Padres Designate Nick Castellanos For Assignment
The Padres announced that first baseman/outfielder Nick Castellanos has been designated for assignment. Infielder/outfielder Samad Taylor has been selected to take his place on the active and 40-man rosters.
Castellanos, 34, spent many years as a middle-of-the-order threat. Ahead of the 2022 season, the Phillies signed him to a five-year deal worth $100MM. Before that deal had run its course, Castellanos wore out his welcome in Philly. In the 2025 season, he slashed .250/.294/.400 for a wRC+ of 90. Since he’s a poor outfield defender, he was considered to be below replacement level for the year. He also clashed with then-manager Rob Thomson, which didn’t seem to help matters.
He was still signed through 2026, with a $20MM salary. It was well known throughout the winter that the Phils were looking to move on. In the end, they weren’t able to line up a trade, so Castellanos was released just as camps were opening in February. That left the Phils on the hook for the money. Any other club could sign Castellanos and would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Phillies paid.
The Padres quickly volunteered, signing Castellanos within a few days of his release. It was a low-risk move from a financial perspective but it hasn’t worked out. Castellanos has a .191/.221/.339 line through 122 plate appearances this year. His .228 batting average on balls in play isn’t doing him any favors but his 4.1% walk rate and 27.9% strikeout rate are both a few ticks worse than average, in addition to being worse than his own career numbers. He has good career numbers with the platoon advantage but isn’t hitting pitchers of either handedness this year, with a .182/.206/.303 line against southpaws.
San Diego rolled with Castellanos long enough for him to return to Philadelphia in a new uniform. The Padres kicked off a series at Citizens Bank Park last night, though Castellanos wasn’t put into the game. They have now decided it’s time to move on. He will likely be released again in the coming days.
Time will tell if any other club is willing to give Castellanos a shot. As mentioned, he is having a poor season and was struggling last year as well, though he has been a force at the plate at times. As recently as 2024, he was able to hit 23 home runs and slash .254/.311/.431 for a 104 wRC+. That included a .269/.324/.506 line and 124 wRC+ against lefties. If any club thinks he can get back to that level, he will be cheap.
More to come.
Rule 5 Update: June Edition
MLBTR checks in with periodic updates on last offseason’s Rule 5 class throughout the year. There have been a few changes since our most recent check-in during the first week of the regular season. Four players who were on their selecting team’s roster at the time have since lost their spots.
Rule 5 draftees must remain on a team’s major league roster or injured list for the entire following season. If they spend less than 90 days on the active roster, the stipulations carry into the following year. A team that carries a Rule 5 pick for the entire year — plus the 90-day active roster requirement — gets the player’s full contractual rights.
If the drafting team wants to remove the player from the MLB roster, they need to trade or waive them, giving all other clubs an opportunity to take on the Rule 5 requirement. Most DFA’d Rule 5 picks will clear waivers and then need to be offered back to their original organization for $50K — half of what the drafting team paid the previous club to make the selection in December. The original organization gets the player back without requiring a 40-man roster spot. They almost always take the player back, though it’s not universal (as we’ll see with one member of this year’s Rule 5 group).
There were 13 players selected in last year’s draft. Only three remain on the active roster, but two of them have had significant impacts. A right-hander who entered the season with almost zero minor league experience is now a de facto starter for the defending American League champions. Another draftee’s hot start to his MLB career factored into a team’s willingness to trade their two-time Gold Glove catcher.
Two more players remain with their drafting team on the injured list. The other eight were pushed off the roster, but one worked his way back to the Majors via a circuitous journey this week.
On Drafting Team’s Active Roster
- Spencer Miles, Blue Jays RHP (selected from Giants)
Miles was probably the most surprising pick in this year’s class. A fourth-rounder by the Giants out of Missouri in 2022, he has thrown 14 2/3 career minor league innings. Miles had a back injury shortly after the draft, then underwent Tommy John surgery. He returned last year in the Arizona Fall League but had two career appearances above rookie ball, both in Low-A.
The Giants left him unprotected, reasoning that no team would roll the dice on a player with such scant experience. It might’ve made sense for a rebuilding team to take a flier on a pitcher with a 96 mph sinker and a plus curveball, hoping to stash him in low-leverage relief. However, Miles was selected by an all-in Jays team coming off an AL pennant. What were the odds they’d actually be willing to keep him on the roster?
