Jays organizations. The 6’4″ righty has logged big league time in each of the past four seasons, working to a combined 4.45 ERA with a sub-par 18.4% strikeout rate, a solid 7.9% walk rate and an excellent 55% ground-ball rate.

The 2024 season was a struggle for Pop, who pitched to a grisly 5.59 ERA over the course of 48 1/3 innings. With his sinker being hit harder than usual in 2023-24, Pop began to incorporate a cutter a couple months into the season. The pitch showed some promise, generating plenty of pop-ups and whiffs when chased off the plate, but Pop also misfired with it too often and served up three of his nine homers on the new offering — despite only throwing it at a 12.3% clip.

If the Mariners can help Pop refine that cutter or perhaps implement a new third offering, he could yet emerge as a reliable bullpen arm. He sits 96 mph with his sinker, which is plenty in terms of velocity, and his slider has long graded as a quality offering. The pitch misses bats, and opponents have slugged only .328 against it when making contact. Add in his lofty ground-ball numbers and it’s easy enough to see why the Mariners feel they may be able to coax another level out of him, even if the results over the past couple seasons have been rough.

The Opener: Diamondbacks, Prospect Debuts, Pitchers’ Duel

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As the 2025 regular season continues, here are a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on this weekend:

1. Diamondbacks heating up:

Arizona got out to something of a slow start this year, quickly falling to fourth place in the crowded NL West with a 5-6 record. They’ve caught fire since, however, winning seven of eight games — including each of their past five. Their next test will come in the Friendly Confines, as the team is headed to Chicago for a three-game set against the Cubs that begins at 1:20pm local time this afternoon.

Today’s matchup will see right-hander Corbin Burnes try to right the ship after struggling to a 5.28 ERA in his first three starts with Arizona. Chicago counters with Colin Rea, who began the season in the bullpen but has moved into the rotation following Justin Steele’s injury. Rea struck out five Dodgers across 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first start last week and will continue to stretch out as he shifts back into a starting role. Saturday will see Burnes’ co-ace, Zac Gallen, try to recover from his own uneven start to the season (4.64 ERA) opposite Cubs youngster Ben Brown. Sunday’s series finale will be a battle of mid-rotation veterans as Merrill Kelly takes on Jameson Taillon.

2. Top prospect debut for Twins:

The Twins are reportedly poised to promote top infield prospect Luke Keaschall to the majors prior to today’s game in Atlanta, which begins at 7:15pm local time. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to bring Keaschall into the fold. A consensus top-60 prospect in the sport, the 22-year-old has gotten off to a decent start at Triple-A with a .261/.379/.348 slash line in 14 games. The 2023 second-round pick posted a fantastic .303/.420/.483 slash line last year between the High-A and Double-A levels. Plate discipline and plus contact skills are Keaschall’s calling cards. He’s walked in 13.6% of his professional plate appearances against just a 17.5% strikeout rate.

Keaschall has split most of his time between second base and center field during his time in the minors, though he has experience at first and third base as well. His MLB debut will come amid a rash of injuries for the Twins, who have sluggers Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis on the injured list while shortstop Carlos Correa and utilityman Willi Castro are facing day-to-day maladies. Fellow infielder Jose Miranda was optioned to Triple-A after getting out to a bleak .167/.167/.250 start in his first 36 plate appearances.

3. Brewers change it up at third base:

The Brewers are also set to bring up a promising young talent from their system. Caleb Durbin, acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Devin Williams this offseason, is reportedly headed to the big leagues in place of struggling infielder Oliver Dunn, whom the Brew Crew already formally optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Durbin doesn’t come with the same level of national fanfare that Keaschall brings, but Milwaukee will hope he can make an impact all the same.

