6 Teams Dealing With Option Crunches
Spring training is in full swing, and various non-roster veterans and top prospects jostling for space on major league rosters. MLBTR's Anthony Franco took a look yesterday at some players who are out of minor league options and could find themselves squeezed off their current roster, depending on spring plays out.
There's another angle with which one can view minor league options, of course: the team side of things. Clubs generally try to avoid stacking too many veteran players who either lack minor league options or have the five-plus years of service needed in order to have say over a potential optional assignment to the minors. Having too many players who can't be optioned can set a club back when there's a player or two who needs a couple days off but does not need a full IL stint.
It's also common in today's game for clubs to aggressively shuffle their bullpens over the course of a season, too; a lack of optionable players can create a headache for clubs after a blowout or marathon extra-inning game that taxes the majority of the pitching staff. Being able to summon a fresh arm or two from Triple-A without needing to pass someone else through waivers is crucial to preserving depth and keeping a team's best arms healthy.
Most clubs have plenty of flexibility when it comes to these situations, but that's not universally true. Around 20% of the league has a very limited number of players who can be sent down without needing to clear waivers, and that could lead to some tough decisions for those clubs as Opening Day draws near. Let's take a run through some of the game's least-flexible rosters and see what sort of decisions they'll be facing as the spring winds down.
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Dodgers Sign Keynan Middleton To Minor League Deal
The Dodgers have signed veteran reliever Keynan Middleton to a minor league contract, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. The ACES client will add an experienced bullpen arm to the depth chart for Los Angeles.
Middleton didn’t pitch in the majors in either of the past two seasons and only tossed four minor league frames in 2024. He signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals following a nice 2023 season split between the White Sox and Yankees, but a spring flexor injury eventually required surgery over the summer. That sidelined him for the remainder of 2024 and nearly all of 2025, although Middleton did toss 3 2/3 scoreless innings for the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks late last season.
Injuries have repeatedly derailed an otherwise promising career trajectory for Middleton. He posted a 3.43 ERA with big strikeout numbers in 76 innings across his first two partial MLB seasons with the Angels in 2017-18 before requiring Tommy John surgery in 2019. He’s since dealt with biceps, ankle, foot and shoulder troubles, all leading to 2024’s flexor surgery.
Now 32 years old, Middleton has pitched in parts of seven major league seasons and compiled a 3.84 earned run average through 194 1/3 innings. He’s fanned an above-average 24.2% of his opponents but also issued walks at a 10.3% clip that’s a couple percentage points worse than average. Middleton averaged 97 mph with his fastball early in his big league career but was down to a 95.5 mph average in his most recent healthy season in 2023.
Even with that slightly diminished velocity, Middleton had no problem missing bats. From 2022-23, he posted an outrageous 17.1% swinging-strike rate, induced chases on 32.5% of pitches off the plate and struck out just over 28% of his opponents.
There’s not a lot of room in what’s currently a crowded Dodgers bullpen scene. Edwin Diaz will close games after signing as a free agent in the offseason. Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia are locked in as veteran setup pieces. Los Angeles has a deep collection of optionable young arms on the 40-man roster to help round the group out, including Will Klein, Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, Edgardo Henriquez, Jack Dreyer, Paul Gervase, Bobby Miller and Ronan Kopp.
Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript
Anthony Franco
- Good afternoon everyone, hope all is well!
- Kind of a boring week in terms of baseball news but hey, we're closing in on meaningful games! Let's discuss
donaldmac3@comcast.net
- What is the first thing the Chisox should do to get back to their winning ways, and I know better pitching is essential. I was born in Chicago nearly 80 years ago, and I have followed the Sox my entire life. Baseball is the best game.
Anthony Franco
- Agreed, pitching's the big hangup here. I still think this is a below-average position player group in 2026 but you can see it coming together with Teel, Montgomery, Quero, the upside play on Murakami, potential solid role players in Meidroth/Acuña
- Pitching's still pretty far behind. I like the Newcomb/Kay fliers well enough to raise the floor, buy Shane Smith as a league average starter. It's a low-upside pitching staff for now, though
- Biggest factor long term is whether one of Schultz and Smith dials in the strikes enough to be a top-of-the-rotation arm. They're eventually going to need to add a stable #2/3 type via free agency or trade, but it's not the time yet to push in for that
LFGM
- Last season the MLBTR team was on point about the Mets biggest issue being SP, as that ended up being their downfall, even if the first two months of the year it looked like a miss, what do you guys think this year’s team biggest weakness is?
Anthony Franco
- I think they're pretty well balanced this year, nothing concerns me quite as much as the lack of high-end starting pitching did at this time last season.