High enough, it turns out. The Jays carried Miles as their final reliever out of camp. He rewarded their faith in low-leverage spots while building up to 2-3 inning stints. Toronto’s rotation became progressively more decimated by injury. By May, they’d reached a point where Miles was essentially in the rotation. He might pitch behind an opener and would only work around four innings, but he was pitching every fifth day and logging the biggest workload of any Toronto pitcher on that day.
The 6’3″ righty has pitched quite well. Miles carries a 3.47 ERA with league average strikeout and walk rates and a near-56% grounder percentage over 36 1/3 innings. The Orioles knocked him around in his most recent appearance, but he’d reeled off 15 1/3 frames of one-run ball in his preceding four outings.
It’ll be interesting to see how John Schneider manages Miles’ workload throughout the season. They’re probably not going to have him throw 100+ innings. Dylan Cease, Shane Bieber, José Berríos, Max Scherzer and Cody Ponce are all on the IL. Berríos and Ponce are done for the year, while Bieber still seems around a month off.
- Daniel Susac, Giants C (selected from A’s via trade with Minnesota)
Susac was the A’s first-round pick in 2022 out of the University of Arizona. He hit 18 homers in Triple-A last season, batting .275/.349/.483 over 407 plate appearances. That’s actually middling production in an extremely offense-friendly Pacific Coast League environment. Susac struck out at a 27% clip while chasing a lot of pitches off the plate.
The A’s have Shea Langeliers entrenched behind the dish. They opened the season with journeyman Austin Wynns in the backup role, leaving Susac off the 40-man roster. The Giants jumped the Rule 5 draft order by sending rookie ball catcher Miguel Caraballo and cash to the Twins, who held the fourth pick.
Susac broke camp as the backup catcher behind Patrick Bailey. He played sporadically in April but seemed to collect two or three hits every time he was in the lineup. Bailey was hitting terribly as part of an overall punchless San Francisco offense. Susac went on the injured list with ulnar neuritis on April 20. By the time he returned in the middle of May, the Giants had traded Bailey to the Guardians for the #29 pick in this year’s draft and depth arm Matt Wilkinson.
The Giants didn’t make the trade based entirely on two weeks of strong performance from Susac, but he was no doubt part of the consideration. They briefly carried another rookie catcher, Jesús Rodríguez, and are now operating with a Susac-Eric Haase combination.
Susac is hitting .323 in his first 70 plate appearances. He has thrown out seven of 16 stolen base attempts. There’s a decent chance that MLB pitchers will be able to exploit his aggressiveness over a larger sample, and it’s much too soon to declare Susac the Giants’ catcher of the future. He has a knack for hitting line drives, though, and his stock is certainly higher than it was coming into the year.
- Ryan Watson, Red Sox RHP (selected from Giants via trade with A’s)
The 28-year-old Watson has had a winding career arc. A former undrafted free agent, he came up through the Orioles’ system and spent the past couple seasons with the Giants. Watson posted strong strikeout and walk numbers in Triple-A last year to catch the attention of the Red Sox. They swung a deal with the A’s, who held the #8 pick, trading minor league infielder Justin Riemer for Watson’s draft rights.
Boston stuck with Watson through an ugly April in which he gave up 13 runs across 17 2/3 innings. He has started to find his footing in May, allowing seven runs over 16 frames while doubling his strikeout rate. The overall season line still isn’t particularly good: a 5.35 ERA, 19.2% strikeout rate, and six home runs across 33 2/3 innings (1.60 HR/9).
Of the three players in this group, Watson seems the least likely to hold his spot all season. He gets a lot of extension and has a five-pitch mix which the front office clearly likes, but almost all of his work thus far has come in mop-up situations.
On Major League Injured List
- Carter Baumler, Rangers RHP (selected from Orioles via trade with Pittsburgh)
Baumler broke camp and made four appearances before going down with an intercostal strain in early April. He had a setback while trying to rehab last month and is without a clear return timeline. Baumler has only logged 11 of the necessary 90 days on the active roster. A long-term injury could carry the Rule 5 restrictions into next season if the Rangers keep him.