A compact speedster standing at 5’7″, Durbin has elite bat-to-ball skills and strong plate discipline but lacks power. He’s hitting .278/.316/.481 on the young season and is fresh off a 2024 campaign that saw him slash .275/.388/.451 with a 13.1% walk rate and tiny 9.9% strikeout rate in 406 plate appearances across three minor league levels (Class-A, Double-A, Triple-A). Brewers third basemen are batting .150/.188/.233 this season, so it’s a low bar to clear for Durbin as he looks to cement his place in the Brewers’ long-term plans.

4. Pitchers’ duel in Texas:

The Dodgers and Rangers are meeting in Arlington for a three-game series this weekend, and Game 1 of the series (scheduled for 7:05pm local time) will feature two of the league’s most talented pitchers. Texas is sending Jacob deGrom to the mound, and the soon-to-be 37-year-old hurler will look to get his season back on track after three uncharacteristic starts where he’s posted a pedestrian 4.30 ERA while striking out just 20.6% of his opponents. There’s no need for a bounceback from Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has begun the season with a dominant 1.23 ERA and a 33.7% strikeout rate in four starts.

Poll: When Should The Marlins Trade Sandy Alcantara?

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While this year’s trade deadline is still more than three months away, there’s perhaps no more obvious trade candidate in the game right now than Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. The 2022 NL Cy Young award winner, Alcantara missed last season due to Tommy John surgery but is back in action with Miami this year. While he was out of commission, the Marlins tore the roster that made the playoffs in 2023 down to the studs, trading everyone from Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to Trevor Rogers and Jesus Luzardo. With no end in sight to the rebuild and Alcantara controlled through the 2027 season, it would be a complete shock if the Marlins held onto him until his contract came to a close.

Whenever the Marlins trade Alcantara, he’s sure to be an extremely sought-after commodity. The right-hander’s 4.70 ERA in three starts this year is far from impressive, but his peripherals have looked better. He’s generating grounders at a phenomenal 65.1% clip with a 3.86 FIP and a 3.91 xERA despite his lackluster 19% strikeout rate and 12.7% walk rate. Those strikeout and walk figures will become concerning if they hold up over a larger sample size, but unless that comes to pass, it seems fair to expect the righty to return to his previous dominant form. Since his full-season debut in 2019, Alcantara has posted a 3.33 ERA with a 3.71 FIP, a 51% grounder rate, and a 21.4% strikeout rate against a 7.1% walk rate.

Those numbers don’t hold a candle to his Cy Young season, where he posted a 2.28 ERA and 2.80 FIP in a campaign that led MLB with 8.0 bWAR, but it’s still clearly front-of-the-rotation caliber production overall. Perhaps even more enticing to teams than Alcantara’s rate production is his status as a true workhorse in a game where arms capable of pitching deep into games on a regular basis have become vanishingly rare. Alcantara hasn’t posted less than 184 2/3 innings in any of his four full seasons, and his 858 1/3 innings of work from 2019 to 2023 were second only to Gerrit Cole. That sort of volume would have value even if Alcantara was a league-average pitcher, given the increasing difficulty with which teams are forced to piece together their rotations.

He’s also appealing from a financial point of view. He is making $17MM this year and next year, less than half of what some other ace pitchers get. Then there’s a $2MM buyout on a $21MM club option for 2027.

Given his ace-level upside, workhorse reputation, years of control, and affordable contract, Alcantara’s status as one of the most valuable trade chips in the sport is unlikely to change. That gives the Marlins the ability to stay flexible with their plans regarding the prized righty. Reporters Will Sammon of The Athletic and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald have suggested that the Marlins have not yet decided if they’ll trade Alcantara at all this season. Alcantara himself tells Jackson that he wants to stay in Miami but is aware that he has no say in the matter. “I’m [just] a player,” he said. “If they want to trade me for a bag, they can trade me.” While the righty eventually getting moved appears to be something of a fait accompli, the Fish would still have two full seasons of team control to market if they opted to move him this offseason instead.