If there is some kind of fatal flaw that tanks the season, it'd probably be the bullpen? It's a solid group but the late innings are heavily reliant on rebounds from Williams/Weaver and if those don't happen, they'd be in some trouble
- Right there with the Phillies as the top teams in the NL East for me though. Not sure if others on the MLBTR staff are a little lower on them
Brewers Fan
- Is there a rhyme or reason to when each teams off-season review comes out? To you wait on ones that you think may still make moves? Or is it just random draw?
Anthony Franco
- Mostly random. We do try to start with the teams that we feel are less likely to make a significant move between when we publish it and Opening Day
- We're basically down to Giolito and Littell as the remaining free agents who'd get more than a cursory mention in an OiR anyway, so it's not as big a deal this year. Was more of a consideration during the "Boras Four" year or certainly the lockout one when we had to drag the series well into the regular season
- There's also just a logistical thing where Mark Polishuk takes around six of these every year and Tim Dierkes usually does the Chicago teams. Neither of them are full-time MLBTR employees -- the site is obviously Tim's focus but he's often tied up with behind the scenes stuff with the developers, web features, etc. -- so the teams that they claim are subject to their other scheduling stuff in a way that mine, Darragh's and Steve's are not
Steve
- If Endy Rodriguez keeps up a good pace this spring, do you see the Pirates keeping him on the roster as a DH/Backup C&1B, or is the roster constructed in a way that blocks him completely?
Anthony Franco
- Certainly don't think he's blocked. Bart's out of options but Davis and Rafael Flores can both be sent down, so they could roll with Endy as the backup catcher and keep the latter two in Triple-A
- Given how little Endy has played the last two years, my guess is they roll with Davis/Bart and start Rodríguez in Indy, but it's not like Davis has done enough at the major league level that he needs to be on the active roster
Connor with a K
- Given Bob Nutting's historical aversion to giving up control/arn years of young talented players (e.g. Skenes, Chandler), do you think it's realistic that Konnor Griffin actually makes the Opening Day roster even if he has a monster spring?
Bounty
- What do you think the over/under on Konnor Griffin breaking camp with the big club? I really need him to go to the minors so I can select him with the first overall pick in our taxi portion of the roto auction league I'm in.
-
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Poll: Will JJ Wetherholt Break Camp With The Cardinals?
Rebuilds are never fun, and as the Cardinals plunge into one for the first time in decades there hasn’t been much for fans in St. Louis to get excited about. Trades that shipped out Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Nolan Arenado were as much about clearing money off the books as they were about bringing in meaningful talent. Even the Brendan Donovan trade, which secured a strong haul of picks and prospects, is unlikely to impact the big league club in 2026. One thing fans can get excited about in the short term is top prospect JJ Wetherholt.
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 draft has made good on that lofty slot since entering pro ball. After a solid cup of coffee at Single-A in his draft year, Wetherholt’s performance exploded in 2025 when he slashed .306/.421/.510 across 109 games split between the Double-A and Triple-A level. That would be impressive for virtually any prospect, but it’s especially so for Wetherholt, who is just 22 years old and adds strong infield defense and impressive baserunning to his well-rounded game. That package is enough to make him a consensus top 10 prospect in the sport entering this season.
The Cardinals have made clear that they plan to give their top prospect the opportunity to make the big league roster out of camp. He just ripped his first homer of the spring this morning, taking Devin Williams deep to dead center (video courtesy of Tim Kanak). A spot in the Opening Day lineup should be much easier to come by now that Donovan has been dealt to Seattle, but Wetherholt will still have competition from other players on the roster. Nolan Gorman and Masyn Winn figure to lock down third base and shortstop, leaving second base to a competition between Wetherholt, Thomas Saggese, Jose Fermin, and Ramon Urias.
Since the Cardinals don’t expect to compete in 2026, their priority is seeing what they have with their current group of young players. Urias, 32 in June, is on a one-year deal and is more of a steady bench piece than an impact addition. From St. Louis’ perspective, it makes more sense to have Urias waiting in the wings to take over somewhere on the infield in case of an injury or a younger player struggling to perform. Looking at the other three options, Wetherholt is the highest-upside option and arguably has the highest floor.
Fermin hit quite well for the Cardinals in 30 games last year but has typically struggled on the offense over his three years in the majors. He seems best suited for a utility role. Saggese, 24 in April, hit just .258/.299/.342 in 82 games last year while playing average defense between shortstop, third base, and second base. Perhaps he could take a step forward with regular at bats and some additional big league experience, but his chances at making the roster are complicated by the fact that he was at his worst defensively (-5 OAA) when playing second base.
