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Mariners Sign Michael Rucker To Minors Contract

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The Mariners signed right-hander Michael Rucker to a minor league deal earlier this month, according to Rucker’s MLB.com profile page.  Rucker’s contract included an invitation to the Mariners’ big league spring camp, as per the list of non-roster invites Seattle released yesterday.

Rucker began his college career at Gonzaga, so this deal with the M’s could represent a return to the Pacific Northwest if the righty is able to break camp with the team.  After transferring to BYU later in his NCAA days, Rucker was an 11th-round selection by the Cubs in the 2016 draft, and he broke into the bigs with Chicago in 2021.  Over 123 1/3 MLB innings from 2021-23, Rucker posted a 4.96 ERA, 22.6% strikeout rate, 46.6% grounder rate, and 9.4% walk rate out of the Cubs’ bullpen.

These uninspiring numbers weren’t enough to keep Rucker on the roster, as Chicago designated him for assignment in February 2024 and soon traded him to the Phillies in a cash deal.  He was limited to 30 2/3 minor league innings for the Phillies and Nationals in 2024 due to an arterial vasospasm in his pitching hand.  The Nats outrighted Rucker off their 40-man roster following the 2024 campaign, and he then didn’t pitch at all in 2025.

As he enters his age-32 season, Rucker is looking to revive his career and show what he can do in the Mariners’ Spring Training camp.  Rucker is probably more of a candidate to pitch at Triple-A Tacoma than he is to win a spot on Seattle’s Opening Day roster, but he can provide the M’s with some experienced bullpen depth.  The righty has a 4.01 ERA, 25.64K%, and 7.54% walk rate over 107 2/3 career innings at the Triple-A level.

Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts

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In the same way that players feel extra pressure to produce entering their last season before free agency, managers and front office bosses similarly feel the heat when entering the final year of their contracts.  The difference is that even if a player has a rough season, they’re usually still in position to land at least a one-year deal in some fashion for the next year — a manager or a GM could find themselves fired in the wake of a bad year, with no guarantee about when (or even if) they’ll get another shot at leading a dugout or a front office.

This list details the baseball operations bosses (whatever their specific title) and managers who are entering the final year of their contracts, as well as the personnel whose contractual situations aren’t publicly known.  Some clubs don’t publicize the terms of employee contracts, so it is entirely possible that some of these names signed extensions months ago but the teams have chosen to keep these new deals quiet for the time being.  And, of course, the length of a contract doesn’t always correlate to job security.  One bad season or even a poor start could suddenly threaten the status of a manager or head of baseball ops that seemingly seems safe right now.

As always, thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for reference information on some of these contracts.

Angels: It’s pretty unusual to see a newly-hired manager already on this list, yet that is the situation Kurt Suzuki finds himself in after signing just a one-year guarantee to become the Halos’ new skipper.  The deal has multiple club option years attached, and while one would imagine Suzuki wouldn’t be let go so quickly, the Angels’ manager’s office has been enough of a revolving door in recent years that it is hard to guess what owner Arte Moreno might do next.  GM Perry Minasian is also entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, with a club option for the 2027 season.  Ten consecutive losing seasons has led to a lot of discord in Anaheim, and an eleventh sub-.500 year might get both Suzuki and Minasian sent packing by next offseason.

Astros: GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada are each entering their final season under contract, with Brown hired in January 2023 and Espada in November 2023.  Earlier this month, Astros owner Jim Crane didn’t entirely close the door on the possibility of an extension for either Brown or Espada, but said “I think we’ll go through this year like we always do, evaluate it and then make the decision at the end of the year.”  Reading between the lines, it certainly seems like the spotlight will be on Brown and Espada, especially since the Astros are coming off their first non-playoff season since 2016.  While the team’s laundry list of injuries is a valid excuse for their 2025 letdown, some personnel changes might well be coming if Houston can’t get back into the postseason hunt this year.

Athletics: General manager David Forst’s contract has already expired, as his most recent deal with the team was up following the 2025 campaign.  Owner John Fisher has stated that “conversations are ongoing” about another extension, and since it has apparently been business as usual for the A’s this offseason, it seems like it’s just a matter of time before Forst formally extends his long stint in the team’s front office.  Forst only officially took over the baseball operations department in the 2022-23 offseason, but he has been with the Athletics since 2000, first working as a scout and then becoming one of Billy Beane’s top lieutenants.

Blue Jays: GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider are both entering the final year of their contracts, as the Jays exercised their 2026 club option on Schneider’s deal back in November.  This duo was facing heavy pressure heading into the 2025 season, yet Toronto’s AL pennant and near-miss in the World Series has entirely changed the narrative for both Atkins and Schneider.  The Blue Jays already extended team president/CEO Mark Shapiro a few weeks ago, and extensions for Atkins and Schneider should follow before Opening Day.

Brewers: Pat Murphy is entering the final season of his three-year contract, but it is hard to believe the Brew Crew won’t have the manager soon locked up on another deal.  Murphy has been named NL Manager of the Year in each of the first two seasons, won consecutive NL Central titles, and this October led the Brewers to their first NLCS appearance since 2018.  October also saw Matt Arnold receive a promotion from GM to president of baseball operations, even though Arnold has already been the Brewers’ top baseball exec for the last three seasons.  Arnold’s specific contract situation hasn’t been made clear for a few years now, but it would surely seem like Milwaukee’s continued success and his new job title probably landed the PBO an extension at some point.  Regardless, Arnold seems in no danger of being fired even if 2026 is his last year under contract.

