Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for throughout the day:
1. Giants 40-man move incoming:
Yesterday, the Giants officially announced their signing of right-hander Tyler Mahle. One more piece of the puzzle has to be put into place before Mahle’s deal can become official, however: creating a 40-man roster spot for the righty. San Francisco’s roster is currently at capacity, which means one player will need to be removed in order to make room for Mahle. The Giants have not yet announced that transaction. That typically takes the form of a DFA or release, but it’s at least plausible that the team could be working out a trade that creates 40-man roster space, as the Dodgers did just before the new year by shipping Esteury Ruiz to the Marlins. Whatever the corresponding move for Mahle might be, it figures to be announced in the very near future.
2. DFA resolutions on the horizon:
Yesterday saw a pair of players who had been stranded in DFA limbo over the holidays find a new team, as both Joey Wiemer (Nationals) and Jhonkensy Noel (Orioles) were claimed off waivers by new clubs. There are still several unresolved DFAs from over the holidays, however, and each of them figures to reach a conclusion in the coming days. MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald took a look at the players in DFA limbo just before the new year, with former notable prospects like Marco Luciano, Justyn-Henry Malloy, and Ken Waldichuk among the more interesting names who are waiting to find out where they’ll be playing going forward.
3. MLBTR chat today:
With the start of the 2026, we’re now just over a month away from spring training. The offseason is more than half over at this point both in terms of the calendar and impact free agents on the board, with 30 of MLBTR’s Top 50 free agents having signed already. Still, plenty of questions about this offseason remain. Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, and Framber Valdez are among the number of top-flight free agents still available, while the trade market holds intriguing talents like Edward Cabrera, Freddy Peralta, and Brendan Donovan who could all still be moved. If you’re wondering what’s in store for your favorite team in the new year or simply looking for the latest hot stove buzz, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered with a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT today. Readers can use this link to ask a question in advance, follow along when the chat begins, and read the transcript after the chat concludes.
I’m thinking about buying the Dodgers.
I wonder if they have a rent to own payment plan.
I could put up my trailer, and it ain’t got any wheels.
I hear they like deferrals…
A’s should take a flyer on Marco Luciano
Moving them back to Brooklyn?
You can take out a 50 Year mortgage on that now. Your grandkids will be rich and can pay it off.
There are a number of good but not great FAs with recent durability/uneven performance concerns (especially position players). If agents think someone is going to pay great level l-t guarantees just b/c, this is going to drag a long time…..which will also drag trade market. There is no really young Harper/Machado or dominant Soto (plus Vlad signing) that has the big boys desperate to drive up the market.
Bring Waldo home, Cash.
Maybe he can’t find him.
Let’s go! Chat!
Am I the only one who thinks that Tucker has a kind of flat-footed swing that in fact is NOT consistently conducive to hard contact? That he has good plate coverage, but the kind that results in a lot of routine flies to center, so it’s not really that good?
If no one else sees this, I am willing to stand corrected
It’s by design. When at the plate, he’s not trying to hit the ball as hard as he can which allows him that exceptional plate coverage and an elite walk rate. Tucker is also really good at pulling in his hands quickly adjusting to hit inside pitches.
He *can* hit for more homeruns and sacrifice his BA and OBP but that’s not his game right now.
AI says you are wrong:
“Kyle Tucker’s exit velocity varies, but he consistently hits the ball hard, with recent clips showing home runs around 102-108 mph, while his overall average often hovers in the mid-90s, demonstrating strong power with a high percentage of hard-hit balls (95+ mph) and barrels”
And we all know AI is never wrong…
Tucker is often referred to be an elite player. That usually correlates to elite exit velo and hard hit rates which he doesn’t produce. They’re both above average. So while AI is correct about Tucker, it doesn’t into the context that I was responding to @Alan53. And neither did you.
Tucker is going to get a three year contract with opt-outs. He’s not getting what he wants; he needs to produce a better platform year.
Didn’t Bellinger have an opt-out but chose to stay with the Cubs?
I thought I was replying to your comment about only Zaidi would hand out such a dumb contract.
@BleacherCreature and Ducey: OK, but we didn’t see it with the Cubs last season. Except for a few games, he was strangely un-impactful in the lineup. He came across as being all form and little content. He walked a lot when he should have been driving in runs. Casual fans might be surprised to know that he finished sixth in home runs and sixth in RBI’s on the team–behind some players who such fans probably couldn’t name.
He might have been playing hurt part of the year. But leg and hand injuries tend to recur. I think any team who is considering signing him should be wary–and definitely should not expect him to be “the guy” in their lineup.
If your star’s best trait is “an elite walk rate,” he’s not a star.
I have not seen him play. But he has an OPS+ of 129, 142, 179 and 143 the last 4 years. He had a 1/1 K/BB ratio (which the Jays covert). He hits the ball hard.
The internet says he was hitting well and then suffered a hairline fracture in his top hand on a slide in June and calf injury in September. Apparently those are seen as reason for a 2nd half dip in his numbers.
Who knows? But I’d be pretty excited if he signed with the Jays.
He led the freaking American League in RBI in 2023, yet you’re here complaining about his lack of RBI in a season where he was playing hurt sometimes and missed 25 games. And he still had 73. Not to mention that RBI is a stat subject to a lot of luck as the hitter needs a lot of runners on base ahead of him or he can’t get as many.
That was 2023. Now is now.
And he had plenty of opportunities to drive in runs with some guys with high OBP batting ahead of him. He just didn’t do it.