That would seem to leave Wetherholt with a clear path toward starting at second base for the Cardinals, but there are other considerations to keep in mind. If Wetherholt does not begin the year on the Opening Day roster, the Cardinals could squeeze and extra year of service time out of their up-and-coming superstar. Perhaps that’s enough reason for the Cardinals to go with someone like Saggese at second base for the first few weeks, especially given the fact that Wetherholt has spent just 16.6% of his defensive innings in the minors at second base. It could be argued that getting him additional reps at the keystone could be beneficial. On the other hand, Wetherholt could earn a full year of service time regardless, if he finishes top two in NL Rookie of the Year voting. Breaking camp with him also opens the Cards up to earning future draft picks via MLB’s prospect promotion incentive program.
How do MLBTR readers expect the Cardinals to handle their second base camp battle? Will Wetherholt force his way onto the big league roster? Will they instead give someone like Saggese or Fermin the first look? Or will none of the three youngsters take the job confidently enough to stop St. Louis from defaulting to the veteran presence of Urias? Have your say in the poll below:
Who will start at second base for the Cardinals on Opening Day 2026?
Phillies Sign Connor Gillispie To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have signed right-hander Connor Gillispie to a minor league deal, per multiple sources. Steve Potter of PhilliesBaseballFan.com was first on the deal last week. It’s unclear if Gillispie will be invited to big league camp.
Gillispie, 28, has 34 innings of big league experience between the Guardians and Marlins. He has featured a five-pitch mix including a low-90s four-seamer in addition to a cutter, sweeper, changeup and curveball. Unfortunately, he has allowed 25 earned runs in that time, 7.15 per nine innings. His 20% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 36.2% ground ball rate have all been under league average.
Miami designated him for assignment in June. He was claimed by the Twins but kept on optional assignment. He was passed through waivers and outrighted in August, then became a free agent at season’s end.
Gillispie also struggled in the minors last year, posting a 7.23 ERA over ten starts and two relief appearances. He has had better results on the farm in the past. In 2024, he logged 113 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.05 ERA. His 10.1% walk rate was a bit high but he was able to punch out one quarter of the batters he faced.
The Phils start the season somewhat shaky in the rotation. Zack Wheeler is trying to work his way back from last year’s thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. If he starts the season on the injured list, the Phils will open the campaign with Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker in four spots. Nola is coming off the worst season of his career. Walker’s performance has been up-and-down in recent years, prompting occasional moves to the bullpen. Prospect Andrew Painter could take the final rotation spot but he had a 5.40 ERA in Triple-A last year.
Beyond that projected front five, there’s not a ton of depth. Alan Rangel is on the roster but has just five big league games under his belt. Jean Cabrera and Yoniel Curet also have roster spots but haven’t cracked the big leagues yet. Bryce Wilson and Tucker Davidson are in camp as non-roster guys. Wilson had a 6.65 ERA in the bigs last year. Davidson’s last season with more than one MLB appearance was 2023.
Gillispie gives the Phils another arm for some more non-roster rotation depth. If he eventually gets selected to the roster, he still has an option remaining, so he could be shuttled to Triple-A and back.
Photo courtesy of Rhona Wise, Imagn Images
Seidler Family Weighing Five Offers For Padres
February 27th: Lin provided an update today, clarifying that Kudla and Brees did not submit a formal bid but are considering partnering with one of the other bidding groups.
February 26th: The Seidler family’s efforts to sell the Padres appear to have accelerated in recent weeks. Sheel Seidler, widow of former Padres owner Peter Seidler, dropped or settled most of her litigation against Peter Seidler’s brothers earlier this month. That cleared the way for the family to ramp up a sales process that began in November.
Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that five prospective buyers have submitted bids. Previous reporting had identified Joe Lacob, José E. Feliciano and Dan Friedkin as suitors.
Lacob, the owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, had previously shown interest in buying the Angels and Athletics. Feliciano is a Santa Monica-based private equity mogul whose firm is a lead owner of the English Premier League team, Chelsea F.C. Friedkin was born in San Diego but is now based out of Texas. He has various business interests and also owns a Premier League club, the Liverpool-based Everton F.C.
Most American sports fans will be more familiar with another potential buyer. Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this afternoon that Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees has partnered with Vuori CEO Joe Kudla to make a run at buying the franchise. Vuori is a San Diego-based clothing company that specializes in athleisure. Brees played the first five seasons of his career with the Chargers.
Assuming Lacob, Feliciano, Friedkin and the Kudla/Brees groups have made offers, that’d be 80% of what seems to be the remaining field. The identity of the final bidder isn’t known.