Cardinals: Oli Marmol is headed into his final year, but the manger and the Cardinals have already started discussing an extension to retain Marmol beyond the 2026 campaign.  It seems like something should be finalized in due course, with St. Louis continuing to entrust Marmol with the reins as the team now moves into a full-on rebuild phase.

Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo has quietly become one of baseball’s longer-tenured managers, as Lovullo has been running Arizona’s dugout since the 2016-17 offseason.  He has signed multiple extensions (none for more than two guaranteed years) since his initial three-year pact, yet while 2026 represents the final year of Lovullo’s current deal, the Diamondbacks are reportedly going to let Lovullo enter the season without an extension in place.  Owner Ken Kendrick did praise Lovullo’s efforts in keeping the D’Backs competitive amidst a swath of pitching injuries and a partial trade deadline selloff in 2025, but it is intriguing that the vote of confidence wasn’t backed up by another contract.  This will be a storyline to watch as the Diamondbacks’ season progresses, and a change in the dugout might well be coming if the D’Backs can’t get back into the postseason.

Dodgers: President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman first came to Los Angeles on a five-year, $35MM pact covering the 2015-19 seasons, and he signed an extension back in November 2019.  Terms of that deal weren’t known, yet it is clear that if Friedman hasn’t already signed another new deal in the last six years, the Dodgers are almost surely keen in retaining the executive.  The Dodgers have reached the playoffs in every single season of Friedman’s tenure, have won three World Series championships under his leadership, and have become baseball’s dominant franchise due to both their record-high payrolls and their ability to draft and develop minor league talent.

Guardians: Chris Antonetti gets an obligatory mention since the Guardians haven’t publicly addressed his contract status since he signed an extension with the team back in 2013.  Following the 2015 season, Antonetti was promoted to the president of baseball operations title, and his decade in charge has seen Cleveland make seven postseason appearances.  As the Guards are coming off their sixth AL Central crown of Antonetti’s tenure, there is no sense ownership is looking to make a change, nor is there any sense Antonetti (who has turned down overtures from other teams in the past) is looking to leave.

Mariners: Dan Wilson’s contract terms weren’t made public when he was hired as manager in August 2024, and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s status hasn’t been addressed since he signed a contract extension of an unknown length back in September 2021.  It may very well be that Dipoto has quietly signed another deal in the last four-plus years, but regardless, the Mariners’ success in 2025 very likely means neither Dipoto or Wilson are going anywhere, even if the M’s don’t feel the need to publicize any extensions.

Marlins: Previous Miami GM Kim Ng was signed to a three-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season, and the Marlins chose to pass on that option in order to hire Peter Bendix as the new president of baseball operations.  Terms of Bendix’s contract weren’t disclosed, so given the length of Ng’s contract, it is possible Bendix could also be entering his final guaranteed year if Miami pursued the same structure with another first-time front office boss.  While Ng’s dismissal caught many in baseball by surprise, Bendix’s job appears to be a lot safer, as the Marlins’ surprising surge to 79 wins in 2025 is a promising step forward for the team’s (latest) rebuild.

Mets: Carlos Mendoza is entering the final guaranteed year of his three-year contract, and New York holds a club option on the manager’s services for the 2027 season.  The Mets have overhauled both Mendoza’s coaching staff and a good chunk of the roster in the wake of the slow-motion collapse that left the team outside the playoff picture in 2025, so far more is expected than just an 83-79 record this year.  The club option probably means that the Mets will wait until after the season (if at all) to discuss an extension, and given the Mets’ high payroll and expectations, even a slow start might put Mendoza’s status in jeopardy.

Orioles: Mike Elias’ contract terms were never publicized when he was hired to lead Baltimore’s front office in November 2018, though he did receive a title change from general manager to president of baseball operations last offseason.  Elias’ specific contract status remains unspecified, and it is possible he could be facing more heat if the O’s have another subpar season.  Consecutive playoff appearances were followed by the thud of a 75-87 record in 2025, though ownership appears to have given Elias some support in the form of bigger budget, as the Orioles’ busy offseason has been highlighted by the blockbuster Pete Alonso signing.

Padres: Reports in early November suggested that A.J. Preller was close to signing a new extension to remain as San Diego’s PBO, though close to three months later, there hasn’t been any word of a deal between the two sides.  It could be that a contract was signed but simply not publicly announced, or perhaps Preller and the team agreed to table the negotiations until after most of the Padres’ offseason business was complete.  Considering all the reports of discord within the Padres’ ownership situation and some possible tension between Preller and team CEO Erik Greupner, a contract extension probably shouldn’t be considered a sure thing until a deal is actually done, though things still seem to be leaning in the direction of Preller getting re-upped.  For all of the off-the-field drama that has frequently defined Preller’s long tenure in San Diego, the Padres are coming off their fourth playoff appearance in the last six seasons.

Reds: As Cincinnati is coming off its first playoff berth since 2020, president of baseball operations Nick Krall looks to have a decent amount of job security, and might be in line for an extension depending on his current contract status.  Krall has been in charge of the Reds’ front office for the last five seasons, and he received an extension of an unspecified length when he was promoted to the president of baseball operations title following the 2023 campaign.

Tigers: Scott Harris has now finished three full seasons as Detroit’s PBO, so if a four-year contract might be considered the usual minimum for a first-time president of baseball ops, 2026 might be Harris’ final year under contract.  It’s all speculative, of course, since Harris’ terms weren’t made public, and it might also be a moot point since Harris could be an extension candidate, if anything.  The Tigers have made the second round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, though the team’s late-season collapse in 2025 and the uncertainty over Tarik Skubal’s future remain areas of concern.