- RJ Petit, Rockies RHP (selected from Tigers)
Petit, the #1 selection, blew out in Spring Training and underwent Tommy John surgery. He’ll spend the entire season on Colorado’s injured list and at least pick up a $780K MLB salary. The Rockies will need to decide whether to reinstate him to the 40-man roster or offer him back to Detroit at the beginning of the offseason. If they hold him, he’ll need to log at least 90 days in their MLB bullpen in 2027 to stick around.
On New Team’s MLB Roster
- Zach McCambley, Reds RHP (selected by Phillies from Marlins)
The Phillies took McCambley out of the Miami system. They returned him at the end of Spring Training after he had more walks than strikeouts in camp. The Fish accepted McCambley back but wound up trading him to the Reds in mid-May for outfielder Rece Hinds. Cincinnati called him up yesterday as they cycle through middle relievers.
The Coastal Carolina product has yet to make his MLB debut. He has a 2.37 ERA with a 31% strikeout rate and 15% walk percentage across 30 1/3 Triple-A innings this year. The Reds are not subject to any Rule 5 restrictions because McCambley already passed through waivers and was returned to his original club in March. They’ll likely shuttle him up and down from Triple-A Louisville throughout the season.
DFA Limbo
- Matt Pushard, RHP (selected by Cardinals from Marlins)
Pushard is currently in DFA limbo after St. Louis designated him for assignment over the weekend. The 28-year-old reliever lost six weeks to patellar tendinitis in his right knee. He made six appearances for St. Louis, allowing five runs (four earned) with a 6:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio over seven innings. The Cards have been surprisingly competitive and evidently felt they could make a better use of that bullpen spot. Assuming he clears waivers, the Marlins will likely accept him back.
Returned To Original Organization
- Alexander Alberto, RHP (returned to Rays by White Sox)
Alberto, the second of the White Sox’s Rule 5 picks, struggled in camp and was returned to the Rays midway through Spring Training. He’s pitching well out of the bullpen at Double-A Montgomery, working 22 innings of 2.86 ERA ball with a huge 35.2% strikeout rate.
- Griff McGarry, RHP (returned to Phillies by Nationals; subsequently traded to Dodgers)
McGarry has monster stuff but has never been around the strike zone. It was more of the same in Spring Training. Despite the Nationals having one of the worst bullpens in MLB, they returned him to the Phillies at the end of camp. Philadelphia traded him to the Dodgers a few weeks later for $500K in international bonus pool space, which went towards their $1.2MM agreement with South Korean amateur pitcher Chan-min Park.
Over 18 Triple-A appearances between the Philly and Dodger organizations, McGarry holds a 5.51 earned run average. He has 24 strikeouts but has walked 22 batters and hit two more in just 16 1/3 innings.
- Jedixson Paez, RHP (returned to Red Sox by White Sox)
Paez was the first of Chicago’s Rule 5 selections and went second overall. Unlike Alberto, he broke camp. It was a leap to expect him to stick all year without having previously pitched above High-A, however. Paez gave up six runs over three innings and was returned to Boston in early April. The Red Sox assigned him to Double-A Portland and have been gradually building him back up as a starter. He has allowed eight runs over 14 2/3 innings across six appearances in his first stint at that level.
- Peyton Pallette, RHP (returned to White Sox by Guardians)
A former second-round pick, Pallette had a flawless camp to earn a middle relief spot with the Guardians. He pitched well in April and looked like one of the better finds in the class, but his command backed up after that. Pallette had nine walks and strikeouts apiece over eight innings in May. Cleveland moved on last week, swapping him out for long man Logan Allen.
Pallette went unclaimed on waivers over the weekend. The White Sox assigned him to Triple-A Charlotte, where he worked around a walk to throw a scoreless inning yesterday. Pallette had a 29.3% strikeout rate in Triple-A last season and could get a look from Chicago later in the summer if he’s around the zone.
- Cade Winquest, RHP (returned to Cardinals by Yankees)
The Yankees carried Winquest for the first couple weeks of the season as part of a nine-man bullpen. They never got him into a game and pushed him off the roster when they needed a fifth starter as the schedule picked up. The Cardinals assigned Winquest to Triple-A Memphis and have used him as a reliever after he’d been a starter throughout his career. He missed a month to injury and has only made seven appearances, allowing five runs despite 13 strikeouts over 8 2/3 innings.