Earlier this month, Sportico estimated the franchise value around $2.31 billion. It seems the Seidler family is aiming a fair bit higher. Acee writes that people within the industry anticipate the sale price will land north of $2.5 billion. Rosenthal and Lin report that the Seidlers are seeking a purchase price closer to $3 billion than to the estimation from Sportico.
Anything north of $2.5 billion would be a record for an MLB franchise. Steve Cohen’s 2020 purchase of the Mets from the Wilpon family was for roughly $2.475 billion. That remains the high-water mark. More recent sales of the Orioles and Rays have landed in the $1.7 billion range. Peter Seidler’s group purchased the Padres for $800MM in 2012. The reports from the Union-Tribune and The Athletic — each of which are worth a full read for San Diego fans — suggest an agreement could be reached around Opening Day.
Royals’ Stephen Kolek Diagnosed With Oblique Strain
Royals righty Stephen Kolek has been diagnosed with a “Grade 1+” strain of his oblique, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Kolek’s original diagnosis of a strain came yesterday, but the Royals sent him for additional testing — the results of which they’ve now received. He’ll be shut down entirely for about a week before being reevaluated.
Even milder oblique strains can cost players upwards of a month. That the Royals are deeming this a Grade 1 “plus” suggests it’s on the more severe side for a Grade 1 strain. A firm timetable won’t be known until he’s reevaluated after his shutdown, but with Opening Day one month out and Kolek in no-throw mode for the next week, it seems fair to suggest this calls his availability for the season opener into question.
Kolek had an uphill battle to claiming a spot in a rotation currently occupied by Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron and Kris Bubic, but he’s at or near the top of the list for sixth starter options in Kansas City. The 28-year-old righty, who came to the Royals alongside Ryan Bergert in the July trade sending catcher Freddy Fermin to San Diego, started 19 games between the Friars and Royals in 2025 and posted a combined 3.51 ERA. His 16.7% strikeout rate was well south of the 22.2% league average, but his 6.7% walk rate was strong (compared to the 8.4% average) and Kolek kept more than 51% of batted balls against him on the ground.
Since Kolek has minor league options remaining, he might be bound for Triple-A even if he’s able to return to the mound and sufficiently ramp up in time for Opening Day. A lengthier absence would compromise Kansas City’s depth, although they’ve improved on that front over the past year.
Cameron’s breakout showing as a rookie gave the Royals another viable big league rotation arm alongside their slate of veterans. He faded after a historically excellent start but still finished the season with a 2.99 ERA, 20.5% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 41.4% ground-ball rate. Bringing in Kolek, Bergert and swingman Bailey Falter at last summer’s deadline and righty Mitch Spence in a swap with the A’s earlier this month gives Kansas City several more arms to join the mix — all of whom (except Falter) have minor league options remaining.
Offseason In Review: Detroit Tigers
For a long time, it seemed like it would be another conservative offseason for the Tigers, but the boldest strike of the Scott Harris era finally came. The Tigers now look like the strongest team in MLB’s weakest division, in what could be their final season with Tarik Skubal.
Major League Free Agent Signings
- LHP Framber Valdez: Three years, $115MM (includes opt-out after 2027, $40MM mutual option for 2029 with $5MM buyout, $20MM signing bonus deferred until 2030)
- 2B Gleyber Torres: One year, $22.025MM (accepted qualifying offer)
- RHP Kyle Finnegan: Two years, $19MM (includes $2.25MM buyout on $10MM mutual option for 2028)
- RHP Justin Verlander: One year, $13MM ($11MM deferred until 2030)
- RHP Kenley Jansen: One year, $11MM (includes $2MM buyout on $12MM club option for 2027)
- RHP Drew Anderson: One year, $7MM (includes $10MM club option for 2027)
2026 spending (not including deferred money owed to Valdez and Verlander): $68.275MM
Total spending: $187.025MM
Trades and Waiver Claims
- Claimed RHP Jack Little off waivers from the Pirates (later non-tendered and re-signed to minor league deal)
- Claimed RHP Dugan Darnell off waivers from the Pirates (later non-tendered and re-signed to minor league deal)
- Traded RHP Chase Lee to Blue Jays for LHP Johan Simon
- Traded OF Justyn-Henry Malloy to Rays for cash considerations
Option Decisions
- RHP Jack Flaherty exercised $20MM player option
- Team declined $4MM club option on RHP José Urquidy, no buyout
- Team declined $6MM club option on RHP Randy Dobnak in favor of $1MM buyout
- Team declined $10MM mutual option on RHP Paul Sewald in favor of $1MM buyout
Notable Minor League Signings
- Tomás Nido, Jack Little, Tanner Rainey, Sean Guenther, Enmanuel De Jesus, Cole Waites, Tyler Mattison, Scott Effross, Dugan Darnell, Burch Smith, Bryan Sammons, Phil Bickford, Corey Julks, Konnor Pilkington, Austin Slater, Colin Poche
Extensions
- None yet
Notable Losses
- Chris Paddack, Rafael Montero, Paul Sewald, José Urquidy, Tommy Kahnle (unsigned), Alex Cobb (unsigned), Alex Lange (released), Andy Ibáñez (non-tendered), RJ Petit (Rule 5 draft), Chase Lee, Justyn-Henry Malloy
The Tigers hired Scott Harris as president of baseball operations in September of 2022. The team was in a rut at that point, having not made the playoffs since 2014. They finally pulled out of rebuilding mode by making the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.