Twins: Derek Falvey’s shocking decision to step down as Minnesota’s president of baseball (and business) operations has unexpectedly made GM Jeremy Zoll the top voice in the team’s front office.  Zoll was promoted to the GM role in November 2024 to become Falvey’s chief lieutenant, and the length of Zoll’s contract isn’t known.  It is fair to guess that Zoll might’ve gotten an extension after becoming general manager, so he probably remains under team control through at least 2027 even after this sudden elevation to the head of the baseball ops department.

White Sox: Chris Getz has been the team’s GM since August 2023, and his tenure has included a record 121-loss season in 2024 and an improvement to “only” 102 losses in 2025.  Getz’s contract term wasn’t publicized at the time of his hiring so this is just a speculative entry in case his first deal was only a three-year pact.  There doesn’t appear to be any sense that ownership is displeased with the Pale Hose’s progress during the rebuild, so if Getz actually did sign a three-year deal, the Sox might look to extend him at some point this season.

Yankees: Brian Cashman is the longest-tenured front office boss in baseball, acting as the Yankees’ GM since February 1998.  That remarkable 28-year run has included 28 winning records and four World Series titles, though the team hasn’t won the Series since 2009.  Owner Hal Steinbrenner appears to trust Cashman as much as ever, so it seems very likely that Cashman’s tenure will stretch into a third decade barring an utter disaster of a 2026 season.  Cashman’s last deal covered the 2023-26 seasons, but since the Yankees’ aversion to extensions also extends to personnel as well as players, he might not sign his next contract until after his current deal actually expires.  It’s a sign of Cashman’s job security that he has waited until December to sign each of his last two contracts to remain with the club.

Yankees Interested In Paul Goldschmidt, Nick Martinez, Austin Slater

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TODAY: The Yankees’ interest in Slater extended to the point that New York offered Slater a big league deal earlier this offseason, The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty reports.  It isn’t known when the Yankees made the offer or if it’s still on the table, though Slater remains unsigned.

JANUARY 30: The Yankees have made some notable moves this month, re-signing Cody Bellinger and acquiring Ryan Weathers from the Marlins. They still have more work to do. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that they have shown some interest in various free agents, including right-hander Nick Martinez and Michael Kopech, as well as outfielders Austin Slater and Randal Grichuk. Heyman also mentions that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt seems willing to return to the Yankees even if that’s in a part-time role. Jack Curry of Yes Network mentioned the club’s interest in a Goldschmidt reunion on Yankees Hot Stove earlier this week.

Goldschmidt signed a one-year, $12.5MM deal to join the Yankees a year ago and was set to be their everyday first baseman. He should have less earning power now and would likely be looking at a lesser role as well. He finished the year with ten home runs and a .274/.328/.403 line. The resulting 103 wRC+ was just barely above league average, his second straight season of offense around league par. As the season wore on, Ben Rice took over some of his playing time at first base.

Though the season was only about average overall, Goldschmidt was excellent in a platoon capacity, hitting .336/.411/.570 against southpaws for a 169 wRC+. Perhaps there’s a path for him to return to the Yankees in a short-side platoon capacity. The Yanks have a pretty lefty-heavy lineup. In addition to Rice at first, they have Bellinger, Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells slated for regular duty. There should be opportunities to play matchups with righty bats like Amed Rosario and someone like Goldschmidt.

Heyman writes that Goldschmidt is open to the reduced role but it would reduce the club’s flexibility a little bit. They have one bench spot going to backup catcher J.C. Escarra and another to Rosario. Putting Goldschmidt in there would only leave one spot for either Jasson Domínguez or Oswaldo Cabrera. Once Anthony Volpe is healthy, that could bump José Caballero to the bench and knock someone else out, though that’s all assuming the roster is completely healthy.

On the financial side, it’s unclear if the two sides would be able to meet up on a fair price for Goldy. The Yankees are going to be paying the competitive balance tax for at least a third consecutive year and are above the top tier. They face a 110% tax on anything they add at this point, so signing any player means they are paying out more than twice as much as the player will actually receive.

Goldschmidt has also been connected to another former club, with the Diamondbacks reportedly interested in a reunion as well. That would also likely be a platoon situation, with Arizona having Pavin Smith lined up to play first base against righties.

Martinez, 35, has arguably been baseball’s top swingman in recent years. Since the start of 2022, he has posted a 3.67 earned run average in 524 2/3 innings. He has been better out of the bullpen, with a 2.94 ERA as a reliever compared to a 4.10 mark as a starter, but the flexibility is valuable to teams as they navigate a long season.

For the Yankees, their short-term rotation picture is very different than the long-term outlook. They are slated to start the campaign with Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren and Weathers in five spots. Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are going to begin the year on the injured list but will eventually jump in there when they get healthy. Clarke Schmidt will miss at least the first half recovering from Tommy John surgery but could perhaps make a late-season appearance.

Even in the projected season-opening five, there are some question marks. Schlittler had a great debut but still has just 14 regular season starts on his résumé. Gil missed a lot of 2025 due to a lat strain and his results weren’t great when he returned. Weathers has had plenty of injury issues over the years and still hasn’t hit 90 innings in a season.

Presumably due to the uncertainty in that group, the Yankees have added a couple of swing options already, signing Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough. Blackburn got a $2MM guarantee and Yarbrough $2.5MM. Those two could step up and make starts if needed, depending on what happens with everyone else, or they could be in the bullpen.

Martinez should be a more expensive version of the same idea. Two years ago, he got a two-year, $26MM deal from the Reds. He pitched well enough in the first year to trigger an opt-out, then received a $21.05MM qualifying offer, which he accepted.