Declined By Original Organization
- Roddery Muñoz, Astros RHP (selected from Reds)
Muñoz was an unconventional Rule 5 selection. While most draftees have no MLB experience, he’d pitched in the Majors with the Marlins and Cardinals from 2024-25. Muñoz had just signed a minor league contract with Cincinnati when Houston snagged him in the Rule 5. He had a strong spring and broke camp but was bombed for seven runs in four innings over three regular season outings.
The Astros designated Muñoz for assignment in early April. He cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Sugar Land. The Reds evidently preferred not to send the $50K to bring him back, which isn’t all that surprising considering he’d spent a total of one week during the offseason as part of the organization. Muñoz has a 4.58 ERA with a 31% strikeout rate across 19 2/3 Triple-A frames. Houston’s bullpen has been a disaster but should be in a little better shape with Josh Hader and Nate Pearson back from the injured list.
Phillies’ Aidan Miller Out Six To Eight Weeks Following Back Procedure
The Phillies announced Wednesday that top infield prospect Aidan Miller underwent a “minimally invasive” back procedure called a “radiofrequency ablation of the facet joints.” He’s expected to be shut down for the next week and is currently projected to return to game action in six to eight weeks overall.
Miller has felt persistent back pain throughout the season and has yet to get into a game at any minor league level. Per the Phillies’ press release, he was diagnosed with discogenic pain and facet inflammation in his lumbar spine. Both Phillies medical personnel and third-party medical experts who were consulted for second opinions agreed that this was the best course of action to get him back on track.
Miller, 21, was the No. 27 overall pick back in 2023 and currently ranks as the game’s No. 61 prospect on Baseball America’s top-100 rankings. That ranking has slipped considerably, due both to his injury absence and big performances from rising prospects around the league. He entered the season ranked 14th on BA’s top 100.
Though he won’t turn 22 until next week, Miller has already reached the Triple-A level. He’s hit at every minor league stop, slashing .259/.382/.427 in a pitcher-friendly Double-A setting last year (134 wRC+) before destroying Triple-A pitchers in the final few games of the year. Miller appeared in eight games with Lehigh Valley last summer, tallied 37 plate appearances and hit .333/.514/.519. Between the Double-A and Triple-A levels last season, Miller tallied 14 homers and 59 steals while drawing a walk in 15.6% of his plate appearances and striking out at a 23.6% clip.
Had Miller been healthy, he’d likely have been a consideration for a call to the majors at this point — if he hadn’t already been promoted by now. He’s a natural shortstop but is blocked there by Trea Turner. Third baseman Alec Bohm has begun to turn things around after an awful start to the season, but Miller might have gotten a look over him or also-struggling second baseman Bryson Stott by now. Instead, it seems he’ll be sidelined into the season’s second half.
If today’s back procedure proves effective, Miller could still be a candidate for a call to the majors late in the season, though that’s hardly a foregone conclusion. He’s not eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft until December of 2027, so he wouldn’t be added to the 40-man roster this winter. If he struggles upon returning to the field or simply fails to force the issue, the Phils could keep him in the minors in order to preserve some offseason flexibility with regard to the 40-man roster.
Whether it’s this year or next, Miller doesn’t seem far from impacting the Phillies’ big league infield. Bohm and Stott have both been well below-average at the plate this year, though the former put together a big May. Bohm is a free agent at season’s end, too, which could create a natural opening for Miller at the hot corner.
Reds Option TJ Friedl, Recall Noelvi Marté
The Reds announced that outfielder TJ Friedl was optioned to Triple-A Louisville after last night’s game. Fellow outfielder Noelvi Marté has been recalled to take Friedl’s place on the active roster.
It’s the first optional assignment in almost four years for Friedl. The Reds recalled him from the minors in August of 2022. He has been in the majors or on the injured list since then. He established himself as an above-average big leaguer in 2023. He got into 138 games for the Reds, hit 18 home runs and stole 27 bases. He slashed .279/.352/.467 for a 117 wRC+. When combined with his strong defense, mostly in center field, FanGraphs credited him with 4.1 wins above replacement on the year.