Of course, teams will likely be willing to pay a higher premium for Alcantara at the deadline, when they’d have him available for three pennant races and he wouldn’t be competing with a free agent market rich in rotation talent like Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, and Framber Valdez. Unless the 8-10 Marlins are able to make a surprise surge into contention for an NL Wild Card spot this summer or Alcantara’s performance declines enough that lucrative trade offers start to dry up, it’s hard to see the club getting more value out of their star by waiting for the offseason. With that said, another year of information regarding their prospects and young players could allow them to make more informed decisions about which areas of the roster to target improvements for in the return package.

Could the Marlins benefit from moving Alcantara even earlier, as they did with Arraez last May? Such a decision wouldn’t give Alcantara much of an opportunity to prove he’s healthy and back to his usual form, but the extra few months of starts could be very attractive to clubs like the Yankees, Cubs, and Padres that are dealing with injury woes in their rotation already. What’s more, it’s not impossible to imagine a team like the Astros (Valdez), Twins (Pablo Lopez), or Royals (Seth Lugo) that is currently attempting to compete winding up on the outside of the playoff picture come July and marketing their own top starters. That would give potential suitors for Alcantara alternative options they surely wouldn’t have available to them this early in the calendar.

When do MLBTR readers think the Marlins should start trying to trade Alcantara? Would jumping the market and opening up the bidding now allow them to maximize their asset, should they wait to see if Alcantara can re-establish himself more before putting him on the market this summer, or could waiting even longer to deal him this offseason be the best course to take? Have your say in the poll below:

Angels Appear Likely To Activate Zach Neto

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The Angels could welcome Zach Neto back from the injured list as soon as tomorrow evening. As Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register and Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com each observed, Neto was in Long Beach on Thursday after playing consecutive games with Triple-A Salt Lake on his minor league rehab stint.

The team has not made any declarations on Neto’s status. The 24-year-old made it through nine innings at shortstop on back-to-back nights with Salt Lake on Tuesday and Wednesday. Manager Ron Washington had previously called that a necessity before the team would consider reinstating him. Neto now seems poised to rejoin them as they try to snap a four-game skid. They’ll play host to the Giants for three this weekend.

Neto injured his right shoulder late last season. He underwent surgery in November that was always expected to keep him out of the lineup on Opening Day. While he didn’t appear in any Spring Training games, he wasn’t far behind. He began a rehab assignment on April 1. Neto has looked no worse for wear against minor league pitching. He hit four home runs with a .286/.397/.592 slash over 13 games with Salt Lake.

The Angels have managed a 9-9 record despite playing without arguably their second-best position player. Neto was the team’s most productive player last season. He hit .249/.318/.443 across 602 plate appearances. He led the club with 30 stolen bases and trailed only Taylor Ward for the team lead with 23 homers. It was an impressive first full MLB season for the 2022 first-round pick.

Los Angeles has gotten no production at shortstop over the first few weeks. They entered play Thursday with a .140/.169/.158 slash and no home runs in 60 plate appearances out of the position. They’re last in batting average and slugging, while only the White Sox have received a worse on-base mark. Tim Anderson and Kevin Newman have combined for almost all the playing time. Anderson is hitting .171 with one double over 44 trips to the plate. Newman has three hits (all singles) and no walks in nine games. Nicky Lopez, who signed a major league contract just before Opening Day, has only made one start. He’s 0-6 with a strikeout.

Neto’s return will almost certainly result in someone getting designated for assignment. The Angels don’t need to create a 40-man roster spot, but no one on their bench can be optioned. Newman, Lopez and J.D. Davis all have more than enough service time to refuse a minor league assignment, as does Anderson. It’s unlikely that they’d drop Newman, who signed a $2.75MM free agent deal early in the offseason. One of the other three players is likely to be DFA as the corresponding move.

Cubs Re-Sign Caleb Kilian To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs re-signed righty Caleb Kilian to a minor league contract, reports Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register. He’ll return to Triple-A Iowa after being released over the weekend.