Despite the return to contention, the front office’s approach has generally come across as risk-averse. Last winter, they signed a number of free agents but mostly on the modest side. They were all one-year deals except for their two-year deal with Jack Flaherty. Even that pact was seemingly designed to be a one-year arrangement, with Flaherty having an opt-out halfway through.
The Tigers were quite good for most of the 2025 season, but their deadline was a bit underwhelming. Acquiring Chris Paddack, Charlie Morton, Rafael Montero, Kyle Finnegan and Paul Sewald wasn’t an exciting haul. The Finnegan pickup worked quite well, but Morton was eventually released and Paddack moved to the bullpen. The Tigers remarkably lost their hold on the division lead when they went 7-17 in September and finished second to the Guardians. They limped into the postseason, won the Wild Card series (against Cleveland) but were eliminated in the ALDS.
Going into this winter, it was fair to wonder whether the urgency would get cranked up. With Tarik Skubal entering his final year of club control before reaching free agency, the 2026 season seemed like a good time to put some chips on the table.
The uncertainty there also led to plenty of trade speculation around Skubal, which was understandable from fans of other clubs. Since he’s so talented and with no signs of an extension being viable, it was a logical dream. But from Detroit’s point of view, they went into the winter with a strong team in the most wide-open division in the league. Keeping Skubal and going for a title always seemed the far likelier play.
Some of the offseason moves came fairly quickly. In mid-October, just a few days after being eliminated from the playoffs, it was announced that manager A.J. Hinch had been extended. The deal actually took place during the season but the announcement was held until after.
Not long after that, a few of the chess pieces moved into place. Or rather, they stayed in place. In early November, Flaherty surprisingly decided to trigger his $20MM player option instead of heading to the open market. He wasn’t coming off a great season but still would have had a shot at beating that price point as a somewhat reliable mid-rotation starter. It also would have been possible that the Tigers made him a $22.025MM qualifying offer, giving him a chance to feel out the market. If he didn’t find much to inspire confidence, he could have then decided to return to Detroit with a slight bump over his existing contract. But perhaps due to his extended stay in free agency last time, Flaherty decided to skip the whole thing and just stay in Detroit for another year.
A few days later, the Tigers made a somewhat surprising call of their own, issuing a QO to second baseman Gleyber Torres. They had signed him going into 2025, a one-year deal worth $15MM. He had a strong first half but then slumped in the second as he played through a hernia that ultimately required surgery after the season was done. It didn’t seem like he had done much to increase his earning power in the one year from when he signed for $15MM, but the Tigers were apparently comfortable giving him a raise of almost 50%. Torres was comfortable with that raise as well, as he accepted the QO.
From there, the Tigers shifted their focus to pitching. They were connected to many of this winter’s free agents, including Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, Pete Fairbanks, Michael King, Ranger Suárez and many others.
In the first few weeks of December, they added a few arms to the staff. Drew Anderson signed a one-year deal worth $7MM. He’s not a household name in North America, as he’s been pitching in Asia for the past four years, starting with two in Japan and then two in South Korea. His results in the KBO in 2025 were excellent. Anderson posted a 2.25 earned run average with a 35.3% strikeout rate, 7.3% walk rate and 45.9% ground ball rate.
It’s not a guarantee that he will translate that to the majors, but it’s not a huge gamble for the Tigers, relatively speaking. Cody Ponce was only slightly better than Anderson in the KBO last year but he had enough juice to get a three-year, $30MM deal from the Blue Jays. Anderson was exclusively a starter in 2025 and looked to have a path to a rotation job with Detroit at the time of the signing. But he also has some relief experience and his ultimate role would depend on what other moves the Tigers made by the end of the winter.