2024 was a bit of a step back. Friedl made multiple trips to the injured list and only appeared in 85 games. When on the field, he produced a subpar .226/.310/.380 line and 90 wRC+, though that was held back by an unfortunate .229 batting average on balls in play. He bounced back in 2025 with a .261/.364/.378 line and 109 wRC+ in 152 games. His defensive metrics weren’t quite as strong but he was still worth 2.9 fWAR that year.
2026 has been a disaster so far. He has a .179/.259/.256 line and 44 wRC+. That may be partially due to a low BABIP of .230 but Friedl has regressed in other areas. His 23.6% strikeout rate is close to league average but is easily the worst of his career, as he has usually been in the 15 to 17% range. His 7.3% walk rate is also a personal worst and more than four ticks below last year’s 7.3% clip. He only has two home runs with more than a third of the season in the books.
The Reds have decided they’ve seen enough and have sent him to the minors, ideally for a reset that gets him back on track. If he can find his groove again or someone else on the roster gets injured, he could be recalled to the majors in the future.
Friedl crossed three years of service time last year and qualified for arbitration. The Reds are paying him $3.8MM this year. He has already crossed the four-year mark in terms of service here in 2026 and could be retained via arbitration for 2027 and 2028, though he would be a non-tender candidate after this season if he continues struggling.
Marté’s arc has been somewhat similar to that of Friedl. He had an encouraging debut in 2023, slashing .316/.366/.456 in 35 games. He couldn’t carry that over into 2024, as he hit .210/.248/.301. He had a decent 2025 showing, with a .263/.300/.448 line. He started 2026 with a brutal .138/.194/.138 line in 11 games and got sent down to the farm.
Since then, he has been killing the ball in Triple-A. He has eight home runs and a .369/.409/.575 line for the Bats. His .395 BABIP isn’t sustainable but he is only striking out at a 14.8% clip, less than half of the 32.3% pace he had in the majors earlier this year. Cincinnati will hope that he can bring some of that up to the show with him.
It’s worth checking in on Marté’s service time. He came into 2026 with his service clock at one year and 139 days. Based on the previous cutoffs, he had a really good chance to qualify for arbitration as a Super Two guy after 2026 if he got to 2.139. But since he spent close to two months on optional assignment, that’s no longer the case.
But he has a chance to keep his previous pace for free agency. When he was optioned, his service clock was at 1.158, which is 14 days shy of the two-year mark. If he Reds keep him up for at least two weeks, he will hit that line, meaning free agency after 2030 will still be possible for him.
Frield has been sharing center field with Blake Dunn and Dane Myers. Marté was mostly a right fielder last year but he has been seeing a decent amount of center field time in the minors, so perhaps he will be a factor up the middle. JJ Bleday should have the left field job locked down since he is hitting .291/.387/.632. Spencer Steer is hitting .277/.351/.461 but has been splitting his time between the outfield corners, first base and second base. Will Benson is also in the mix but he is hitting .188/.324/.353 on the year.
Photo courtesy of Denis Poroy, Imagn Images
MLB Mailbag: Royals, Cubs, Jordan Walker, Braves
This week's mailbag attempts to find a blueprint for the Royals, considers the Cubs' needs, ponders a Jordan Walker extension, examines Braves trade targets, explains how minor league options work, and much more!
D.T. asks:
Another season lost for the Royals. Other than BWJ and possibly Caglianone, their draft picks, which have all been very high, have traditionally been complete busts. What will it take to turn this organization around?
To answer this question, I'll start by taking roughly an eight-hour drive from Kansas City to Milwaukee. The Brewers seem to be the model for small market contention. How are they pulling it off?
Let's look at 2023 to present for the Brewers. Their position players have totaled 83.7 WAR since 2023, excluding those who were negative in that metric. Almost three-quarters of that WAR is concentrated in seven players. Here's how they were acquired:
William Contreras: 19.6% of total WAR. The Brewers picked up outfielder Esteury Ruiz as part of the Josh Hader trade at the 2022 deadline. Ruiz was a 45-grade prospect lacking in power who didn't profile as a likely regular. The Brewers then inserted themselves into the Braves-A's Sean Murphy-Shea Langeliers trade a few months later, prying a controllable Contreras loose from Atlanta after a breakout 2022 season. But the Brewers had Ruiz because they first had Hader, an All-Star dominant reliever with a year and a couple months of control left. They had Hader because former GM Doug Melvin snagged him in a deal that sent Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers to the Astros in 2015.