He will presumably have to settle for something lower than that now that he’s a bit older and posted a 4.45 ERA in 2025, but his 2.61 ERA as a reliever should be worth a few million alone, never mind the flexibility of being able to make competent starts. As mentioned with Goldschmidt, the Yankees would effectively be paying double whatever Martinez is able to earn. Martinez was connected to the Tigers in rumors last week.

Kopech, 30 in April, has some starting experience but will presumably be a straight bullpen add. He has been used strictly in relief for two years running now and was also hurt for most of 2025, so it’s unlikely any club would plan to stretch him out now. He showed his upside in 2024, split between the White Sox and Dodgers. He posted a 3.46 ERA over 67 appearances. His 12.2% walk rate was quite high but he punched out a huge 31.5% of batters faced.

He will be a buy-low opportunity for someone. Last year, he only made 11 appearances. He made trips to the injured list due to a shoulder impingement and a torn meniscus in his right knee. He was connected to the Giants last month but remains unsigned.

As for Slater and Grichuk, they are right-hitting outfielders. As mentioned earlier, the Yankees project to have a lefty-heavy lineup. That includes Grisham and Bellinger in the outfield. Domínguez is a switch-hitter who struggles against lefties.

The Yanks acquired Slater at last year’s deadline but he didn’t play much due to a left hamstring strain suffered shortly after the trade. But in his career, he has been a strong outfield defender who hits well with the platoon advantage. He has a .267/.357/.430 line and 119 wRC+ against lefties in his career. Grichuk is fairly comparable, with a .268/.318/.500 line and 118 wRC+ against southpaws in his career.

Photo courtesy of Tim Heitman, Imagn Images

Red Sox “Checked In” On Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw

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Alex Bregman’s decision to sign with the Cubs left the Red Sox with some uncertainty within their infield picture, as both second base and Bregman’s old third base position remain unsettled heading into Spring Training.  Top prospect Marcelo Mayer seems to be penciled into one of the two spots, with Mayer likely playing third while the collection of Romy Gonzalez, Nick Sogard, and/or Kristian Campbell will handle the playing time at the keystone.

A new acquisition could certainly change this picture, and such free agents and trade targets as Isaac Paredes, Brendan Donovan, and Eugenio Suarez remain available.  Plenty of other players remain on Boston’s radar, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes that the Red Sox “are among the many teams that have checked in about” Cubs infielders Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw.

There would be some irony if a trade came together between Bregman’s new and former teams, though there is no sense that a deal is anywhere close between Boston and Chicago.  Trade speculation swirled around Hoerner and Shaw even before Bregman arrived in Wrigleyville, with the Yankees, Giants, and Mariners all reportedly showing interest in Hoerner.  While the Cubs may be at least open to hearing offers for Hoerner out of due diligence, however, there isn’t much indication that the team has any real interest in moving the two-time Gold Glover.

The Bregman signing solidified Chicago’s starting infield alignment as Bregman at third, Hoerner at second, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, and Michael Busch at first base.  Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Seiya Suzuki line up as the starting outfield trio, and the open DH spot could be a revolving door for several players to get partial rest days.  This in turn would open up playing time for Shaw or another top prospects in Moises Ballesteros and Kevin Alcantara, and give these youngsters some semi-regular at-bats in the majors without the pressure of a true everyday role on a contending team.

Trading Hoerner or Shaw would immediately alter the Cubs’ plans for the coming season at least, and moving Shaw would have a longer-term impact since he only just made his MLB debut in 2025.  Hoerner is a free agent next winter, and with Bregman now locked into the hot corner, the thought has been that Shaw could take over from Hoerner as second base.  (The Cubs are also considering Shaw as an outfield option to expand his versatility.)

Even with Hoerner nearing the open market, it would take a lot for the Cubs to part ways with a proven veteran who is probably the best defensive second baseman in baseball, not to mention an above-average hitter (106 wRC+) over the last five seasons.  It would take even more for Chicago to deal a top prospect like Shaw who comes with so much team control, yet Boston’s pitching depth could at least get the Cubs to take notice.  Since Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd will also be free agents next season, bringing aboard a Payton Tolle or a Connelly Early would be an intriguing way for the Cubs to bolster their rotation over the longer term.  It is safe to say that Tolle or Early would only be on the table (if at all) for Shaw, as the Sox aren’t likely to move either of those arms for one year of Hoerner.

While Shaw has the prospect pedigree to interest any team, it would be quite a pivot if the Red Sox traded from their high-level pitching depth to acquire a young infielder, given how Boston (in theory) already has plenty of position-player building blocks in place.  If Mayer is able to stay healthy and break out as a big leaguer, that provides a ton of stability at either third base, second base, or at shortstop if Mayer is ultimately the heir apparent to Trevor Story.  In this sense, bringing in Hoerner as a somewhat overqualified stopgap for the 2026 season might be a better fit to give the Sox more time to see what they have in Meyer or Campbell.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been very active on the trade front since taking over Boston’s front office in October 2023, though the Garrett Cooper-for-cash considerations deal in April 2024 remains the only deal swung between Breslow and his former team.  For the 2019-23 seasons, Breslow worked in the Cubs front office, and he was promoted to an assistant GM role during the 2020-21 offseason after Jed Hoyer was promoted to president of Chicago’s baseball operations.

White Sox To Sign Austin Hays

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9:46AM: Hays will earn $5MM in salary in 2026, and there is a $1MM buyout on a mutual option for 2027, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes.  Another $375K is available for Hays in incentive bonuses based around plate appearances.

8:42AM: The White Sox have agreed to a deal with outfielder Austin Hays, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports.  The one-year deal will pay Hays $6MM, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, and the contract will be official following a physical.  Chicago’s 40-man roster is full, so the team will also have to make a corresponding transaction before the signing is finalized.  Hays is represented by the MAS+ Agency.