Then came a couple of bullpen additions. In mid-December, the Tigers added Kenley Jansen on a one-year deal worth $11MM and brought back Finnegan on a two-year deal worth $19MM. As mentioned, Finnegan was the club’s best deadline pickup. The Tigers altered his pitch mix, having him throw way more splitters at the expense of his fastball. The result was a massive increase in strikeout rate — from 19.6% with the Nationals to 34.8% with the Tigers. Given that quick jump, it made sense to keep the relationship going.
Jansen is 38 years old and isn’t as dominant as he once was, but he has remained a reliably impactful arm. He has pitched at least 44 innings in each full season dating back to 2011. He didn’t finish any of those with an ERA higher than 3.71. Despite a career-low strikeout rate, Jansen posted a 2.59 ERA in 2025.
On the position player side, the Tigers sniffed around but didn’t bite into anything. They had made a strong push to sign Alex Bregman last winter but weren’t nearly as involved this time around. They were connected to players like Ketel Marte and Ha-Seong Kim without a lot of smoke.
In the end, they’re essentially going into 2026 with the same position player group as they had in 2025. That could be a little worrying for fans, considering that the team stumbled through the second half last year. It seems the club is hoping the big offensive boost comes from within. That could come from better health from incumbent players, including Torres, but also the arrival of some touted prospects.
Kevin McGonigle is a consensus top five prospect in the sport, with many evaluators placing him second behind Konnor Griffin of the Pirates. McGonigle spent the second half of 2025 in Double-A and crushed. He hit 12 home runs in 206 plate appearances and slashed .254/.369/.550 for a 162 wRC+ despite an unlucky .230 batting average on balls in play.
Evaluators aren’t convinced he will stick at shortstop in the long run, but that’s a spot the Tigers have open for now. Zach McKinstry and Javier Báez could be bumped into utility roles. The most likely path forward is that McGonigle starts 2026 in Triple-A, but he could quickly hit his way to the majors. Even if the Tigers aren’t prepared to break camp with him, McGonigle has a good shot to force his way into the majors before too long.
There are some other prospect who could also come up and make an impact, including Max Clark in the outfield, with Thayron Liranzo and Josue Briceño behind the plate. Like McGonigle, those three finished 2025 at Double-A, putting them somewhat close to the big leagues. Infielder Max Anderson isn’t ranked quite as highly as the other prospects covered here, but he hit .296/.350/.478 between Double-A and Triple-A as a 23-year-old. He’ll be in the mix as infield needs arise.
January brought a surprising plot twist to the Detroit offseason. The arbitration filing deadline came and went with the Tigers reaching deals with all their eligible players except for one. That’s a fairly normal occurrence — but the one holdout happened to be Skubal and the gap in the filing numbers was a shockingly high number of $13MM.
Many accused the Tigers of low-balling their star player, but their $19MM filing figure was backed by precedent. No pitcher had ever topped $20MM in arbitration before. Skubal’s camp was arguing that he deserved to buck precedent due to his tremendous accomplishments and because arbitration pitcher salaries had stagnated and fallen way behind hitters. David Price earned $19.75MM in 2015 and no one had pushed that number up in the decade since.
That big gap hung in the air for about a month, with Skubal’s hearing result not expected until February. The day after those filing figures were submitted, there was another development on the financial side. Nine teams, including the Tigers, terminated contracts with the floundering Main Street Sports, the company which owns the FanDuel Sports Network channels. That left the Tigers with uncertainty regarding their broadcast situation and its associated revenue. (It would later be reported by the Associated Press in February that MLB will handle the broadcasts.)
The Tigers were fairly quiet on the transaction front throughout January, which led to some real concern that the offseason would be yet another instance of the club avoiding bold moves. At that time, they had the same lineup as 2025. On the pitching staff, the changes were minimal. The rotation looked like it needed a nice upside play, but rumors in late January connected Detroit to swing types like Nick Martinez and Jose Quintana. With Skubal potentially costing the Tigers $13MM more than expected and the broadcast revenue up in the air, would the Tigers sit on their hands?
Before the Skubal hearing result came in, a resounding answer was sent rippling through the baseball world. It was reported on February 4th that the Tigers and left-hander Framber Valdez had a agreed to a three-year deal worth $115MM. That guarantee and the $38.3MM average annual value made it easily the most significant deal of the Harris era.
It did still have some Harris-ian qualities. This front office clearly likes to avoid long commitments, as mentioned earlier. Three years is the longest free agent deal given out by Harris, but there is an opt-out for Valdez after year two. Even in making their most significant free agent addition, the Tigers are still trying to avoid long-term handcuffs.