Putting aside the significant work the David Stearns regime did to develop Hader into a star, Stearns was also willing to trade Hader while the Brewers sat in first place with a 90% chance at the playoffs. Aside from the need for bold trades and strong player development, the Brewers willingly put their 2022 playoff chances at risk (and they did miss the playoffs that year) to set in motion of sequence of trades that netted them Contreras, who became crucial in their 2023-26 run.
The Royals had zero playoff shot at the time, but J.J. Picollo did pull off his own masterstroke trade by shipping Aroldis Chapman to Texas for Cole Ragans in 2023 before the calendar turned to July. But assuming Ragans bounces back health and production-wise, he's the type of player the Brewers would be looking at trading this winter or at next year's trade deadline. So my point is that selling high on Ragans, if possible, could help set the Royals up for more sustained success.
Christian Yelich: 11.5% of WAR. Stearns made a "go for it" trade to acquire Yelich in January 2018 with five years left on his contract, extending him a couple years later. To do so they gave up a 60-grade medium risk prospect in Lewis Brinson, a 50-grade high risk in Isan Diaz, and a 60 grade high risk in Monte Harrison. So the Brewers gave up their first, fifth, and ninth-ranked prospects, presumably well-regarded around the game, yet none of them panned out. Would the Royals put Blake Mitchell, Kendry Chourio, and another good prospect in a deal for a controllable 4-5 WAR Major Leaguer? They probably haven't drafted well enough to feel they could sacrifice those players.
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Blue Jays, Justin Topa Agree To Minor League Deal
The Blue Jays and right-handed reliever Justin Topa are in agreement on a minor league contract, per the MiLB.com transaction log. He’ll head to Triple-A Buffalo for the time being. Topa was designated for assignment by the Twins and released late last month.
Topa, 35, has pitched in parts of seven big league seasons and has nearly six full years of big league service. He’s shown high-end potential at times but has generally struggled to stay on the field. He spent two-plus seasons with the Twins after coming over from the Mariners alongside prospect Gabriel González in the 2023 trade that sent Jorge Polanco to Seattle.
Topa has tossed 19 innings already this year, which somewhat incredibly marks only the third time in his injury-marred career that he’s reached 10 major league innings. He’s been quite effective in his two prior healthy seasons. In 2023, he gave the Mariners a career-high 69 innings with a 2.61 ERA, 21.9% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate and huge 56.7% grounder rate. He wasn’t as successful with Minnesota in 2025 but still turned in a solid 3.90 ERA, 18.3% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate and 47.7% grounder rate in 60 frames.
The 2026 season hasn’t been kind to Topa. He’s pitched 19 innings and served up 18 runs (17 earned) on 27 hits and 11 walks. He’s yielded four home runs, struck out only 13% of his opponents and walked 12% of them. Topa averaged 95.2 mph on his sinker as recently as 2023 but is sitting 93.2 mph so far in 2026. His ability to miss bats, generate grounders and limit walks have all trended starkly in the wrong direction.
Topa has twice undergone Tommy John surgery to this point in his career. He also missed nearly all of his first season with the Twins after suffering a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. Over the years, Topa has also missed time with ankle, triceps and oblique injuries. He’s a talented arm, but time will tell whether the Jays can either get his stuff back to previous levels or help him get by with lesser velocity across the board.
The Twins are paying Topa a $1.225MM salary this season. The Blue Jays would only owe him the prorated league minimum for any time he spends on the big league roster. That amount would be subtracted from the remainder the Twins owe him, but Minnesota is paying the majority of his salary regardless.