Earlier today, Heyman reported that Hays was “said to be deciding this weekend” about his next landing spot.  Heyman listed the White Sox, Cubs, Padres, Tigers, and Rangers as teams who had showed some level of interest in Hays at some point during the offseason.  These five clubs were new to Hays’ market, as previous reports this winter linked the Royals, Reds, Mets, Yankees, and Cardinals to the 30-year-old outfielder.  The Athletic’s Zack Meisel also wrote that the Guardians “put out feelers on” Hays’ services.

Playing time was an apparent priority for Hays, as Meisel wrote that the outfielder was looking for “a situation in which he could play every day.”  That didn’t come in Cleveland since the Guardians didn’t want to block any of its up-and-coming younger outfielders, but Hays will now land with another AL Central team that has plenty of at-bats on offer.  Hays figures to step right into at least semi-regular duty in right field, and he might also get time in his regular left field position depending on how the White Sox approach Andrew Benintendi’s playing time.  Brooks Baldwin, Derek Hill, Tristan Peters, Everson Pereira, and Jarred Kelenic are among the names in Chicago’s outfield mix, plus Luisangel Acuna is likely to get a lot of time in center field.

Hays has held his own defensively over 483 career MLB innings as a center fielder, though he hasn’t played the position since 2023.  With both glovework and health in mind, Hays is probably better suited for a corner outfield slot, and some DH at-bats are probably also a consideration for a player who has taken six separate trips to the injured list over the last two seasons.  Four of those six IL stints were due to left calf and hamstring strains, and Hays also missed a few weeks last season due to a left foot contusion.

It was almost exactly one year ago that the Reds signed Hays to a one-year, $5MM guarantee, which broke down as $4MM in salary and a $1MM buyout of a $12MM mutual option for the 2026 season.  As with virtually all mutual options, Hays was cut loose following the 2025 campaign, though he had a respectable .266/.315/.453 slash line and 15 homers over 416 plate appearances for Cincinnati.

On a team that struggled to generate consistent offense, Hays’ 105 wRC+ was the third-highest of any Reds player who had at least 111 trips to the plate.  Though Hays was again hampered by injuries, it was least a step upwards from the uncertainty of the kidney infection that plagued him for much of the 2024 campaign, and cratered his numbers altogether after a deadline trade to the Phillies.

Since Opening Day 2021, Hays has a 106 wRC+ over 2348 PA, and he played in basically an everyday role with the Orioles from 2021-23.  Despite the decent production, Hays has never walked much or made a lot of hard contact, and his strikeout rates have shot upwards over the last three seasons.  Hays’ viability for an everyday role will probably hinge on how much he can hit right-handed pitching, as his splits have made him look like most of a lefty-masher in recent years.

The Reds hung onto Hays last summer both because they needed him for their own playoff push and probably in part because his injuries hurt his trade market, but it certainly seems possible the Sox could shop Hays at the upcoming deadline.  The focus remains on the future for the rebuilding White Sox, and plenty of teams would figure to have trade interest in a veteran bat who has a 160 wRC+ against left-handed pitching over the last two seasons.

The Hays signing is the latest intriguing move for a White Sox team that is planning to be more competitive in 2026, even if a full-fledged run at a playoff berth remains at least a year away.  Trading Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets freed up $20MM in payroll space, and the Sox reinvested that money into a two-year, $20MM deal for Seranthony Dominguez to become Chicago’s next closer.

Since Dominguez is only getting $8MM of that money in 2026, the White Sox have now been able to sign Hays and ostensibly still have $6MM more to spend from the $20MM hole Robert left in the team’s budget.  A pitching addition may be more likely than another position-player add given Chicago’s needs in the rotation and bullpen.

Inset photograph courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas — Imagn Images

Diamondbacks Sign Junior Fernandez To Minors Contract

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The Diamondbacks released their list of Spring Training invites, and right-hander Junior Fernandez is one of the names attending Arizona’s big league camp.  Fernandez inked his minor league deal with the D’Backs back in November, as per the righty’s MLB.com profile page.

It has been over three years since Fernandez last pitched in a Major League game.  He had a brief stint with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024 but his time in Japan was mostly spent recovering from injury.  Beyond that cup of coffee in NPB, Fernandez pitched at the Triple-A level with the Blue Jays and Nationals in 2023, and with the Royals’ and Mets’ top affiliates last season.  Over 43 combined Triple-A innings in 2025, Fernandez posted a 4.40 ERA and a very impressive 29.5% strikeout rate, but also an inflated 14% walk rate.

This has essentially been the story of Fernandez’s career, as his control problems have kept him from maximizing his upper-90s velocity.  At the MLB level, Fernandez has continued to issue walks but hasn’t been able to miss many bats — he has a 5.17 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate, and 13.9% walk rate over 54 big league innings with the Cardinals and Pirates from 2019-2022.

Fernandez turns 29 in March, and it remains to be seen if he still has any late-bloomer potential.  Since his type of velocity isn’t easy to find, it’s easy to see why the D’Backs and other teams keep giving Fernandez chances, and there’s no risk for Arizona in bringing him to camp and seeing if a fix can finally be found for the right-hander’s command issues.  A non-roster deal for Fernandez obviously won’t address Arizona’s stated need for bullpen help, but finding a hidden gem would be a huge boost to the team’s relief corps.