Still, it’s a big upgrade for 2026, arguably the best they could have hoped for. Valdez was considered by many the top free agent pitcher available this winter. Dylan Cease was projected to earn more money and did so, but that was mostly due to age difference. The 32-year-old Valdez is two years older than Cease but arguably as desirable from a pure skill standpoint. Valdez has a 3.36 ERA in his career. His strikeout and walk rates are usually around league average, while his ground ball rate is often one of the best in the league. Even if he’s only in Detroit for two years, Valdez increases the club’s chances of capitalizing on what could be Skubal’s final year in Detroit. And if Skubal does depart, Valdez can take over as the de facto ace for a year while the club moves into its post-Skubal era.
A few days later, an arbitration panel ruled in favor of Skubal, awarding him the $32MM salary for which he’d filed rather than the team’s $19MM figure. That’s potentially a seismic result for the players. Its impact on salaries might be felt for years to come. For the 2026 Tigers, it meant an extra $13MM on the books.
That didn’t stop the Tigers from adding, however. A few days later, they reunited with old friend Justin Verlander. His addition to the rotation also came with a subtraction, as it was announced that Reese Olson would miss the season due to shoulder surgery.
Perhaps the Skubal decision led the Tigers to lean on deferrals a bit more. The Valdez deal, which was announced before the Skubal decision but didn’t become official until after, features a $20MM signing bonus which is deferred and paid out from 2030 to 2039. Verlander will only get $2MM this year, with the other $11MM paid out in that same 2030-39 span. Would the Tigers have deferred less if they had beaten Skubal in the hearing?
That’s speculative and a fairly moot point. The larger takeaway here is that the Tigers have stepped on the gas pedal. They had run payrolls near $200MM in the past under previous owner Mike Ilitch. Since Mike passed in 2017, his son Chris has been in charge without the same level of spending. The club was rebuilding for his first few years, but their recent return to contender status didn’t vault them back up to that payroll level, until now. For 2026, RosterResource projects them for a $217MM payroll, with a $242MM competitive balance tax number that puts them right against payor status. Both numbers project to be franchise records.
On the position player side, the Tigers are relying on their guys either improving, getting healthier or bubbling up from the minors — at least for now. If they have holes come July, they can patch them at the deadline. The pitching staff has clearly been upgraded. They can go into the season with a front five of Skubal, Valdez, Flaherty, Verlander and Casey Mize, with Drew Anderson in the mix as well. Jackson Jobe could return late in the year, as he is currently recovering from June Tommy John surgery. Troy Melton could also take a step forward, though he’s been slowed by elbow inflammation in camp and may not be ready for Opening Day.
Time will tell if this is Skubal’s final year in Detroit. It would have been criminal if the Tigers didn’t at least act like it was a possibility. Thankfully, they have been more aggressive than usual this winter as they try to take advantage of having the best pitcher alive, before it’s too late.
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Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images
Twins Notes: Lewis, Rotation, Bradley
The Twins have been hit hard by the injury bug already this spring but dodged their latest bullet, it seems. The team announced that third baseman Royce Lewis‘ recent MRI came back clean. Via Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune, Lewis will be off today after experiencing some tightness in his right side while running the bases yesterday but is expected to return to normal workouts this weekend.
Lewis, 27 in June, looked to be on the cusp of stardom back in 2023. The former No. 1 overall pick returned from a torn ACL to hit .309/.372/.548 with 15 homers in only 239 plate appearances. The Twins won the AL Central that year, due in no small part to that production from the longtime top prospect, and Lewis erupted with four home runs in only 26 plate appearances that postseason, helping the Twins past the Blue Jays in the Wild Card round before falling to the Astros in four games during the ALDS.
Injuries have continued to set Lewis back, however. In addition to a pair of ACL tears in the same right knee, he’s had major league IL stints for an oblique strain, a quad strain (twice), an adductor strain and a hamstring strain (twice). Since showing that glimpse of his true upside in ’23, he’s taken 728 turns at the plate in two seasons and posted a pedestrian .235/.288/.416 batting line while oscillating between the active roster and the injured list due primarily to that slew of lower body injuries.
Getting Lewis back to 2023 form — or at least something within arm’s reach of it — will be pivotal for the Twins in 2026. Ownership and the front office continue to broadcast a desire to compete this season, but the Twins tore down the bullpen at last summer’s deadline, lost Pablo López to UCL surgery already this spring, and made only marginal additions to the roster over the winter.
Of course, it’s still possible that further additions could be on the horizon. There’s a handful of interesting bullpen arms still on the market (e.g. Danny Coulombe, Michael Kopech, Justin Wilson) in addition to two of the more prominent starters in free agency this winter: Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell. With López lost for the season and young righty David Festa shut down due to shoulder troubles, one would imagine the Twins present a good landing spot for a yet-unsigned starter, whether it be Giolito, Littell, Tyler Anderson or Patrick Corbin — if only to give the club some bulk innings amid the mounting injury concerns.