MLBTR Podcast: The CBA Standoff Begins
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The MLBPA’s opening CBA proposal (1:50)
- MLB’s proposal, which pushes for a hard cap/floor system (10:10)
- Is it surprising that the owners are aligned when they have different priorities? (20:35)
- Will competitive balance picks come up later in the negotiations? (28:55)
- Competitive balance proposals often come from limiting player agency (31:45)
- Many fans dislike Rob Manfred but are aligned with him on wanting a cap (36:35)
- How should the MLBPA think about the public relations battle? (40:00)
- Is the player-fan relationship different in the age of the internet? (47:10)
- Can any optimism be taken from the fact that both sides addressed the economic imbalances of the game? (51:00)
- We don’t know what Manfred thinks about his legacy (55:05)
- The looming expiration of many broadcast deals after 2028 (56:15)
- Is the character of the ownership group is different than previous eras? (1:04:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- Gage Jump, Tigers Trade Speculation, And The Twins’ Roster Shuffle – listen here
- Colt Emerson Debuts, Blue Jays’ Rotation Issues, And What To Make Of The Mets And Astros – listen here
- Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images
The Opener: Judge, Torres, Harrison
In case you missed it, Angels outfielder Jo Adell pulled a Jose Canseco on Tuesday against the Rockies (video via MLB).
1. Judge seeing specialist for rib injury
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is heading for additional tests with a team specialist on the bone bruise in his ribcage, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (h/t Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Boone described the injury as shoulder soreness that Judge had been playing through for weeks, which then became more painful over the weekend. Hoch added in a separate post that while the official diagnosis is a ribcage injury, Judge feels the pain in his shoulder. The reigning MVP hit just .243 last month. His .805 OPS in May was his worst mark for a full month since July 2021.
2. Gleyber homers in return
Tigers second baseman Gleyber Torres missed nearly a month with an oblique strain. He came back on Tuesday against the Rays and immediately made an impact. Torres golfed a 3-1 sinker from Steven Matz over the left-center wall for a leadoff home run. It’s the second straight day with a recently returning player hitting a homer for Detroit. The club got outfielder Kerry Carpenter back on Sunday. He picked up a hit in that contest, then went 3-for-5 with a solo shot on Monday. The Tigers have shaken off a four-game losing streak to take the first two from the AL East-leading Rays.
3. Harrison dominates again
Brewers left-hander Kyle Harrison fired 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball last night against the Giants. He piled up a career-high 12 strikeouts. Harrison is two outs short of qualifying for the ERA title, but he’d be second in the league behind only Cristopher Sanchez if he had enough innings. The lefty is forming a terrifying duo with right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. Harrison and The Miz are the first teammates since 1913 with a minimum of 10 starts apiece to have sub-2.00 ERAs and at least 11 strikeouts per nine innings this deep into the season (h/t OptaSTATS on X).
Photo courtesy of Neville E. Guard, Imagn Images
White Sox’ GM Chris Getz Discusses Deadline Approach
The White Sox are probably the most surprising team in playoff position through the season’s first two months. Chicago takes a 32-28 record into tonight’s game in Minnesota, placing them three games up on the competition for the second AL Wild Card spot. They’re only a game and a half back of the Guardians in the AL Central.
Chicago’s front office surely anticipated taking a step forward after their third straight 100-plus loss season. They added Munetaka Murakami to the middle of the order and took a handful of one- and two-year fliers on the pitching staff. That said, even they probably didn’t project this team as an especially likely playoff team entering the season. They’ve been in rebuilding mode for the entirety of Chris Getz’s three-year tenure as general manager.
The Sox now find themselves in a different spot as teams sketch out their preliminary trade deadline trajectories. Should they look to move prospect capital for MLB talent this summer to aid a potential unexpected playoff push?
Getz spoke with Chad Jennings of The Athletic last week, indicating the front office’s focus remained on the longer term. “It’s never been about 2026. It isn’t. It’s still very big picture,” Getz told Jennings. At the same time, he mentioned that the club is “starting to really have this winning kind of mindset.” That may be changing the front office’s approach just a few days later, as Getz has already somewhat walked back last week’s comments.
“We are focused on 2026. I know I have stated that it’s not about 2026, but this team is playing really good baseball,” the GM said on Tuesday (link via James Fegan of Sox Machine). “We know where we are in the standings, both within the division and Wild Card, and we’re monitoring it. If there’s opportunities to add to this — we have higher hopes than just 2026 because we want to have a continual winner here — but if there’s chances to really add to this group, we’re going to do that.”