Twins Announce “Mutual” Parting Of Ways With President Of Baseball Ops Derek Falvey

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In a stunning and out-of-the-blue announcement, the Twins on Friday parted ways with longtime president of baseball operations Derek Falvey. General manager Jeremy Zoll will ascend from the team’s No. 2 spot on the baseball operations hierarchy to the top position (though his title is not changing). Executive chair Tom Pohlad offered the following statement within today’s press release:

“Over the past several weeks, Derek and I had thoughtful and candid conversations about leadership, structure, and the future of the club. We reached a shared understanding that the needs of the organization are evolving and that a leadership transition is the best way to move forward. I want to thank Derek for everything he has contributed to this organization. When he joined the Twins nine years ago, it was, in many ways, a watershed moment for this franchise. His leadership was transformational. He helped modernize every aspect of our baseball operations and led with strong values, intention, and purpose. Derek created a culture grounded in learning and in the belief that organizations grow when people grow. Under his leadership, the Twins captured three division titles and made four postseason appearances. We are grateful for his dedication, his integrity, and the impact he made here.”

Falvey offered his own statement:

“Following a series of thoughtful conversations with Tom that began after the ownership transition and progressed over the past few weeks, we both agreed this was the right time for us to part ways. Ownership transitions naturally create moments for reflection and honest dialogue about leadership, vision, and how an organization wants to move forward. Over the past several weeks we had those conversations openly and constructively and ultimately reached a shared understanding that this was the right step both for the organization and for me personally. … On a personal level, I’m looking forward to taking some time to be with my family, reflect and consider what comes next.  I don’t have specific plans yet, but I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had here and excited about the next chapter when the time is right.”

Falvey was hired to lead Minnesota’s baseball operations following the 2016 season. Originally given the title of “chief baseball officer,” he hired Thad Levine — who stepped down and left the Twins last offseason — as general manager underneath him. That pairing led the Twins for the next eight years, with Falvey twice being extended and eventually being given the “president of baseball operations” moniker.

Last winter, after Levine left the club, the Twins announced that Zoll would be elevated to the GM position. Falvey stayed on as the president of baseball operations and actually took on an even larger role, picking up president of business operations Dave St. Peter’s responsibilities when St. Peter stepped down and moved into an advisory role. The dual president titles for Falvey seemed to make him entrenched with the Twins for the long haul; to see him not only cede baseball operations oversight but leave the club entirely just 15 months later is genuinely shocking.

Of course, quite a bit has changed with the Twins since Falvey’s ascension to president of baseball and business operations. St. Peter’s decision to step down came not long after the Pohlad family announced its intent to explore a sale of the team. The Twins thought they had a buyer lined up in Justin Ishbia, co-owner of the NBA’s Phoenix Suns and a minority owner of the division-rival White Sox. Momentum toward that sale fell through, however, when the White Sox offered Ishbia a path to increase his stake in the club and eventually purchase the majority stake from current owner Jerry Reinsdorf (several years down the road).

The Twins never found a buyer for the majority share of the club, due largely to reported debt in excess of $400MM (on top of what was said to be a $1.7 billion asking price). Instead, they welcomed in a trio of minority stakeholders who purchased their shares at that $1.7 billion valuation, thereby cleaning up a significant portion (if not the entirety) of the debt. Craig Leipold, owner of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild, was the most recognizable name among the new stakeholders.

The Pohlad family retained majority ownership of the team, continuing its four-decade run, but there were still changes made. Joe Pohlad, the nephew of predecessor Jim Pohlad and grandson of the late Carl Pohlad (who originally purchased the team in 1984), was removed from his position as executive chair after just three years. Tom, his older brother, assumed the executive chair role and was approved by the league as the team’s new control person. He’s now temporarily assuming Falvey’s duties as president of business operations, though this morning’s press release indicates that the Twins will immediately commence a search to bring in a new president for the business side of their operations.

The Twins have had an up-and-down run in the American League Central during Falvey’s time as their baseball operations leader. On the surface, parting with the president of baseball operations after a 92-loss season and in the midst of an ownership shakeup doesn’t sound all that surprising. And, had this move taken place immediately following the season, it presumably would not have been all that eye-opening.

However, the timing of the move makes it borderline unprecedented. Teams don’t make baseball operations shifts of this magnitude two weeks before spring training commences and when the heavy lifting of an offseason has (presumably) already taken place. As The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman notes, the Twins just held their annual media luncheon one week ago; Falvey was the keynote speaker.

Further details and comments from Twins brass will surely continue to filter out in the days, weeks and months to come. It’s not yet clear whether the change in baseball operations leadership will prompt a change of trajectory with regard to the roster. Falvey has previously been vocal about his desire to keep stars Byron Buxton, Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan, even after last July’s deadline sell-off. One would assume he and Zoll were aligned on that front, but it’s at least possible now that a different lead voice will give way to a different strategy. If nothing else, other clubs are going to circle back to check in with Zoll about the potential availability of those veterans (and, presumably, catcher Ryan Jeffers, who is entering his final season of club control).

On the other side of the coin, Minnesota’s payroll currently projects for just $108MM, per RosterResource. That’s about $30MM shy of last year’s levels and miles below the club-record payroll from 2023, when the Twins approached $160MM. Ownership isn’t going to push spending back to that level, but it’s possible that Zoll is more amenable to bringing in further veteran pieces than his former boss was.

In the immediate aftermath of the leadership shuffle, there’s no clear way to glean just what the change will mean for the Twins’ roster, but today’s announcement stands as the latest development in what has been the most tumultuous two-year stretch for the Twins organization since they were nearly contracted in the early 2000s.

Athletics Extend Jacob Wilson

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The A’s have extended another member of their young core, announcing a seven-year contract, plus a club option for an eighth year, for shortstop Jacob Wilson. The PSI Sports Management client will reportedly be guaranteed $70MM.