“Hopefully we’ll stay healthy the rest of the way but we’ll evaluate all the options out there from an external perspective and the rest of our internal options,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said yesterday (link via Matthew Leach of MLB.com). “…We want to figure out how we can do everything we can to supplement that [internal] group that we still like a lot. We see a lot of upside and we’ll use spring to see what’s going on everywhere. Usually you see a lull in action for a bit as teams settle in, want to make sure they’re staying healthy. We’ll keep evaluating.”
The Twins have Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and out-of-options righty Simeon Woods Richardson more or less locked into the first three rotation spots. Righties Taj Bradley, Zebby Matthews and Mick Abel are competing for the final two spots on the staff, and the upper tiers of their farm system include prospects such as Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas and Andrew Morris. Prielipp is generally regarded among the game’s top 100 prospects but has been hobbled by injuries throughout his professional career thus far.
With a clear opportunity to seize a rotation spot in front of him, Bradley has made the decision to withdraw from the upcoming World Baseball Classic, per Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The 24-year-old righty informed manager Derek Shelton of the decision this past weekend. He’d been slated to pitch for Team Mexico.
“He stated new manager, new staff to some extent, new catcher in terms of (Victor) Caratini, and he just felt like the best use of his workload during spring training was going to be in our camp,” Shelton explained.
Though he’s younger than Woods Richardson, Matthews and Festa, Bradley has the most major league experience of the bunch. He’s accrued 2.097 years of service time with the Rays and Twins, totaling 385 1/3 innings as a big leaguer. The former fifth-round pick quickly broke out as one of the sport’s most promising pitching prospects, climbing as high as the game’s No. 20 overall prospect at MLB.com (36th at FanGraphs, 44th at Baseball America) heading into the 2023 season.
Bradley has shown potential at times but has yet to put it all together in the majors. He has a career 4.86 ERA due primarily to his susceptibility to home runs (1.49 HR/9). His 25% strikeout rate, 8.6% walk rate and 41.1% ground-ball rate all make for a solid profile; metrics like SIERA (4.00) and FIP (4.38) feel he’s already been better than his ERA would indicate, and there’s further breakout potential with the hard-throwing righty. Bradley averages better than 96 mph on his heater and has generated plenty of whiffs with both his splitter and cutter. He’s under club control with Minnesota through the 2029 season.
The Opener: Lewis, Hoglund, Team Debuts
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on headed into the weekend:
1. Lewis sidelined:
Twins third baseman Royce Lewis has been through the wringer over the years when it comes to injuries, and he’s now dealing with another scare. As noted by Dan Hayes of The Athletic, Lewis was scratched from yesterday’s lineup due to side tightness he suffered while running the bases prior to the game. Hayes added that the Twins view Lewis’s removal from the lineup as purely precautionary, but for a player who participated in a career-high number of games last year at just 106, any sign of returning injury woes is concerning. Lewis will be looking not only for better health in 2026, but also more effectiveness at the plate. He hit a paltry .237/.283/.388 in 403 trips to the plate for Minnesota last year. Ryan Kreidler, Kody Clemens, Tristan Gray and Eric Wagaman are all on the 40-man roster and have experience at third base, and the Twins also have veteran Gio Urshela back in camp on a minor league deal.
2. Hoglund to meet with doctors:
A’s right-hander Gunnar Hoglund is headed for testing due to a knee issue that’s been bothering him throughout camp, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. The former first-round pick, acquired in the Matt Chapman trade with Toronto, made his MLB debut last year. His six-start cup of coffee didn’t go especially well, but the 26-year-old entered camp hopeful of earning another look in the rotation or at least in the bullpen. Injuries have been a persistent issue for Hoglund, who missed the second half last season due to hip surgery and underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 just prior to being drafted. More details about should be available in the coming days, but if he’s unable to pitch the A’s have a deep group of young arms to work with in the rotation that includes Jack Perkins, Braden Nett, Henry Baez, Joey Estes, and Luis Morales.
3. Offseason additions making team debuts:
As the first weeks of Spring Training continue, impact players around the league are making their first game appearances for their new ball clubs. Three such players are set to start for their clubs today: Orioles right-hander Shane Baz, who will face off against Mitch Keller of the Pirates at 1:05pm local time in Florida; Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta, who will pitch opposite Cardinals southpaw Quinn Mathews at that same time; and Cubs righty Edward Cabrera, who is scheduled to pitch opposite Guardians southpaw Logan Allen at 1:05pm local time in Arizona later in the day. All three hurlers will slot in towards the front of their new rotations.