Getz didn’t tip his hand on what the front office would prioritize. That’s fairly easy to project from the outside. The Sox have had a top 10 offense overall and are tied for third in home runs behind the Yankees and Braves. They’re tenth in on-base percentage and fifth in slugging. Pitching has been the relative weakness, as they’re 19th in earned run average and 20th in strikeout rate.
Chicago can use help in both the rotation and the bullpen. Starting pitching figures to be the biggest priority, as there are a couple obvious areas to upgrade at the back end. Davis Martin has had an excellent season to cement himself as the staff’s top arm, tonight’s ugly start at Target Field notwithstanding. Sean Burke and Anthony Kay have been capable mid-rotation arms.
Re-signing Erick Fedde on a $1.5MM reclamation deal hasn’t worked, while top prospect Noah Schultz hasn’t been efficient enough in his first eight MLB starts. Schultz landed on the injured list with patellar tendinitis last week but should be back after a short-term absence. Another prospect, David Sandlin, has drawn his first two big league starts in the interim. If the Sox remain in contention, they figure to add at least one starter to take over Fedde’s spot.
The bullpen has found its footing to an extent after a poor April. Second-year righty Grant Taylor is a weapon at the back end. Sean Newcomb, Seranthony Domínguez and Bryan Hudson are all effective and in the mix for leverage roles. They could use another arm or two in the middle innings, however.
There’s not as much to be done on the position player side assuming Murakami and Kyle Teel are back from injury, though they’ll probably explore the outfield market. Sam Antonacci has taken over left field and quickly hit his way to the top of the lineup as a strong on-base threat. They’ve gotten good work from Tristan Peters in center field, but he entered the season without any real big league track record. Right field has been a revolving door, currently falling to a Rikuu Nishida/Randal Grichuk platoon.
Getz told Fegan that the Sox expect to get a look at outfield prospect Braden Montgomery this season. Acquired alongside Teel and Chase Meidroth in the Garrett Crochet deal, the 23-year-old Montgomery is hitting .281/.366/.461 over 23 Triple-A contests. He mashed in a similar amount of Double-A playing time before getting the bump to Triple-A in early May.
Even if the Sox bring Montgomery up before the trade deadline, they could look for a left-handed hitting outfielder from outside the organization. Montgomery is a switch-hitter who can play center or right field. Although the Sox presumably would want him playing regularly once he’s up, there’d likely be some growing pains. Between that and the potential for Peters to take a step back offensively, adding some kind of veteran outfield help makes sense.
None of that means the front office is likely to deal from the top of the farm system. The prospect cost for a back-end starter, middle relief help and/or complementary outfield bat should all be fairly manageable. It’s still too early to delineate many clear buyers and sellers, but Mickey Moniak, Jake McCarthy and Trevor Larnach are among lefty-hitting outfielders who seem likely to be available.
Giants’ Grant McCray, Christian Koss Diagnosed With Fractures
The Giants provided updates on a pair of injured minor leaguers on Tuesday (via Evan Webeck of The California Post). Infielder Christian Koss has a broken left wrist and outfielder Grant McCray fractured the hamate bone in his left hand/wrist. McCray is undergoing surgery on Thursday, while Koss will be reevaluated in two weeks.
Koss and McCray both occupy spots on the 40-man roster. They’re two of San Francisco’s four position players on optional assignment. Outfielder Will Brennan and rookie catcher Jesús Rodríguez, both of whom were just sent down, are the only healthy options. The Koss injury explains why the Giants selected Buddy Kennedy yesterday when they wanted an extra infielder off the bench.
McCray was optioned to begin the season and has spent the entire year with Triple-A Sacramento. He’s hitting .237/.360/.370 with four home runs across 211 plate appearances. McCray appeared in 59 big league contests between 2024-25 as a depth outfielder, batting .185 while striking out 67 times in 156 trips.
Koss spent the first six-plus weeks on Tony Vitello’s bench. He only tallied 15 plate appearances over 10 games before being optioned in mid-May. Koss suffered the injury after three Triple-A games. He hit .264/.309/.368 over 76 games as a rookie in 2025. San Francisco could place either player on the 60-day injured list if they need to open a spot on the 40-man roster.