Chicago designated Kilian for assignment last Thursday when they acquired Tom Cosgrove in a trade with San Diego. Kilian was on the minor league injured list at the time. Teams cannot place injured players on outright waivers. The Cubs needed to trade Kilian or release him after the DFA. The vast majority of such players will be released. Once they clear waivers, they’re free to talk to all 30 clubs, though it’s common for their former team to try to get them back on a minor league deal.

That’s what happened in this case, so Kilian sticks with the Cubs after a few days on the open market. He’s been in the organization since the 2021 deadline. The Cubs acquired Kilian and outfielder Alexander Canario from the Giants in the Kris Bryant deal. Both players were reasonably well-regarded prospects at the time, though neither has panned out thus far. Canario’s big power has been undercut by huge strikeout tallies. The Cubs moved on from him over the offseason.

Kilian has made eight major league appearances over three seasons. The Texas Tech product has allowed a 9.22 earned run average in 27 1/3 big league innings. He has walked 20 batters with 21 strikeouts. Over parts of four seasons in Triple-A, he carries a 4.37 ERA in 274 frames. His 21.8% strikeout rate is a little worse than average, as is his 9.2% walk percentage. Kilian had only taken the ball once for Iowa this year. He gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings before leaving with the undisclosed injury that sent him to the IL. He’ll work as non-roster rotation or long relief depth once he’s healthy enough to return to the mound.

Looking Ahead To Club Options: NL West

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Over the coming days, MLBTR will look at next offseason’s option class. Steve Adams will highlight the players who can opt out of their current deals, while we’ll take a division-by-division look at those whose contracts contain either team or mutual options. Virtually all of the mutual options will be bought out by one side. Generally, if the team is willing to retain the player at the option price, the player will decline his end in search of a better free agent deal.

Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona signed the veteran righty, who missed all of last season after undergoing shoulder surgery in January 2024. Graveman was hobbled by back discomfort this spring and began the year on the 15-day injured list. He has thrown a few bullpen sessions but has yet to begin a rehab assignment. During his most recent healthy season, Graveman worked to a 3.12 ERA across 66 1/3 innings between the White Sox and Astros.

Grichuk posted big numbers in a short-side platoon role for the Snakes in 2024. Arizona brought him back on a $5MM free agent deal. He’s making only a $2MM salary and will collect a $3MM buyout on his option at the end of the season. Grichuk hasn’t gotten much playing time, starting six of Arizona’s 19 games (all but one as the designated hitter). He’s out to a decent start, batting .240 with five doubles over 28 plate appearances.

Colorado Rockies

Farmer has been a rare bright spot in what has been a terrible Colorado lineup. The veteran utilityman has started 15 of their 18 games. He’s playing mostly second base and is hitting .345 with nine doubles, the second-most in MLB. Farmer isn’t going to keep hitting at this pace, but it’s an excellent start for a player who signed for $3.25MM after a down year (.214/.293/.353) with Minnesota.

Kinley signed a three-year extension during the 2022-23 offseason. The slider specialist had a brilliant first half to the ’22 campaign, but that was cut short in July by elbow surgery. Kinley hasn’t been the same pitcher since returning. He allowed more than six earned runs per nine in both 2022 and ’23. He has given up five runs (four earned) with seven strikeouts and six walks across 7 2/3 innings this season. Kinley owns a 6.03 ERA while walking more than 11% of opposing hitters over 88 frames since signing the extension.

The option comes with a $5MM base value. It would escalate by $500K apiece if Kinley finishes 20, 25, and 30 games — potentially up to $6.5MM. He has finished two contests in the early going. While the option isn’t especially costly, this is trending towards a buyout.

Stallings produced the best offensive numbers of his career for the Rox in 2024. He returned on a $2.5MM deal early in the offseason. Stallings has been more of the 1-b catcher behind Hunter Goodman. He has started seven games and caught 59 innings. It’s been a slow start, as he’s batting .125 with 12 strikeouts in 27 trips to the plate.

Note: Thairo Estrada’s one-year deal contains a ’26 mutual option, but he’s excluded from this exercise because he would remain eligible for arbitration if the option is declined.

Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Max Muncy, 3B ($10MM club option, no buyout)

This could end up being a borderline call. The Dodgers can keep Muncy around for what’d be his ninth season in L.A. on a $10MM price tag. That’s not an exorbitant sum for baseball’s highest-spending team. Muncy has generally been an excellent hitter in the middle of Dave Roberts’ lineup. He’s a career .230/.355/.482 hitter in Dodger blue. He remained as productive when he was healthy last season, posting a .232/.358/.494 slash over 73 games. An oblique strain cost him three months.

Muncy is out to a much slower start this year. He has yet to connect on a home run in 18 games. He’s batting .193 with 25 strikeouts in 68 plate appearances (a 36.8% rate). It’s very early, of course, but he’ll need to pick things up. Muncy turns 35 in August. NPB third baseman Munetaka Murakami will be posted for MLB teams next offseason. The Dodgers will very likely be involved on the 25-year-old slugger, so it’s possible they’d prefer to keep the position open early in the winter.

Taylor is in the final season of his four-year, $60MM free agent deal. He was coming off an All-Star season in 2021, when he hit .254/.344/.438 with 20 homers. His offense has trended down over the course of the contract, especially sharply over the past two years. Taylor fanned at a near-31% clip last season, batting .202/.298/.300 in 246 plate appearances. He has only been in the starting lineup three times this season.

The Dodgers have kept Taylor throughout his offensive struggles. They clearly place a lot of value on him as a clubhouse presence and appreciate the defensive versatility he provides off the bench. Still, it’s hard to imagine them paying the extra $8MM to exercise the option since he’s essentially the final position player on the roster. The option price would increase by $1MM if Taylor is traded or in the unlikely event that he reaches 525 plate appearances and/or makes the All-Star Game.

Note: Alex Vesia’s arbitration contract contains a ’26 club option, but he’s excluded from this exercise because he would remain eligible for arbitration if the option is declined.

San Diego Padres

Díaz finished last season in San Diego after being released by the Rockies. He re-signed on a $3.5MM deal as the Padres went with the affordable veteran catching tandem of Díaz and Martín Maldonado. He’s hitting .206 in 13 games, though he has taken seven walks against eight strikeouts.

  • Kyle Hart, LHP ($5MM club option, $500K buyout)

Hart, a soft-tossing lefty, returned to the majors after an excellent year in Korea. He signed a $1.5MM guarantee with a ’26 team option that has a $5MM base salary. The option price could climb as high as $7.5MM. It would jump $250K if Hart reaches 18 starts this year, $500K at 22 starts, $750K at 26 starts, and $1MM if he starts 30 games.

San Diego has given Hart a season-opening rotation spot. He has allowed seven runs over his first 11 2/3 innings. Hart has walked five with eight strikeouts and a below-average 8.3% swinging strike percentage.

King’s option is purely an accounting measure. He agreed to push $3.75MM of this year’s $7.75MM guarantee back to the end of the season in the form of a buyout — potentially buying the Padres a bit of flexibility for in-season trade acquisitions. Barring a major injury, he’s going to decline his end of the option and will be one of the top pitchers in next year’s class.

Wade agreed to a $1MM club option as part of a deal to avoid a hearing in his final year of arbitration. He was squeezed off the roster during Spring Training. Wade cleared waivers, accepted an assignment to Triple-A, then came back up last week. He’s playing center field with Jackson Merrill and Brandon Lockridge on the injured list. The option price is barely above the league minimum, but Wade is on the roster bubble and no guarantee to stick in the majors through the end of the season.

San Francisco Giants

San Francisco added Murphy on a two-year deal during the 2023-24 offseason. The veteran catcher has had a difficult time staying healthy throughout his career, and that’s continued in San Francisco. He played in only 13 games last year because of a knee sprain. He started this season on the shelf with a herniated disc that is going to keep him out for at least the first two months. This looks like a buyout.

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