Wilson, 23, was the sixth overall pick in the draft in 2023. He made his big league debut with a late cup of coffee the following season but broke out as an All-Star in 2025. The second-generation star — his father is longtime Pirates infielder Jack Wilson — finished second in American League Rookie of the Year voting behind his own teammate, Nick Kurtz. Wilson slashed .311/.355/.444 with 13 home runs, 26 doubles, five steals and a tiny 7.2% strikeout rate.

Wilson’s pure hit tool is nearly unrivaled. Among the 560 big leaguers who took even 40 plate appearances this past season, his 7.5% strikeout rate was the second-lowest, behind multi-time batting champion Luis Arraez. Like Arraez, the quality of contact when Wilson puts the ball in play is generally not great. He averaged just 84.6 mph off the bat with a paltry 2.2% barrel rate and 24.1% hard-hit rate. That penchant for weak contact hasn’t stopped him from racking up singles. His hitter-friendly home park in West Sacramento probably overstates his modest power, but Wilson did connect on six round-trippers away from Sutter Health Park and could be reasonably projected to hit around 10 homers per season.

Though he doesn’t post off-the-charts chase rates, Wilson does swing more often than the average hitter (both off the plate and within the zone). He’s an aggressive hitter whose preternatural bat-to-ball skills and frequent swings lead to plenty of early contact. That limited Wilson to just a 5.2% walk rate in his first full season, which is pretty well in line with the 5.9% walk rate he’s posted in his limited minor league time thus far. Even if he never posts a high walk rate, though, Wilson figures to continue posting strong on-base percentages simply due to his knack for collecting hits.

Defensive metrics don’t paint him in an especially favorable light at shortstop. He was dinged for minus-10 Defensive Runs Saved and minus-2 Outs Above Average in his first full season of shortstop work at the major league level. Statcast credits him with well above-average arm strength but below-average range.

An eventual move to second or third base might yield better defensive results, but that likely won’t happen until lauded prospect Leo De Vries pushes for a look at shortstop. He’s still only 19 years old with just 21 Double-A games under his belt, so at least for the time being, Wilson will be expected to reprise his role as the Athletics’ shortstop. Questions about his range have persisted since his prospect days, but scouting reports praise his solid hands and he showed a clear knack for flashy, acrobatic plays during his debut campaign.

The A’s already controlled Wilson for another five seasons. Today’s agreement locks in two free-agent years and gives the team an option over what would have been a third. Wilson wouldn’t have been arbitration-eligible until the 2027-28 offseason.

The seven-year, $70MM term aligns closely with but also surpasses recent extensions for Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (seven years, $63.5MM) and Wilson’s own teammate, Lawrence Butler (seven years, $66.5MM) when both were in the same service bucket in which Wilson currently resides (between one and two years). His $70MM guarantee falls a bit shy of Michael Harris II’s $72MM deal over in Atlanta, but that was an eight-year pact compared to Wilson’s seven.

As can be seen in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker (available to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers), Wilson’s extension stands as the eighth-largest guarantee ever made to a player with under two years of big league service. It’s the second-largest deal in Athletics franchise history, trailing only the recent seven-year $86MM extension for teammate Tyler Soderstrom, who scored a larger deal due to the fact that he has an extra year of service time over Wilson.

Wilson’s extension is the latest step in the Athletics’ ongoing effort to lock up their exciting core of position players. Wilson, Soderstrom, Butler and slugger Brent Rooker (five years, $60MM) have all put pen to paper on long-term deals over the past 15 months. The A’s picked up control of multiple free agent years for each of those players.

The A’s have yet to come to terms on a deal with the aforementioned Kurtz, whose price tag will surely be higher. Kurtz played in just 117 games and took 489 plate appearances but still bashed 36 home runs while logging a sensational .290/.383/.619 slash line (170 wRC+). Even if the A’s can’t come to terms on a long-term deal with the 2024 No. 4 overall pick, he’s under control for another five seasons. Plus, this slate of affordable long-term deals for his young teammates will make it easier to stomach what will surely be enormous arbitration paydays if Kurtz continues on his current trajectory.

With several young players now under contract for the long haul, the Athletics shouldn’t have to worry about any potential grievances regarding their use of revenue-sharing funds. The A’s reportedly needed to push their CBT payroll up to $105MM or more last winter or else face potential ramifications, but they’re now at $139MM in that regard, per RosterResource.

Impressive as the Athletics’ collection of young bats is, the team’s pitching still leaves plenty to be desired. They’ll hope to change that this coming season when top prospects like Gage Jump and Jamie Arnold make their climbs through the system. Both rank within the game’s top 50 or so prospects. Jump, a 2024 second-rounder, already reached Double-A this past season. Arnold has yet to throw a professional pitch, but the Florida State standout was one of the top arms in last year’s draft class, coming off the board with the No. 11 pick.

The Athletics still have another two seasons to play in West Sacramento before their targeted 2028 move to their new home on the Las Vegas strip. So long as the group of Wilson, Soderstrom and Butler remain healthy, the A’s should have an exciting young core to market as they look to attract new fans in their new home.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the agreement and the terms of the contract.

Is Anyone Even Trying To Win The AL Central?

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Yet another offseason of hyperaggressive spending and mind-boggling CBT payrolls from the Dodgers and Mets (and, this winter, the Blue Jays) has led to increased talk of competitive balance ahead of the impending conclusion of the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement. Owners are again expected to push for a salary cap -- though that's a perpetual goal and would absolutely have been the case regardless of how the usual suspects spent in free agency this winter -- and they'll have plenty of fan support in that regard.

Fans, particularly those of small market teams, feel a clear sense of defeatism, knowing their clubs will rarely (or in some cases never) be players for the top names in free agency. The Dodgers were close enough to losing in the World Series that it's not fair to say they can freely buy themselves a championship -- the Mets spent more in 2025 and missed the postseason entirely -- but it's fair to say they're spending enough to give themselves something like a 95% chance of making the postseason and entering as the favorite.

The other side of the cap argument, of course, is that it would assuredly usher in the implementation of a salary floor -- a level at which teams must spend on payroll or else be subject to some degree of penalization. There's already a weak "floor" in place for revenue-sharing clubs, but it seems to lack any semblance of teeth. The A's felt compelled to spend enough to push their CBT payroll up to $105MM last year -- roughly 1.5 times the amount they receive annually from revenue-sharing -- but that was seemingly because they're the only club to have been actually stripped of revenue-sharing status in the past. The Marlins were supposedly in the same boat this winter, and they've thumbed their nose at the idea of spending, as evidenced by a CBT payroll in the $80MM range.

I can see the arguments for a cap/floor system. I'm skeptical that it would actually force the game's lowest-payroll clubs to spend in meaningful ways, but that's another topic -- and one that we'll surely debate ad nauseum in the year to come as CBA talks intensify.

But whether it's a salary floor, firm penalties for not spending revenue-sharing funds in tangible ways, or greater access to draft/international resources for non-playoff clubs who remain competitive, something has to give. Right now, there's at least one entire division content to sit on its hands as the five respective front offices seemingly embody that same level of defeatism felt by their small- and mid-market fan bases.

If the Dodgers are a budding dynasty, it's unequivocally fair to say that's in part because of their limitless spending capacity. But it's also because there are teams seemingly content to throw their hands up and ask, "why even bother?" At a certain point, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy -- and I'd argue that at least with regard to the AL Central, we've reached that point. Let's look at each AL Central club's offseason to date.

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Giants Notes: Lee, Matos, Rotation, Closer

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The Giants officially announced their two-year deal with Harrison Bader on Friday afternoon. President of baseball operations Buster Posey and general manager Zack Minasian conducted a conference call with the beat to introduce their new outfielder.

Posey confirmed that Bader will be the everyday center fielder, a move that pushes Jung Hoo Lee into right field on most days (link via Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area). It doesn’t appear the incumbent center fielder had any issue with the change. “Jung Hoo was great,” Posey said of his reaction to the signing. “Also there’s an understanding on our end and to Jung Hoo that there’s a chance that he could still be getting reps in center field. But our plan is to have Bader playing center field.”

Lee had a decent amount of right field experience in Korea. He has played exclusively up the middle over his two seasons in the majors. Lee’s physical tools are strong. He’s an above-average runner with plus arm strength. His first step and routes weren’t as polished, and defensive metrics weren’t fond of his overall work. Statcast graded him five runs below average, while Defensive Runs Saved had him a glaring 18 runs worse than an average center fielder. No player had a worse DRS mark at the position.

The 27-year-old should grade more favorably in his new position. He’s a much better athlete than most corner outfielders. There’ll still be plenty of ground to cover in home games thanks to Oracle Park’s massive right-center gap. The move to a corner will put a little more pressure on the bat. Lee is coming off a solid but unspectacular .266/.327/.407 slash across 617 plate appearances. That’s much better than the .241/.303/.395 league mark for center fielders but lands more middle-of-the-pack in right, where the average player batted .247/.319/.422 last year.

Right field was the biggest weak point in the San Francisco lineup. After they traded Mike Yastrzemski at the deadline, their right fielders hit .202/.249/.376 across 194 plate appearances. Drew Gilbert projects as a fourth or fifth outfielder. Luis Matos was a well-regarded prospect but hasn’t found much success on either side of the ball over three MLB seasons. Matos is out of minor league options and will be a player to watch in camp, as he’ll either need to win a bench job or be taken off the 40-man roster.

Pushing Lee to right field leaves second base as the last potential position of need. The Giants have looked for upgrades over Casey Schmitt, with reports tying them to various trade targets (e.g. Brendan Donovan, Nico Hoerner, CJ Abrams). Posey declined to go into specifics in response to a question about trading for a second baseman, but that appears to be a bigger priority than further augmenting the rotation. The Giants stayed away from the top of the market, instead signing back-end arms Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser to short-term deals.

Even as Framber Valdez remains unsigned, Posey downplayed the desire to add another starter. “We’re happy with our rotation right now, with some of the adjustments that Houser made last year, and we feel like Mahle is in a good place physically,” he said (relayed by John Shea of The San Francisco Standard). “You’re never going to close doors, but we feel good with the group that we have.”

They’ve taken a similar approach to the bullpen despite losing key contributors Camilo Doval, Tyler Rogers and Randy Rodríguez (the latter to Tommy John surgery) from last season. They’ve taken one-year fliers on Sam Hentges and Jason Foley, both of whom are returning from shoulder surgeries. There’ll be plenty of high-leverage innings available as first-year manager Tony Vitello evaluates the group. That extends to the closer role. Ryan Walker has the most ninth-inning experience of their relievers but is coming off an uneven year.

Walker tells Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle that he’s hoping to win the job, though it seems like it’ll be an open competition in Spring Training. “As we sit here today, I think we’re hoping that Ryan Walker can get back to his 2024 form. But without discussing it with Tony in depth, I guess the way that I would see it now is that we’ll see who steps up,” Posey told reporters (including Slusser). “We’re not coming into this season necessarily with one guy that we say, ‘You are going to be the closer.’ There’s a chance that somebody takes the reins and does slot in to that closer role as we get into the season, but right now I wouldn’t say that there’s one person that we’re targeting for the ninth inning.”

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